Comments by "Deborah Freedman" (@deborahfreedman333) on "Fareed Zakaria: There are deep inequities in this country" video.

Zakaria missed an important point. The reason that the police are militarized is the war on drugs. As the black market in illicit drugs became more and more lucrative, those engaged in that black market armed themselves with more powerful weapons and acquired better security. The police responded by establishing SWAT teams, employing rigs with battering rams, and obtaining military grade transport and weapons. The war on drugs is also the main reason so many people are in jail, especially those of color. More people are jailed for nonviolent drug offences than violent offences. The 1920s proved that prohibition of alcohol only resulted in gangs and violence. We should end all prohibition and treat drug addiction as a medical, not criminal, problem. And we need intelligent gun control, like they have in Canada. If there were fewer high powered weapons on the street, the police would be less jumpy and prone to violence themselves.
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