Reagans War on Drugs Essay Example for Free

Reagans War on Drugs Essay The phrase â€Å"sex, drugs, and rock and roll† held true to its well-earned spot in 1970’s and 1980’s society. With a new, looser culture, explicit music, raunchy and rambunctious movies as well as a societal focus on many things immoral, it was an era of challenging social norms. As the use of recreational and psychoactive drugs, as well as alcohol, increased, a new problem arose; how does law enforcement and the government undo the damage being made by this new society? Laws were passed, bureaus and commissions were formed, and the President of the United States began what he called â€Å"The War on Drugs†. Over the years, some of these solutions have proven to make some impact. The initiation, tactics, and attempts at dealing a major blow to drug abuse have all affected the way America sees drugs today. A new type of warfare had made its way into the country, and after all these years, it has made its fair share of positive and negative effects. â€Å"Just say no. † (Reagan Declares War on Drugs, 1982). This was one of the many scare tactics used in America’s new war on drugs. The president needed to construct a plan to detract the public eye from drugs’ fame. Nancy Reagan was equally as adamant about keeping America safe and clean. She traveled to and spoke at many schools, enforcing the idea of simply refusing the temptation of drugs. Before the Reagan’s began their wartime, Richard Nixon introduced his own ‘war’ on drugs, stating, â€Å"America’s public enemy number one is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive. † (Remarks About an Intensified Program for Drug Abuse Prevention, 1971). This mindset was yet another strategy used to make America energized and willing to fight this war. Nixon passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act in the 1970’s as a way to keep a constant eye on the drug industry. This act required the pharmaceutical industry to maintain physical security and strict record keeping for certain types of drugs. When Reagan became president he gave a speech, announcing, â€Å"We are taking down the surrender flag that has flown over so many drug efforts; we’re running up a battle flag. † (Reagan’s ‘War on Drugs’ Speech, 1981). America’s first clear attack on the use of drugs was verbal – this strategy temporarily affected the country, but more had to be done to combat this enemy. The United States and its’ presidents had to take a fighting stance if they wanted to decrease drug abuse. One of the first instances of this was President Nixon’s Operation Intercept. Announced even before the official ‘war’ on drugs began – in September 1969 – this campaign focused on reducing the amount of cannabis entering the United States from Mexico. Following this effort, the United States government funded the controversial Methadone Maintenance Program. Methadone Maintenance treatment, a program in which addicted individuals receive daily doses of methadone, was developed as part of a broad, multicomponent treatment program. † (Center for Disease Control, 2002). After Nixon’s trials and failures, President Carter went at the fight with a different, looser approach. Carter called for the decriminalization of marijuana. With a less vicious outlook, Carter believed that the punishment of a crime should not be more brutal than that said crime. President Carter’s tactic proved unworthy, as while he was in office, use of cocaine increased dramatically. Finally, as Reagan took center stage and stepped into presidential office, he kept a strong belief against this criminal act. Reagan created the Office of National Drug Control Policy to eradicate illicit drug use, manufacturing and trafficking of drugs, as well as put an end to drug related violence and crimes. Reagan put policies in place to strengthen his deadly grasp on drug-ridden society. He required mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug dealers – a policy he initiated in hopes of making drugs seem less glamorous and infinitely more criminal. He began the South Florida Task Force, which dealt with the increase of drug trafficking in Southern Florida. This force worked hand in hand with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Operation Swordfish was put in place by the DEA to attack international drug organizations. â€Å"The operation was dubbed operation swordfish because it was intended to snare the ‘big fish’ in drug trade. † (Drug Enforcement Agency, Operation Swordfish, 1980). Vice President George H. W. Bush began insisting that the CIA and U. S. Military become involved in drug interdiction efforts. The Drug-Free Media Campaign Act of 1988 was passed in hopes to convince America’s youth and future generations to stray away from drugs. After all of these battles, did America finally win this war? â€Å"The U. S. Federal Government spent over $15 billion in 2010 on the War on Drugs, a rate of about $500 per second. † (The Budgetary Impact of Drug Prohibition, 2010). This is a sign that perhaps Reagan’s War on Drugs wasn’t quite as effective as he had so hoped. The United States today has the highest incarceration rate and prison population of any country in the world. This is provided in part by the amount of arrests and incarcerations due to drug sentencing guidelines and policies. â€Å"In the 1980’s, while the number of arrests for all crimes had risen by 28%, the number of arrests for drug offenses rose 126%. † (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010). This did not specifically mean that there were more drug-related crimes, but that law enforcement had simply cracked down on the arrests of said crimes. In comparison, Time Magazine’s study states, â€Å"Drug convictions went from 15 inmates per 100,000 adults in 1980 to 148 in 1996, an almost tenfold increase. More than half of Americas federal inmates today are in prison on drug convictions. In 2009 alone, 1. 66 million Americans were arrested on drug charges†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Time Magazine, 2012). While this war on drugs may still be in effect, it may have positive outcomes for further in the future. As for the time being, America has two main stances on the subject: some call for further reparations in the war on drugs, while others believe the war is unsuccessful, and the focus needs to be shifted to more important and dire issues. The War on Drugs has failed. † (19 Member Commission, June 2, 2011). In another instance, a poll was taken throughout the country, and its results, â€Å"three in four Americans believe that the War on Drugs is failing. † (October 2008 Poll). Suggestions of decriminalization have been made by many. The legalization of drugs is claimed to have many positive effects on the country as a whole, including positive economic effects. While this ‘war’ on drugs started off as a full-fledged attack on all users and distributors of illegal narcotics, it seems to have transformed into a war against itself: will continuing these attacks help the country, or will allowing certain, less harmful drugs to be legal prove to be a more reasonable solution? â€Å"Legalizing drugs would save taxpayers $76. 8 billion a year in the United States $44. 1 billion from law enforcement savings, and at least $32. 7 billion in tax revenue†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Harvard Study by Jeffrey A. Miron, 2008). In addition, the policies put into effect by Nixon and Reagan may ave had a positive impact on crime in the United States, but it may not have been in the way they had wished. â€Å"Drugs got enormously cheaper so users didn’t have to hit as many old ladies over the head and steal their pocketbooks. † (Travis Wendel, â€Å"More Drugs, Less Crime†, 2010). Murders, robberies and other violent crimes seemed to decline as the price of drugs went down – could this happen if drugs were legalized as well? America in this day and age has a vast amount of governmental and international issues in desperate need of resolution – is drug control still one of them? The United States of America is a country known by many as ‘land of the free’, but does this mean that its citizens should be allowed to participate in activities such as drug use with such a negative connotation? Did Reagan’s War on Drugs really make an effective impact on the way America sees drugs today? The answer to that question is this – while his tactics may not have worked the way he had desired, America as a whole has indeed seen less drug related crime. This does not mean it does not exist, nor does it mean that by legalizing drugs will solve all of the country’s problems. What this does mean is that Reagan’s war on drugs did not put an end to drug use, but it just may have opened America’s eyes to more clear and present danger. While drugs are in no way going to solve America’s problems, the once War on Drugs may now need to be adjusted to a name more fitting. A War on Crime as a whole perhaps? A War on Drug Related Violence? Reagan had the correct idea, now the country can put it into proper use. His War was not an end all war, but it just may have been enough to enhance America as a whole.

Disguise In Shakespearean Come Essay -- essays research papers

William Shakespeare was a jack of all trades. He could do it all – histories, tragedies, comedies, romances. While some people may say that Shakespeare’s tragedies are the most popular, his comedies are as popular as the tragedies, if not more. However, comedies of Shakespeare’s time are not what people of the twentieth century perceive to be â€Å"comedy.† Some of the elements of Shakespearean comedy are similar to today’s comedy, such as physical comedy. People of Shakespeare’s time found the fall Kate took from her horse in Taming of the Shrew, and surely people of our time would find that amusing as well. A large part of Shakespeare’s comedy was disguises. The use of disguise was a key part of Shakespearean comedy; his plays Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, and Twelfth Night all use the element of disguise as part of their plot, some more than others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Much Ado About Nothing, one of Shakespeare’s â€Å"festive† comedies, centers around two couples. One, Claudio and Hero, fall in love at first sight. The other, Benedick and Beatrice, have a verbal war almost every time they meet. Disguise is not an integral part of this play, but they are used during the masque that takes place. During the masque, Beatrice talks with a masked Benedick; she also talks degradingly about him. A question that always comes up in discussion of this play is whether or not Beatrice knows that she is actually speaking to Benedick, and that is why she calls him â€Å"t...

Undoubtedly considerable changes in policing

The area of policing in developed countries has seen a substantive growth in interest among stakeholders forcing curious minds to flounder through WebPages and archives in search for vital information about the systems of policing and new trends.Undoubtedly, considerable changes in policing have occurred recently for reasons such as improved technology, change in culture and expectations of the citizens, increased knowledge, among others. Notably, different countries have different policing system depending on the objectives of the country and its historical background. (Manning 2005)Brief historyPolicing in the UK has been in existence for centuries i.e. since the Saxon times. However, modern policing systems can be dated back to the beginnings of the 19th century, where law enforcers were appointed in localized areas. Originally, the guards policed towns in order to ensure that curfews were adhered to and to contain riots.For example the Edinburgh town guard in 1682, Marine police, Glasgow police which were all formed in the late 18th century. In fact the first police in UK was the city of Glasgow police formed under the Glasgow police Act in the 1800. The police was a publicly funded program from local tax payers’ money and its duty was to prevent crime.The success of this force in that localized area was followed by its subsequent adoption in other areas. Additionally, committees were appointed to investigate of the policing in these areas from 1812-1822 and their findings and recommendations paved way for the incorporation of the metropolitan police Act 1829 under the instruction of Robert Peel, the then Home secretary.Following the passing of this Act the Metropolitan police was founded. Hirschel, David J. and William Wakefield. 1995The policing structure here was highly bureaucratic rigorous and hierarchal.   Their duty still remained to prevent crime and trail law breakers, in an unrestricted approach. The police of those days did not carry any armament due to the previous fears ingrained in citizens by the red dressed armies who used firearms and brutality to enforce laws.Therefore, their weaponry was limited to batons. Their uniform was navy blue in color, a sharp distinction from that of the army, although there were also plain-clothed police detectives but few in number. These differences were in part to create a clear distinction of police from civilians/army and also to eschew the potential of generating fear from civilians. Of course after the establishment of Metropolitan police in Britain, other states followed suit.In 1857, the general police Act in Scotland mandated the formation of country police force in every country, in 1856, England and Wale passed the country and Borough Act which required that police forces be created throughout England and Wales Ireland followed in1877 by forming the Royal Irish constabulary. (www.britannica.com)Soon all the states in the United Kingdom had enforced law enforcement unit (police forces) which since then have undergone reforms to improver efficacy and to streamline the mandates and responsibility of the police force.The US police system borrowed from that of its colonizers the Europeans thus they have an array of similarity. The first police force in the US was found in Boston and in New York as established in 1838 and 1844 respectively. However the first professionalized police force started in California, under August Vollmer and Wilson O.E then police chief.

A Guide to Alto, the Spanish Word for Stop

All over the English-speaking countries of the world, people may drive on different sides of the road, but an international constant is an octagonal red STOP sign is used to let drivers know they need to stop. The same cannot be said for Spanish-speaking countries. In Spanish-speaking countries, the red octagonal shape is used to mean stop, however, the word used in the sign changes depending on the Spanish-speaking country you are in. In some places the red octagon says Alto, or in other places, the red octagon says, Pare.   Both signs signify for a driver to stop. But, the word alto does not traditionally mean stop in Spanish. Parer is the Spanish verb meaning to stop. In Spanish, the word alto commonly serves as a descriptive word meaning high or loud. As in, the book is up high on a shelf, or the boy shouted loudly. Where did alto come from? How did this word end up on Spanish stop signs? Alto Defined Most native Spanish speakers do not know why alto means stop. It requires some digging into the historical usage of the word and its etymology. For those with a knowledge of German, a similarity could be drawn between the word alto and the German word  Halt. The word Halt in German has the same meaning as the word halt in English. According to the Spanish Royal Academys dictionary, the second reference to  alto with stop as its  meaning is commonly found on road signs  in Central America, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, and it  comes from the German halt.  The German verb halten  means to stop. The dictionary provides a basic etymology of most words, but it does not go into extensive detail or give a date of first use. According to another Spanish etymology dictionary, the  Diccionario Etimolà ³gico, urban legend traces the Spanish usage of the word  alto with the meaning of stop back to the 15th century during the Italian Wars. The sergeant raised his pike high as a signal to stop the column of soldiers from marching. In this reference, the Italian word for high is alto.   More credence is given to the Spanish Royal Academy dictionarys meaning, suggesting that alto is a direct borrowing from the German halt. The Italian story sounds more like a folk tale, but the explanation is plausible. The Online Etymology Dictionary suggests that the English word halt comes from the 1590s from the French halte or Italian alto, ultimately from the German halt, possibly as a German military term that made its way into the Romance languages. Which Countries Use Which Sign Most Spanish-speaking Caribbean and South American countries use pare. Mexico and most Central American countries use alto. Spain and Portugal also use  pare. Also, in Portuguese, the word for stop is pare.