For those who haven’t yet, go read April Witt’s piece in this weekend’s Washington Post magazine. And as heartbreaking and disgusting a story that it is, realize that it’s simply the tip of the iceberg and the only reason an editor thought it worthy of printing was that the victim was a clean-as-a-whistle mayor. The fact of the matter is that this happens every day to people who don’t have the same opportunity to raise public awareness and whose only option is to simply grin and take it. As Balko notes, an elderly woman died of a heart attack due to a similar military-style attack on her home.
There was a chat this afternoon with the author and Cheye Calvo, in which he notes how much Prince George’s County has been able to lie and stonewall investigation, while simultaneously claiming that every thing they did was proper and with every single actor avoiding even the most cursory of punishments.
No matter what your thoughts are on the use of drugs, this story, amongst others, should clearly illuminate the absurdity that is this country’s militant (and completely ineffectual) approach to drug policy — and the complete disregard that local, state, and federal departments have for the Constitution.
