Question

What are some events on the timeline we went over that you feel are significant in regards to the War on Drugs? What was the Iran-Contra Scandal and how did it affect inner-cities? What did you learn about Freeway Ricky Ross and what do you believe can be done to end drugs and weaponry from entering the U.S. indefinitely? (3 paragraphs, five sentences minimum)

Answer 1

OnOctober 14, 1982, President Ronald Reagan declared a “war on drugs,” doubling-down on an initiative that was started by Richard Nixon. Reagan declared that illicit drugs were a direct threat to U.S. national security and through a series of legislation, like the mandatory minimum sentencing laws of 1986, made a hard right turn away from a public health approach to drug use. Drug offenders faced lifetime consequences for minor infractions, yet the focus on tough sentences for crack and not powder cocaine meant the people going to prison were largely black and brown. The media seemed to play along, hyping up threats with racist coverage that largely ignored rampant cocaine use amongst whites and sensationalized the crack problem in inner-city black neighborhoods.

In his effort to “make America great again” (yes, that was originally a catchphrase from Reagan’s stump speeches), Reagan enlisted his wife, Nancy. The First Lady orchestrated the “Just Say No” program, which became a cornerstone of her legacy. But that tagline — while memorable — was a flop when it came to helping kids cope with complex situations. Meanwhile, the U.S. government put money and military resources behind Central American groups known to be trafficking cocaine, which played a major role in the creation of America’s inner-city crack cocaine problem.

crack epidemic

Racist ideas distorted drug policies in Reagan’s America. A media frenzy around the crack epidemic created a hysteria that meant support for his law-and-order policy approach to drug use. Prison populations soared as African Americans were targeted by law enforcement — despite using drugs at similar rates to whites.

Act 2: Cocaine is OK as long as you’re fighting communists

In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan enacted harsh sentencing laws for drug offenders. Yet, under his watch the CIA was actually funding some of the very drug cartels responsible for flooding inner-city America with cocaine.

Act 3: “Just Say Blow”

In 1987, actress Drew Barrymore signed an anti-drug pledge alongside First Lady Nancy Reagan — as part of the ongoing “Just Say No” program that capitalized on pop culture stars like Barrymore and the cast of sitcom Diff’rent Strokes. The only problem was that Barrymore — like many of the celebrities Mrs. Reagan recruited for her anti-drug effort — was still abusing drugs at the time. In the end, Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” program was considered a massive failure. Kids needed more than a simplistic tagline to deal with a complex reality.