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Rachel Hoffman could have been my daughter . . . or yours


Here's the story, from the Rachel Morningstar Foundation (h/t to Drug War Rant):

Rachel Hoffman had just graduated from Florida State University, with plans to attend culinary school. As an undergrad, she was popular among her group of friends, many of whom she met through her involvement in FSU’s chapters of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

Like many college students, she shared marijuana with her friends, and would often “go in” on larger amounts in order to save money. And that’s how she got busted.

Rachel was threatened with prison time, then promised a slap on the wrist if she agreed to wear a wire and set up a deal with her suppliers. Tallahassee police gave her $13,000 in cash and told her to purchase 1,500 ecstasy pills, 2 ounces of cocaine, and a handgun. They never informed her attorney, family, or the state prosecutor before they sent Rachel into the lions’ den that day. And nobody had the chance to tell her she was in way over her head.

After police found Rachel’s body, they held a press conference to blame her for her own death. Among Rachel’s family and friends, sadness quickly turned into outrage and action. Last Wednesday, hundreds of students marched in protest of the role the Tallahassee Police Department played in Rachel’s death. They held signs that read “Who Killed Rachel?” and “No More Drug War” while wearing t-shirts they had gotten from SSDP and other allied organizations at our last international conference.


Her mom started the foundation to work for Rachel's Law, a law that would require law enforcement officials to allow citizens to consult an attorney before agreeing to do any undercover work.

You can go here to watch several of the self-serving interviews granted by the Tallahassee Police Department in which they just don't get it that the idea of placing untrained young people in harm's way "to protect our community" (and insuring their participation by threatening them with "serious jail time") is simply un-American.

Had Rachel been my daughter, I would have been tempted to reprise the scene from Terminator wherein Arnold visits the local police department.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Let's be clear:

From a moral perspective, what the Tallahassee Police Department did is on par with murdering her.

Tell me again about how cops are heroes. I'm listening.
May 23, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Anonymous said…
We simply MUST stop this insanity. Here it struck at home. It strikes EVERY DAY in Mexico, Columbia and Afghanistan. There are now entire town police forces in Mexico that flee before the drug lords. All because some in this country cannot allow kids to get high.
May 23, 2008 at 7:25 PM
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