Post by ck4829 on Feb 16, 2022 17:14:07 GMT
The racist ‘crack pipe’ panic and the White House’s shameful capitulation
“Anybody want a crack pipe with their fourth booster? Biden will hook you up.”
“Biden crime policy: crack pipes for all. What could go wrong?”
Starting on Tuesday evening, with little warning, Republicans — including Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate and former Philadelphia-area U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas — freaked out over a misrepresentation of a Biden policy that was announced months ago.
Last year, as part of the American Rescue Plan, the Biden administration announced an unprecedented $30 million in grants for community organizations working to reduce the harm of drug use. These activities include the distribution of naloxone (the opioid overdose antidote), syringes, fentanyl testing strips, and smoking kits — a critical investment as America is losing 100,000 people to overdoses per year.
Also potentially included in those smoking kits: clean pipes to allow for safer smoking of drugs such as crack, meth, or fentanyl.
Right-wing media outlets went into overdrive, declaring that the Biden administration is sending $30 million worth of crack pipes to communities of color. “Uncle Sam to hand out crack pipes,” a Fox News banner read.
Within 24 hours, Joe Biden’s top health officials did an about-face on the policy, claiming pipes were never meant to be included — and thus amplified one of the most pervasive, racist, and stigmatizing notions about drug use: that crack is uniquely dangerous, as are the people who use it.
And implied that not all people who use drugs are equally worth saving.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/crack-pipes-free-smoking-kit-white-house-20220210.html
“Anybody want a crack pipe with their fourth booster? Biden will hook you up.”
“Biden crime policy: crack pipes for all. What could go wrong?”
Starting on Tuesday evening, with little warning, Republicans — including Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate and former Philadelphia-area U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas — freaked out over a misrepresentation of a Biden policy that was announced months ago.
Last year, as part of the American Rescue Plan, the Biden administration announced an unprecedented $30 million in grants for community organizations working to reduce the harm of drug use. These activities include the distribution of naloxone (the opioid overdose antidote), syringes, fentanyl testing strips, and smoking kits — a critical investment as America is losing 100,000 people to overdoses per year.
Also potentially included in those smoking kits: clean pipes to allow for safer smoking of drugs such as crack, meth, or fentanyl.
Right-wing media outlets went into overdrive, declaring that the Biden administration is sending $30 million worth of crack pipes to communities of color. “Uncle Sam to hand out crack pipes,” a Fox News banner read.
Within 24 hours, Joe Biden’s top health officials did an about-face on the policy, claiming pipes were never meant to be included — and thus amplified one of the most pervasive, racist, and stigmatizing notions about drug use: that crack is uniquely dangerous, as are the people who use it.
And implied that not all people who use drugs are equally worth saving.
www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/crack-pipes-free-smoking-kit-white-house-20220210.html