Wednesday
June 4th marked the long anticipated protest of the Rockefeller
Drug Laws. Activists, politicians, and celebrities joined
as one in City Hall Park to express the widespread public
dismay triggered by the drug laws. Speakers at the event
included record executives, producers, and promoters,
Russell Simmons and P. Diddy, rapper Fat Joe, and political
figures Andrew Cuomo, and Tom Golisano. Attendance at
the rally was estimated to be 20 to 50 thousand people,
well short of the one hundred thousand- plus people initially
expected to attend the event. Many people were deterred
from attending because of the poor weather as well as
police discouragement. Of the people who did attend, almost
all came to tell the legislature to “Drop the Rock”.
The event was sponsored by The Countdown to Fairness Coalition,
the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, the Mothers of the
New York Disappeared, and the Drop the Rock Coalition.
The Mothers of the New York Disappeared is an organization
of women whose relatives, especially children were or
are imprisoned under the Rockefeller Drug Laws. The Hip
Hop Summit Action Network, headed by Russell Simmons and
directed by Benjamin Chavez is involved in getting hip
hop artists involved in political and community issues.
They organized the spring protest against cuts in education.
The Drop the Rock Coalition is at the forefront of spreading
information about the drug laws as well as ways to repeal
them.
The Rockefeller Drug Laws were enacted in 1973 by the
then-Governor, Nelson Rockefeller. The laws order long
prison sentences for people caught possessing or selling
relatively small amounts of drugs, regardless of criminal
history or circumstances. The harshest aspect of the legislation
mandates a fifteen year-old to life in prison for possessing
four or more ounces of an illegal drug or selling two
or more ounces of an illegal drug.
Darryl Best is a forty six-year old father of four. He
had no criminal history. Best made the mistake in 2002
of signing for a package for his uncle, which turned out
to have cocaine inside. He is serving a fifteen year-to-life
sentence in a maximum security prison.
Activists stress that they do not support illegal drug
use or trade. Their mission revolves around the possibility
of a second chance. They want those that have made the
mistake of involving themselves with narcotics, especially
on a minor level, to be given lighter sentences. They
also want to see alternative methods of punishment that
are more productive than incarceration implemented more
frequently. The prison population has soared as a result
of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, leaving a burden on taxpayers
and forcing cutbacks in other areas like education.
The biggest issue dividing the coalition is the choice
between repeal and reform. While some activists demand
nothing less than complete repeal of the laws, others
say they should think realistically. They believe that
the government is not going to take them seriously and
it would be best to make the most pressing reform when
they get the opportunity. Some in favor of repeal say
that the reformers are giving up too easily and Albany
will use that to its advantage. The Countdown to Fairness
Coalition is split about the issue; the Drop the Rock
Coalition and the Mothers of the New York Disappeared,
who have been part of the fight for decades want repeal.
The Hip Hop Summit, which joined the cause more recently
and gets more publicity with its celebrities, wants reform.
The rally attracted many teens and college students with
its long list of celebrities. Many came to express their
opinions on the matter. Ryan Price,25, felt that the government
was especially oppressive to specific aspects of society.
Halle Williams, a student at NYU, said that the laws were
wasteful of resources which could also go towards improving
other public areas, such as schools. She also felt that
as an African American, the Rockefeller Drug Laws affected
her personally, because of its impact on her community.
96% of the 19,000 people in jail under the drug laws are
black or Hispanic.
George Ladee was an audience member victimized by the
drug laws. He served 7 _ years in prison. He, like Anthony
Papa, ran a package across town with the promise of money.
Ladee said that the laws have ruined many lives.
In a recent bid at reform, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
announced a plan to re-pass the bill with some changes.
“Not good enough,” says the Drop the Rock
Coalition, which is firmly bent on repeal. More rallies
will be held in the future, and letters of opposition
have been sent to Albany. The fight continues over the
fate of all the men and women imprisoned under the Rockefeller
Drug Laws.