Political Quotes

“I am far more strongly convinced of the merits of this amendment than of its chances for success, but, given the possibility that a hundred Members may have made a mistake on the last vote, I will offer it. What this amendment would do would be to undo what the House just did, plus it would remove from the bill in the 'three strikes and you're out' provision nonviolent drug crimes; that is, drug crimes, possession of an awful lot of marijuana that can now be a third crime which will send someone to jail for life. It is known as the joints to the joint amendment or possession of a much smaller amount of crack or cocaine from which we infer intent to distribute. My amendment would knock those out. Mr. Chairman, we are, in my judgment, as a society making a profound error in our approach to drugs of which the bill, particularly the bill as amended, is an example. The approach that we have been taking, which is heavily law enforcement oriented against users, and this bill, as amended, especially, step up the extent to which users will be very severely penalized, in some cases sent away for life; it distorts our resources, it makes the problem of crime, in my judgment, worse rather than better. We ought to be following a strategy with regard to drugs that is heavily oriented towards treatment and prevention and education.”