Loretta Nall is really shaking things up in Alabama. The anti-drug-war libertarian candidate (who lives in a trailer) for Governor not only has people talking about the drug war, she managed to get two of the candidates for Sheriff, one of whom is the current Police Chief, to completely reverse their positions on the drug war. They admitted that the drug war is a miserable failure.
I heart Loretta Nall.
In Loretta Nall's words (excerpt):
There were two candidates for Sheriff. The incumbent, David M. Warren, is also the husband of a state legislator and Seriff of Macon County; the challenger was Leon E. "Chief" Frazier, Police Chief of Tuskegee. Both of them started out anti-drug and seemed somewhat perplexed that my message was so different from theirs. . .
The candidates for Sheriff were up next and they were asked what their top priorities were. Mr. Frazier: "I have cleaned up Macon County while I have been in office. I have reduced the drug trade and violent crime and if you re-elect me I vow to eradicate drugs in Macon County." Mr. Warren said something along the same lines but made no outrageous promises of complete drug eradication like the incumbent did.
I knew that somehow I had not connected with my audience like I usually do, and I was not feeling great about any of it. When I was called back to the mic I suddenly got very hot and my heart was racing. My last question was, "Can you really sign into law making marijuana enforcement the lowest priority?"
I looked into the eyes of my audience and I said, "As Governor I would have a great deal of leverage because I would have veto powers. This can be done. It would take political negotiating and wrangling but yes I could get this done as Governor. I want you to know that what I am saying to you today is not about the right to get high. It is not about the right to use drugs. It is about evaluating what we are doing to see if it is meeting its stated objective.
"I think we can all agree that the drug war has failed. We all want the same things. We want safe neighborhoods where there are no gangs, no violence, no people selling drugs to any kid that wants them in an unregulated market. We want to keep families together. If I were to sit down with our law enforcement officials today and have a rational discussion about the drug war you would see that we are all really on the same page. I am not anti-cop but I do readily admit that the drug war has fostered disrespect and contempt for law enforcement. I want our officers to be safe and to protect all of us from real crime.
"If you want your court system unclogged and able to deal with crimes like rape and murder then you have to address it by ending the drug war. If you want the forensics lab to devote its time to solving violent crimes with actual victims then you have to address it by ending the drug war. The drug laws actually create the crime that they were designed to protect us from. People who smoke marijuana do not belong in jail. Marijuana should be legal and available to adults. That would solve our prison crisis as most people in prison in Alabama for drug crimes are there for marijuana. It costs us $95 million a year just to house the marijuana smokers in Alabama's prison system. That is a lot of money that we could use to make things better for our state and our communities."
Mr. Frazier [Police Chief of Tuskegee, candidate for Sheriff] was up next and some brilliant attendee in the back submitted the following question to him. "Just how exactly will you completely eradicate drugs from Macon county?" The whole room giggled at that question and I spoke up and said "I swear I had nothing to do with it." Mr. Frazier gets to the mic and stands there for a minute looking at everyone, me included, and then he sighs big, shakes his head and says for all to hear, "It can't be done. Drugs cannot be eradicated from Macon county or anywhere else. Even if we put our military on the borders to stop "those Colombians" from bringing their junk in, even if we had missiles that could fly down people's chimneys we would never be able to eradicate drugs from anywhere." Then he sat down.
His opponent was next up to address the question. Mr. Warren [incumbent candidate for Sheriff]looked at the audience and then at me and he said, "No matter what else you might think of Mrs. Nall's platform she is absolutely RIGHT on drug policy. It has filled our prisons to bursting, and it's YOUR KIDS who are taking the hits and getting sent to prison or shot down in the streets. We need to address drugs with treatment cause it ain't a problem for law enforcement. We got to do this different and I will do it different. If we want our courts to work, our prisons to work and our communities to be safer then we have to address drugs from a different perspective focused on treatment for those who need it. Prison is no place for a drug addict."
This gentleman has my endorsement now. When he spoke those words he was like a preacher getting down on Sunday morning. He was feeling it and he knew it was right. I think he was just waiting for someone to give him an opening. The Police Chief admitted that the drug war can never be won!
So, yeah, maybe I do live in a trailer and I possess nothing more than a GED but I see the fruits of my labor pay off in a way that makes me richer than any person I know. There is no reward greater than success when your goal is justice for all.
There are many other things going on in Alabama right now. I am involved in a ballot access petition drive that has to be completed by June 6 in order for me to get my name on the ballot. Please watch this video of me and Democratic Candidate Joe Copeland, and keep in mind that he gets automatic access to the ballot while I have to use all of my resources to overcome massive hurdles because I refuse to sell out and run as a Democrat or a Republican. I deserve to be on that ballot as much as anyone else, my ideas make more sense than anyone elses and if I get my name on there I will win this election.
PLEASE MAKE A CONTRIBUTION to put me on the ballot in Alabama. I can make miracles happen with your support.
In Liberty,
Loretta Nall
Vote Nall Y'all... It's Just Common Sense
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