I've heard his health issues are interfering in his ability to campaign in person, and he's been doing a lot of ZOOM rallies and meetings instead. Pennsylvania Democrats should probably look at OTHER Democrat candidates because if they elect this guy, there will be a special election really soon.
Am I surprised that he has stupid and horrific ideas? Nope. He is an extremist.
@MarineBob Well, primarily physical health issues. You don't come back from a stroke that easily. The other could certainly be argued...🤣. But even if he were completely sane before the stroke, his mental capacity will now be slightly impaired..
What could go wrong? Just look at Seattle. While technically still illegal, IV drug use has essentially been decriminalized. Users have "safe injection sites" where they can get clean needles, the police won't arrest, and there are health care personnel to administer narcan for overdoeses. Net effect: IV drug users flock to Seattle. Many are living on the streets. What used to be nice areas of downtown Seattle are now full of urine, feces, used needles, trash, garbage, etc. Drug use requires money and most of these people don't work. Burglarly, robbery, theft have all spiked. Seattle now considers these to be "survival crimes." The offender may be arrested, but won't be prosecuted, and will be back out on the streets shortly. Drug users attract drug dealers. Drug dealing leads to gangs. Gangs lead to narco-terrorists. Law enforcement is leaving Seattle, and the efforts to defund the police isn't helping. It didn't take long for this city to turn into a shithole. In the news, you hear how the Seattle city council is addressing "the homeless problem" - a problem their policies created - by trying to increase funding for healthcare, shelters for the homeless, gov't affordable housing. Everything they do exacerbates the issue, and it's by design.
@irishmolly72 Very sad to see. On the other hand, it's waking people up. Sometimes you have to be confronted with the issue face to face in order to have the will necessary to make the needed changes.
To his point, the families of people addicted to drugs are unable or unwilling to seek treatment help for their loved ones because of the likelihood that they'll end up in jail.
The opioid epidemic is ravaging states like his, and the only solution being offered up by Republicans is to lock them up, which only makes rehabilitation less achievable. Tens of thousands of Americans are dying each year from drug overdoses, and those rates are continually rising, so something radical needs to be done.
Portugal is a shining example of what can happen when you decriminalize drugs. In 2001, they decided to legalize drug consumption and adopt safe injection sites in their country. In the 2 decades since, its rate of HIV infection dropped from 104 new cases per million to 4 cases per million. Its drug overdose death rate plummeted to less than 20% of the EU average. Drug usage rates for 15-24 year olds declined the entire time.
In the US, if people are caught with drugs, they are sent to prison instead of rehab. By decriminalizing drugs, you make it so that they can get sent to get the help they need instead of being sent to a concrete cell to become hardened by prison life.
@carpediem So you're seriously going to just ignore 2 decades of an entire nation's data showing the success of such an initiative just because a Democrat suggested trying the same thing here? Because that's exactly what a contrarian would do. Go against established facts because they don't align with pre-existing beliefs
[quote]where people injecting illegal drugs are either remanded to rehabilitation or prison.[/quote]
What do you think has been going on for the last 50 years since the War on Drugs was started? People getting away with a slap on the wrist or given a trophy?
I think UnderLockDown deserves best comment here, because he is correctly pointing out that enabling injectable drug use, as many states are doing, also enables homelessness, theft, violence and murder as the drug addicts prey on the sane populace to get money for their drugs. This promulgates disease among long term homeless users, and it certainly doesn't make any of them happy in any way. In fact, it enables or promotes long term misery among the drug users.
SW-User
@4meAndyou I prefer tinyViolins comment he explains the situation best
As a Pennsylvanian, I can tell you that the heroin part is not true. He wants to legalize marijuana, which I'm surprised the current governor hasn't done already.
He does want to release 1/3 of the prison population though. I think he should go live in the heart of Philly and see if he changes his mind.
The sad part is he is currently winning in the polls, even after a bad stroke that has affected his health. He's running against Dr. Oz who just doesn't seem to be getting the support he needs.
@Dewkissedrose Yeah...he went on television and mocked Dr. Oz for calling a veggie platter crudites, because being ignorant and stupid is obviously SO much better.
I think we should decriminalize all of it. Those who are going to abuse will do so but decriminalizing it would take the money and the crime out of it. The reduction in crime and gang violence would make for any other issues.
@sunsporter1649 Anyone that wants to use can get it now, all being illegal does for it is to allow the police to arrest a few million people a year for possession clogging the courts and filling county correctional facilities while it doesn't do anything to get the dope and dope related crime under control. There are thousands dying from alcoholism, from drunk driving, but we aren't clamoring to go back to prohibition of alcohol.
@sunsporter1649 I don't think the number of people who OD would change much, about 100K die annually due to alcohol, banning it didn't work. At least if it were not illegal, there would be some control over what those who use are actually getting, much like alcohol. An addict would know how much fentanyl he was getting ready to use instead of just hoping there wasn't too much.
But... can we also talk about his wardrobe choices? he always wears a black hoodie and basketball shorts. Ummmm.... I don't think that will fly on Capitol Hill.
I've always thought he looked like an ex-con, personally.
@TexChik Obama was actually a two term president unlike Trump Jan 6 will alwayes Trumps greatest legacy to the nation and what he will be rememberd for.
..and the trumpers will still not understand that they are to blame for having another incompetent democrat elected because of the opponent they put against him. get used to it because it will continue as long as his shadow covers the party.
@sunsporter1649 OOPs, those are primaries...against other republicans. You do realize we have a 50-50 senate now because of his stunts in Georgia right?
@sylvsn59 Another TDS sufferer 🙄 Dime a dozen. Primaries are all about choosing the best candidate. Your guy lost. I guess he wasn’t the best. Cry me a river
Once you know they are lawless, and support criminals freedom rather than law abiding citizens safety, you know they are paid off by Soros et al. They are corrupt.
@black4white [quote]You are the one that told me to know both sides and to be educated..[/quote]
I said that to you? Good for me!
To your question, negative stuff about the left is not widely reported - media has chosen to be biased. Even though SW is a small audience, I want to be sure it sees the unreported news.
