Tell President Obama: End the War on Drugs
- by: Global Exchange
- recipient: President Barack Obama
The war on drugs is a failure. For over four decades, the United States has led an international effort to reduce drug use through incarceration and militarized intervention. The true cost of this tragedy can be measured in the hundreds of thousands of lost lives, the millions imprisoned, the billions of dollars wasted.
When President Nixon declared the "war on drugs" in 1971, the world followed his lead. 45 years later the war on drugs has not only failed to meet its stated goal of reducing drug abuse, but has created a violent, militarized and politically powerful underworld that operates its criminal trade with high levels of impunity.
When President Nixon declared the "war on drugs" in 1971, the world followed his lead. 45 years later the war on drugs has not only failed to meet its stated goal of reducing drug abuse, but has created a violent, militarized and politically powerful underworld that operates its criminal trade with high levels of impunity.
Right now, Global Exchange is leading a caravan through Latin America and the United States to highlight the stories of those most directly impacted by the war on drugs. We will end this historic journey in New York, for a special meeting of the United Nations to address the war on drugs. We want the U.S. President to take this opportunity to change decades of failed policy. And we need your voice to help make this happen.
It is time to end this pointless and costly war. Join us in calling on President Obama to lead the world into a new era of drug policy based on public health and human rights.
Dear President Obama,
The war on drugs is a failure. For over four decades, the United States has led an international effort to reduce drug use through incarceration and militarized intervention. The true cost of this tragedy can be measured in the hundreds of thousands of lives lost, the millions imprisoned, the billions of dollars wasted.
But these numbers belie the personal impact of this war. Behind each statistic is a personal story of loss:
Maria Herrera, a mother of four disappeared sons in Mexico, said that since she lost her boys, “I’ve been using my entire body and my soul to find them but I have not found anything,” except for “pain and more pain.” She said that the rates of disappearances coupled with the lack of effective responses makes the issue seem “systematic."
“It seems that no one wants to do anything or can do anything to put an end to this war,” she said, adding “This is a war against families” that has made public spaces unsafe and “destroyed our social fabric.”
Maria is one of more than 30 people traveling from Honduras to New York City on Global Exchange’s Caravan for Peace, Life, and Justice. As people from around the globe convene in New York for UNGASS 2016, the Caravan aims to shed light on the human faces and heartrending stories of the U.S.-driven drug war and its impact across the Americas.
After decades of punitive global drug policies revolving around UNGASS 1998’s unrealistic pledge of a “drug free world“ and the 1961, 1971 and 1988 International Drug Control Treaties, many governments and civil society organizations alike are calling for a different approach to drug policy that prioritizes human rights, public health, harm reduction and sustainability.
The United States has the power and influence to bring an end to the 'war on drugs’ - a war that has failed to reduce drug abuse, and instead has created a violent, militarized and politically powerful underworld that operates its criminal trade with high levels of impunity.
President Obama, I urge you to take this historic opportunity provided by the upcoming United Nations meeting and lead the world to reform drug policies that provide treatment instead of incarceration, moderation instead of militarization. By attending this meeting and calling for a sea change in global policy, you can take a powerful step towards ending the 'war on drugs.'
[Your comment here]
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
Sign PetitionSign PetitionThe war on drugs is a failure. For over four decades, the United States has led an international effort to reduce drug use through incarceration and militarized intervention. The true cost of this tragedy can be measured in the hundreds of thousands of lives lost, the millions imprisoned, the billions of dollars wasted.
But these numbers belie the personal impact of this war. Behind each statistic is a personal story of loss:
Maria Herrera, a mother of four disappeared sons in Mexico, said that since she lost her boys, “I’ve been using my entire body and my soul to find them but I have not found anything,” except for “pain and more pain.” She said that the rates of disappearances coupled with the lack of effective responses makes the issue seem “systematic."
“It seems that no one wants to do anything or can do anything to put an end to this war,” she said, adding “This is a war against families” that has made public spaces unsafe and “destroyed our social fabric.”
Maria is one of more than 30 people traveling from Honduras to New York City on Global Exchange’s Caravan for Peace, Life, and Justice. As people from around the globe convene in New York for UNGASS 2016, the Caravan aims to shed light on the human faces and heartrending stories of the U.S.-driven drug war and its impact across the Americas.
After decades of punitive global drug policies revolving around UNGASS 1998’s unrealistic pledge of a “drug free world“ and the 1961, 1971 and 1988 International Drug Control Treaties, many governments and civil society organizations alike are calling for a different approach to drug policy that prioritizes human rights, public health, harm reduction and sustainability.
The United States has the power and influence to bring an end to the 'war on drugs’ - a war that has failed to reduce drug abuse, and instead has created a violent, militarized and politically powerful underworld that operates its criminal trade with high levels of impunity.
President Obama, I urge you to take this historic opportunity provided by the upcoming United Nations meeting and lead the world to reform drug policies that provide treatment instead of incarceration, moderation instead of militarization. By attending this meeting and calling for a sea change in global policy, you can take a powerful step towards ending the 'war on drugs.'
[Your comment here]
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.