Tel-Chai Nation

Radley Balko of the Cato Institute, a longtime apologist for drugs (and let me note that if he apologizes for even legal drugs, I'll frown upon that too, because if not taken with a prescription in particular, one of the leading things pro-druggies seem oblivious to, they too can be sickening), has been upholding the SF mayor's attack on the war on drugs as a failure. CBS5 has this story about SanFran's white-flag mayor, who's been claiming that the war on drugs is a failure, telling the press exactly what they want to hear, I would figure. And Balko asks:

I wonder, when was the last time someone in San Francisco was murdered over a Michelob deal gone wrong?

Well I don't know about Michelob, but there have been some cases of drug dealers who've tried to murder people for not paying up their debts. From a 1988 NYT article, a description of what Oakland, California, was like at the time: infested with deadly drug dealers:

Because of gun battles between drug dealers, many customers and employees are afraid to visit Oasis Automotive on East 14th Street, and the 32-year-old Mr. Burdick is trying to sell the shop, which has been in his family for more than 30 years.

''I can't live this way anymore,'' Mr. Burdick said. ''Mentally, it's ruined me. There are so many drug related-murders nobody can keep track of them.''

In fact, officials of the Oakland Police Department attributed 66 murders to drug trafficking last year, almost twice the number in 1986. They say there are hundreds of drug dealers here, many armed with machine guns, and the police officials say they have too little manpower to end the drug violence.

In Oakland's drug wars, fire as well as firepower is a weapon.

The Oakland Fire Department attributes more than 180 cases of arson in the city last year to warfare between drug gangs and reprisals against slow-paying customers or residents who complained publicly about the city's wide-open commerce in crack, a potent form of cocaine.

Drugs are routinely sold on more than 100 street corners in the Oakland flatlands in the western part of the city where Mr. Burdick has his shop.

Three weeks ago, Camille Johnson, 37, who owed $50 to a crack dealer, was dragged from a house a few blocks from Mr. Burdick's shop and jammed into a car trunk.

After breaking one of her legs and the bones in one hand with a baseball bat, detectives say, the attackers poured gasoline over Ms. Johnson and set her afire. A neighbor saw the flames, rushed out of her house and extinguished the fire. Ms. Johnson is in serious condition.

''The drug dealers are all over the place, and they have taken over the city,'' said the Rev. Betita Coty, a Pentecostal minister. ''We've got to get our city back.''

I certainly hope that after all these years, they have. But would legalizing drugs stop black marketeers from trying to ply their trade? There are those who try to peddle even legal drugs to people having trouble getting it without a prescription, and I don't see that changing even if trojan horses like cannabis were legalized.

And here's another file on drug-related crimes from the DOJ. And just look at what it tells us:

Increasing gang membership and expanding drug distribution by gangs have resulted in increased violence in the Northern California HIDTA region, particularly in the East Bay and cities in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Moreover, much of the violence against law enforcement officers in the HIDTA region is gang-related. Street gangs and OMGs in the area are attempting to increase their membership to gain greater influence and control, including control over retail drug distribution. Additionally, HIDTA law enforcement officials report an increase in violence among the younger generation of street gang members who are trying to establish a reputation for themselves. Younger gang members also are more likely to show aggression toward law enforcement officers. In January 2007 eight members of a violent San Francisco-based street gang known as Down Below Gang pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. The defendants admitted to committing various acts of violence--three murders in 2004, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, armed robbery, carjacking, and drug trafficking. Four defendants admitted to possessing a total of six handguns and an assault rifle in connection with drug distribution.

Well well well. So, whatever young master Balko is trying to claim here while playing the ostrich act, this pretty much shows that there is drug-related crime running rampant in Frisco, with several culprits in a case put on trial for their abominations just earlier this year.

Balko really should wake up and smell the coffee.

Labels: california, Moonbattery, United States