Dealing Death and Drugs: The Big Business of Dope in the U.S. and Mexico (Cinco Puntos Checkpoint Series) - Softcover

O'Rourke, Beto; Byrd, Susie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1933693940 ISBN 13: 9781933693941

Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press, 2011

Synopsis

The War on Drugs doesn’t work. This became obvious to El Paso City Representatives Susie Byrd and Beto O’Rourke when they started to ask questions about why El Paso’s sister city Ciudad Juárez has become the deadliest city in the world 8,000-plus deaths since January 1, 2008. Byrd and O’Rourke soon realized American drug use and United States' failed War on Drugs are at the core of problem. In Dealing Death and Drugs a book written for the general reader they explore the costs and consequences of marijuana prohibition. They argue that marijuana prohibition has created a black market so profitable that drug kingpins are billionaires and drug control doesn’t stand a chance. Using Juárez as their focus, they describe the business model of drug trafficking and explain why this illicit system has led to the never-ending slaughter of human beings. Their position: the only rational alternative to the War on Drugs is to end to the current prohibition on marijuana.

"If Washington won’t do anything different, if Mexico City won’t do anything different, then it is up to us the citizens of the border who understand the futility and tragedy of this current policy first hand to lead the way." from the Afterword

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Dealing Death and Drugs will be donated to Centro Santa Catalina, a faith-based community in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, founded in 1996 by Dominican Sisters for the spiritual, educational and economic empowerment of economically poor women and for the welfare of their families.

About this title

Review:

"A levelheaded, analytical exploration of why the drug war isn’t working, and how the regulated legalization of marijuana could help stem a hemorrhage of blood and money Dealing Death and Drugs almost overwhelms with statistics, but it kind of has to." —Texas Observer

"It makes sense that those with a truly front row seat to the destruction of the Drug War would give birth to a treatise on marijuana legalization It's a message that is sure to resonate with others if this tract can gain public notice beyond the reaches of the border, where residents are already intimately acquainted with the price of prohibition." San Antonio Current

" a highly readable political manifesto for a more reasoned and enlightened drug policy O'Rourke and Byrd are to be commended for courageously and intelligently broaching and suggesting concrete policy changes concerning controversial issues upon which the future of El Paso, Juárez and other U.S.-Mexican border communities depend." Howard Campbell, El Paso Times

From the Back Cover:

The War on Drugs doesn't work. This statement becomes obvious if you live on the U.S./Mexico Border. Especially if your home is in El Paso, Texas, and you have witnessed Ciudad Juarez--El Paso's sister city--become one of the deadliest cities in the world.
This is why El Paso City Representative Susie Byrd and former City Rep Beto O'Rourke started to ask questions about the United States' 40-year old War on Drugs. Byrd and O'Rourke soon realized American drug use and the United States' failed War on Drugs are at the core of the problem. In Dealing Death and Drugs, they explore the costs and consequences of marijuana prohibition. They argue that marijuana prohibition has created a black market so profitable that drug kingpins are billionaires and drug control doesn't stand a chance. Using Juarez as their focus, they describe the business model of drug trafficking and explain how it has contributed to the tragedy taking place in Juarez today.
Their position: the only rational alternative to the War on Drugs is to end the current prohibition on marijuana.
Beto O'Rourke announced that he will seek the Democratic nomination for El Paso's seat in the U.S. Congress. He recently completed his second term on the El Paso City Council. He continues to run Stanton Street Technology Group, a web-development company he co-founded.
Susie Byrd is serving her second term on the El Paso City Council. Before running for City Council, she served as a top aide to Mayor Ray Caballero. She co-edited "The Late Great Mexican Border: Reports from a Disappearing Line" (Cinco Puntos Press, 1996).
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of "Dealing Death and Drugs" will be donated to Centro Santa Catalina, a faith-based community in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, founded in 1996 by Dominican Sisters for the spiritual, educational and economic empowerment of economically poor women and for the welfare of their families.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1933693940
• ISBN 13: 9781933693941
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144