d6da1c8b   
   XPost: alt.drugs, talk.politics.libertarian, alt.anarchism   
   XPost: alt.atheism   
   From: phil@KNOTslatts.net   
      
   Jorge Cruz Rodriguez wrote:   
   > I am looking for information on the sociology of the origins   
   > and maintenance of the Drug War, especially the relation   
   > of religion to support for the Drug War.  I have Googled up   
   > a few dozen articles but the writers seem to sidestep the   
   > issues, possibly because they don't want to offend religious   
   > groups.  The period of greatest activity seems to be just   
   > before the Harrison Drug Act.  Possibly some of you may   
   > be aware of an article which more or less sums up the   
   > religious connection, which to my memory more or less   
   > parallels the religious connection with "Temperance" and   
   > (alcohol) Prohibition.   
      
   I have never heard of a overtly religious reason for the prohibition of the   
   other drugs but you are right about the temperance movement and alcohol.   
   The normal story told in the newspapers of the time was Opium was banned   
   because it was claimed the "Chinese were raping white women". Cocaine   
   because "Niggers were raping white women" and Marijuana because "Red haired   
   niggers were raping white women". (Mexicans).   
   I am fond of the claim in one paper that if "a nigger smokes   
   ...(marijuana).. it will embolden him to tread on a white mans shadow"!   
      
   You may see a pattern there!   
      
   Also of note is that Harry Anslinger, the Assistant Prohibition   
   Commissioner, was just out of a job with the end of prohibition so needed a   
   new enemy to chase. And look up William Randolph Hearst in this context.   
      
   See:   
   http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/   
   http://www.erowid.org/  Search - "Drug War History"   
   http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/index.htm   
      
   Slatts   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)