Cuz they end up like you ? Menace to society ?

Obviously I’m talking about the former, which is why I used the term “rates” in relation to both drug use and imprisonment. Speaking in absolute numbers isn’t all that meaningful; percentages tell us a whole lot more.

I would suggest that in the inner city blacks use drugs at a much higher rate. I read newspaper articles all the time that describe drug infested neighborhoods and rarely, if ever, are they describing a white neighborhood.

That’s nothing but a bunch of selective, anecdotal BS. Do you have any numbers at all to support this theory? Based on a quick search, the government is telling us that the percentages are roughly equal — 9.2% usage rate for blacks, versus 8.1% for whites (PDF warning on the link):

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/popDensity/popDensity.pdf

As I said before, the imprisonment rate for drug crimes shows a much, much greater disparity between blacks and whites. In fact, this survey shows that by far, the highest drug use rates occur among Native Americans, Native Alaskans, and Pacific Islanders. Why are our prisons not being overrun by these folks, if they use drugs at the highest rate? Obviously drug law enforcement is out of step with actual drug usage, which was my entire point from the beginning.

Are you saying they use them at the same rate as a proportion of their respective populations or are you saying that as many whites use drugs as blacks?

I would suggest that in the inner city blacks use drugs at a much higher rate. I read newspaper articles all the time that describe drug infested neighborhoods and rarely, if ever, are they describing a white neighborhood.

Yeah, but I think its important to make sure the greater evil doesnt succeed. We gotta assert what power we do have.

“Haha, well that sort of necessitates an assumption that both sides are actually considering hard evidence when mulling over these policies.”

I can count my dollars and share them with a market, they’re tangible assets.
A moral increase can only be determined by ones personal perceptions.

Who knows. I have no clue who the candidate will be, and I’ll abstain before I throw my vote at some religious right di*khead. Actually, abstaining is looking like the most attractive option at this point.

In general I don’t vote based on racking up points to beat somebody — I couldn’t care less if some stale old guard political faction has its votes split.

I say that because its a hell of a lot easier to guage economic and social success than it is spiritual or moral success.

Haha, well that sort of necessitates an assumption that both sides are actually considering hard evidence when mulling over these policies. Everything I’ve seen points to the idea that measurement and objective reality have very little to do with what moralists on each side of the aisle propose.