Liberal columnist acknowledges access to the west coast in the fight against drug crisis failed
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof acknowledged on Saturday that the “permissive” stance on West Coast Liberal drugs was a wrong approach.
Columnist Author’s piece Admitting that he was more of a hand, less criminal approach to dealing with drugs, almost that he led to the death of one of his old friends.
“Still, it is also true that Drew’s latest transition to addiction came partly because of the permissive liberal culture towards drugs on the west coast. It should have been compassionate, but it almost killed him (and killed many of my other friends),” the columnist reflected .
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New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof condemned the “permissive” access to the West Coast States in dealing with drug addiction in a recent column. (Fox News)
The prominent cities on the west coast, such as San Francisco and Portland, have been devastating the drug crisis in recent years. Coincidentally local laws are relaxed in connection with drug possession. Oregon, for example, decriminalized possession of user drugs in 2021, leaving Portland leaders struggling to break in public drug use.
Critics accused California’s proposal 47 – Signed Law 2014 – exacerbation of San Franciscowhile overlacing six smaller offenses as a misdemeanor in the state of California – including theft less than $ 950 and drug possession.
In his column, Kristof admitted that he woke up from his own belief that these compassionate policies were good for the community after seeing what he had pledged his friend, an addict of the homeless fentanil.
“As a good liberal, I opposed the arrest of people for using drugs. They need health care, not foxes, I thought. But, to my surprise and outrage, I found myself asking my old friend to attract Goff to be arrested “,” The columnist was reflected.
Kristof noted that Portland’s drug laws were so light compared to the laws of alcohol or cigarettes, stating: “In Portland, a person could have been arrested for drinking beer on the sidewalk, but until recently the smoking of the fantanil. Smoking cigarettes in public places were Often limited or forbidden to the west coast while the use of fental was tolerated. “
The column will appear in a Sunday print edition of the New York Times.
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People pass by women in a wheelchair near Union San Francisco Square, on Thursday, December 2, 2021 in San Francisco, homeless tents, open use of drugs, burglary in the home and dirty streets spread during pandemic. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Kristof interrupted the crisis, writing: “The United States lost more than one million people than an overdose of 2000 – more than the number of Americans lost in all wars in the last 150 years, including both world wars.”
However, the author did not return to advocate for serious crime policies that the Republicans encouraged, booking many criticisms for it. He added: “Drew’s journey is an equally reproach of liberals and conservatives. Drew is the third generation in his family to fight addiction, and his life reflects the failure of the drug war in half a century, fighting only criminal justice to the tool.”
He stated that “neither Democrats nor Republicans have solved the problem of seriousness or shades it deserves.”
Still, he focused on the fact that the western coasts are decryminalizing and Destigmatization of drug use He encouraged the crisis.
“Oregon decriminalized the possession of small amounts of hard drugs in the 2020 referendum, and Drew says that the lack of punishment played a role in his decision to return to the drug.” The advantages have outweigh the consequences for me, “he said.”
The author pointed out that, although promoting less drug policy, people on the west coast became too hesitant to “choices of people”, the dynamics that led to the spiral drug crisis.
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He quoted the executive director of the Addiction Center based in Portland, who articulated the proper approach that people should have to have addicts: “” It’s not okay to stigmatize drug users, “he told me.” It is necessary to stigmatize the use of drugs. “”
Kristof added the director’s point that reduction of damage Save lives, but the best way to save life is to establish “norms against drug use”.
The author then offered his crisis solutions that combine compassion for addicts with more traditional measures such as prison.
“The implication is that we should be less dogmatic and move on to the middle path. The right is instinctively reached due to criminal sanctions and to the left for the supporting reduction of the damage, but the effective tool frame requires both sticks and carrots.”
Mentioning his friend once again, who he said he returned his life thanks to treatment programs while in prison, Kristof wrote: “Drew made bad decisions, but it was a lot of fault to visit. Conservatives resisted the web of social security that He could help him in his childhood and the liberals crossed him with tolerance that did not suffocate him to dependence.
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