A Malaysian man by the name of Razali Ahmad, a courier company clerk and first time offender, was sentenced to death for possession of less than two pounds of marijuana. This is considered trafficking in Malaysia and death by gallows is the mandatory sentence.
While I’ll be sure to stay the fuck away from such a country, this event raises a few questions about the ongoing drug war, many of them specific to America.
The most obvious issue is that if being hung for getting high doesn’t deter someone from either the trade or use of drugs, then what will? The Drug War is an obvious hoax, fascist-like in its focus on non-white offenders, and a pathetic left-over of two shit-head presidents. Nothing is going to stop people from victimizing themselves; if you can even refer to drug use as that.
If you are an advocate of the War on Drugs and are finding solace in the idea that America hasn’t yet incorporated capital punishment for drug offenders and instead warehouses their ever-multiplying numbers, read the next paragraph.
In Texas alone, 120 murderers have been sentenced to probation since 2000. We like to refer to that as “misdemeanor murder”. On the other hand, George Mortarano, a first time offender, was sentenced to life without parole for 2,600 pounds of marijuana. He has been incarcerated since 1982, giving him the honorary title of “Longest Serving Non-Violent Federal Offender In United States History”. An American president given to grant clemency in such cases would be very refreshing, but I wont be holding my breath. If his niece is, I hope her lung capacity is better than mine.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Edward 03.08.08 at 2:49 am
2600 pounds? To visualize this, that’s maybe two and a half of those big round bales of hay you see in the country fields. Dude, 2600 pounds is A LOT of dope. Let’s not make him out to be a martyr.
I agree that the punishment should fit the crime but come on. Maybe the judge he faced was a prick. But, he had enough money, and was high enough on the “food chain” to have 2600 pounds of weed. So, he should’ve had enough resources (and by this I mean “friends”) to provide him with a good enough legal defense to prevent the book being thrown at him.
Nick 03.08.08 at 2:56 am
2600 pounds of a substance that was legal in this country for 80 years a demonized. The point is he shouldn’t be in jail at all! You keep missing something buddy, but I enjoy your comments. Marijuana shouldn’t even be illegal. Oh, and there is only on person in the food chain if you are producing your own. If he was in a food chain, who is going to come out and protect for fear of their own prosecution. In another case, a man did 10 years in prison for having fucking light bulbs.No marijuana found…Feds just knew he was providing the bulbs to growers. Legalize this shit and save me this tiresome conversation. Marijuana hurts no one…it is a medicine. And if you believe in God…he put the shit here. You trust God or man? Cause man made alcohol!
Nick 03.08.08 at 2:58 am
“2600 pounds of a substance that was legal in this country for 80 years before being demonized”. I am quite the anxious typer.
Edward 03.08.08 at 6:39 pm
Why do you accuse me of missing something? I’m not missing anything. What used to be legal but no longer is legal is of no consequence. Illegal is illegal. The man was caught with 2600 lbs of dope.
As for the “friends” not helping him out, guilt is not by association. Furthermore, He’s an idiot for not setting some hidden money aside for a legal defense if the need were to arise. But then again, who’s he gonna bequeath his (illegal) wealth to in case of emergencies. He wouldn’t be able to trust his “friends” for their fear of indictment.
Don’t get me wrong it sucks to be him. But that’s the price you pay right now in this country for illegal activity.