RETIRED U.S. MARSHALL SPEAKS ABOUT WAR ON DRUGS

Say no to drugs. Thanks to Scruff McGruff and gym teachers across the
country, that four-word mantra has become as ingrained in the
education system as basic algebra. But those who heard Matthew Fogg
speak last night might think the more appropriate action is to "Say
no to racism."

Since its inception during the Nixon presidency in 1969, critics of
the American government's War on Drugs have assailed it as being
draconian and ineffective, leading to over-populated jails and
creating a flourishing black market. One outspoken critic of the war
has been retired Chief Deputy U.S. Marshall Matthew Fogg who spoke
Tuesday evening in McBryde Hall about the social repercussions of the
War on Drugs.

"Drug prohibition helps the U.S. maintain a racial apartheid
prison-industrial complex," Fogg said.

Fogg led a joint operation with the Drug Enforcement Agency as a
supervisory inspector.

Fogg has defended victims of all kinds through his work with
organizations such as Blacks in Government and Amnesty International.
Fogg also credits Martin Luther King Jr. as being the biggest
influence in his life.

His criticism of the War on Drugs is based primarily on the belief
that it is driven by racism. He used both statistics and anecdotes
from his own life to support this view. One such anecdote was the
story of his 1998 precedent-setting court case against the United
States, in which a Federal Jury awarded him $4 million in
compensatory damages for racial discrimination he suffered from
within the U.S. Marshall Service.

Last night, Fogg proudly wore a hat embroidered with the words "Four
Million Dollar Marshall".

When asked what message he hoped students would take away from his
speech, Fogg said, "You can make a difference ... as an individual,
no matter how painful it may seem, you can stand up for your
principles and the rights of others."

Several students stayed afterwards for a more personal question and
answer session with Fogg.

Sociology major Heather Pierce said that she agreed with a lot of the
beliefs Fogg held.

"I have a lot more confidence in the morality of my own beliefs,
particularly concerning racist issues in drug policy," Pierce said.

The Virginia Tech University Policies for Student Life adhere to
state statutes, which classify marijuana as a Schedule I drug,
alongside heroin, LSD, GHB, and ecstasy.

This association with such highly addictive and dangerous drugs has
led numerous school administrations to adapt a zero-tolerance policy
for marijuana. Many students have argued that such policies are
ineffective and punitively excessive, and some have formed
organizations to fight for change.

One such organization is Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, an
international student organization that aims to expose the negative
effects of the War on Drugs and encourage young people to become
involved in the political process

Kris Reinertson, a senior double majoring in Political Science and
Sociology, is the president and founder of the Virginia Tech chapter of SSDP.

"I think that when law enforcement is speaking out against the War on
Drugs, it's a clear sign that the issue should be discussed more
seriously," Reinertson said.