USA - Retired U.S. Marshal Speaks About War on Drugs

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http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stori...t_war_on_drugs

Retired U.S. Marshal Speaks About War on Drugs

Nick Galvin, CT staff writer
Wednesday, April 9; 12:00 AM

Say no to drugs. Thanks to Scruff McGruff and gym teachers across the country, that four-word mantra has become as ingrained in the education system as basic algebra.

But those who heard Matthew Fogg speak last night might think the more appropriate action is to "Say no to racism."

Since its inception during the Nixon presidency in 1969, critics of the American government's War on Drugs have assailed it as being draconian and ineffective, leading to over-populated jails and creating a flourishing black market. One outspoken critic of the war has been retired Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Matthew Fogg who spoke Tuesday evening in McBryde Hall about the social repercussions of the War on Drugs.

"Drug prohibition helps the U.S. maintain a racial apartheid prison-industrial complex," Fogg said.

Fogg led a joint operation with the Drug Enforcement Agency as a supervisory inspector.

Fogg has defended victims of all kinds through his work with organizations such as Blacks in Government and Amnesty International. Fogg also credits Martin Luther King Jr. as being the biggest influence in his life.

His criticism of the War on Drugs is based primarily on the belief that it is driven by racism. He used both statistics and anecdotes from his own life to support this view. One such anecdote was the story of his 1998 precedent-setting court case against the United States, in which a Federal Jury awarded him $4 million in compensatory damages for racial discrimination he suffered from within the U.S. Marshal Service.

Last night, Fogg proudly wore a hat embroidered with the words "Four Million Dollar Marshal".

When asked what message he hoped students would take away from his speech, Fogg said, "You can make a difference … as an individual, no matter how painful it may seem, you can stand up for your principles and the rights of others."

Several students stayed afterwards for a more personal question and answer session with Fogg.

Sociology major Heather Pierce said that she agreed with a lot of the beliefs Fogg held.

"I have a lot more confidence in the morality of my own beliefs, particularly concerning racist issues in drug policy," Pierce said.

The Virginia Tech University Policies for Student Life adhere to state statutes, which classify marijuana as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin, LSD, GHB, and ecstasy.

This association with such highly addictive and dangerous drugs has led numerous school administrations to adapt a zero-tolerance policy for marijuana. Many students have argued that such policies are ineffective and punitively excessive, and some have formed organizations to fight for change.

One such organization is Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, an international student organization that aims to expose the negative effects of the War on Drugs and encourage young people to become involved in the political process

Kris Reinertson, a senior double majoring in Political Science and Sociology, is the president and founder of the Virginia Tech chapter of SSDP.

"I think that when law enforcement is speaking out against the War on Drugs, it's a clear sign that the issue should be discussed more seriously," Reinertson said.