Judge Judy Says: Murder Heroin Users
TV's popular "Judge Judy" -- Judy Sheindlin - is a hanging judge when it
comes to drug users and drug reform efforts. In fact, she recently called
for *murdering* heroin addicts.
On November 16, while on a book promotion tour in Australia, Judge Judy was
asked about that country's needle exchange program, which supplies clean
needles to heroin addicts in order to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS,
hepatitis and other diseases among addicts and those with whom addicts have
relationships. (Such programs are also advocated by many American drug
reformers.)
She retorted that such proposals were lead by "liberal morons." Her
counter-proposal? "Give 'em all dirty needles and let 'em die. . .I don't
understand why we think it's important to keep them alive."
Bob Aldred, chief executive of the Alcohol and Drug Foundation of
Queensland, defended Australia's needle exchange program as a life-saving
success, and said Judge Judy's comments were "callous and deplorable" and
showed no regard for children, parents and others trying to deal with
addiction.
The American drug reform group DrugSense noted that Judge Judy's comments
"illustrate the depth of the hate produced by the war on drugs."
Judge Judy's new book is entitled, perhaps appropriately, "Beauty Fades,
Dumb is Forever."
(Sources: Australian Associated Press / DrugSense FOCUS December 8, 1999)
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