"The Right Thing to Do": Obama Signs Law Narrowing Cocaine Sentencing Disparities

[quiet.american]

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/obama-signs-law-narrowing-cocaine-sentencing-disparities/">NYT: Obama Signs Law Narrowing Cocaine Sentencing Disparities

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/obama-signs-law-narrowing-cocaine-sentencing-disparities/">

President Obama signed legislation on Tuesday reducing longstanding federal sentencing disparities between those caught with crack and those arrested with powder cocaine, finalizing a bipartisan consensus addressing a racially polarizing law enforcement debate.

Mr. Obama made no comments as he signed the bill, but during his 2008 presidential campaign, he said that the old law disproportionately affected young African-American and Hispanic drug users. In a speech last week, he said the new legislation would “help right a longstanding wrong” and was “the right thing to do.”

The legislation was a compromise reached by Democrats and Republicans who agreed that the old law imposed unduly harsh sentences for crack violations, which effected minorities in particular, compared with powder cocaine violations. The final bill was supported unanimously in the Senate and on a voice vote in the House, a rare moment where the parties have come together during Mr. Obama’s presidency.

“By signing this reform into law, President Obama will save taxpayer money, reduce racial disparities and better prioritize federal law enforcement towards major crime syndicates instead of low-level offenders,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, an advocacy group.

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So glad to see this signed into law. And color me stunned that Republicans voted unanimously for it! (What are they up to?)

[Cha]

1. This is fantastic, q.american!

thank you for posting. Geeze..that Obama! Always out there do the good works for our country and its people.

P.S. Wish I could Rec this.

[quiet.american]

3. Cha, I get tired just trying to keep up w/everything he's doing.

This is really good news, though. I do hope it will make a difference.

[Number23]

2. My personal thoughts are that anyone stupid enough to use or sell drugs needs their asses whipped

But I am sick and damn tired of black and Hispanic kids getting their asses kicked worse for doing the same thing.

The discrepancies in drug sentencing is just one head of the Hydra that is racially motivated discrepancies in prison sentences in this country. I am glad to see President Obama tackling this issue.

[quiet.american]

4. Well said, N23. nt

[bobburgster]

5. About F%$#ing Time!

Thanks O-man.......should have been done by Bush.

[Lindsey]

6. Good deal. Happy to see this. Thanks for posting. n/t

[goclark]

7. The NAACP was strongly behind this

:fistbump: