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Hiding Lies in the Bush
As of this writing, GOP presidential frontrunner George Bush Jr. has not said "yes" or "no" to a certain question about his past as an "irresponsible" youth. That question is whether or not Bush Jr. sniffed cocaine.
Bush has said that in the past 25 years he has not taken illegal drugs. Does this mean that he has in the past 26 and not the past 25? His parents, Ma and Pa Bush, both have said that their son was a wild one but that they knew he wasn't taking any drugs. Pa Bush has said the drug question about his son's past is irrelevant.
Oh, is that so, Mr. Bush? During Lewinskigate, your son gladly opened his big mouth about his past. Your son opened it real wide when he said that he had never cheated on his wife like the president.
He can bring that part about his past up, but Americans can't ask him was he snortin' blow? With pinheaded thinking like that, Mr. Bush, no wonder Clinton whupped yo' ass in '92.
Your son says he's a changed man. He was an "irresponsible"person who changed his ways, and quit drinking at age 40.
Well, that's good for him. I respect that. Still, I believe Junior was snortin' some white lines. You and your wife may not agree, but I surely do believe he was.
My speculations on this matter are very unorthodox. The way I arrive at my conclusions on Bush Jr. may never win me a case in court. Still, I shall proceed with them.
Through life experience, I have learned that when an accused person is innocent of any wrong doing, they will definitely say they didn't do it.
Guilty folks always give half-assed answers. Answers like "I haven't taken any illegal drugs in the past 25 years."
Two incidents have lead me to this thinking. They both take me back to my pre-teen years at St. John's Village Apartments.
One incident involved a black kid named Ray. Ray was ten years old and for two straight days, Ray always had a wad of money. Kids of all races followed Ray to the store.
Knowing that Ray didn't have a job, I asked where did he get the money.
He didn't answer.
Then, I asked was he stealing from his mother.
"Leave me alone, Pat,"he answered.
Later that day, my younger brother told me Ray was gettin' a whuppin' for stealing money from his mother.
Another incident involved a white kid named Mike. Mike and I were the same age.
One of the big things among the kids was building forts out in the nearby woods. This particular fort was erected in some woods behind a K-mart store.
Under no circumstances, did I want to steal wood from a nearby construction site for our fort.
Well, one day, Mike brings some fresh 2-by-4s to the fort.
I asked where did he get it.
Mike said, "I ain't sayin'."
Later on, he confessed to stealing it from the no-no construction site.
Those two incidents taught me that when someone gives a half-assed answer to some wrongdoing, more than likely they did it.
An innocent person would more than likely say, "100 percent not guilty."
Therefore, seeing the answers Junior is giving lately, this leads me to believe that him and cocaine was partying like it was 1999.
It doesn't just stop with his half-assed answers. Not only did his campaign folks quietly buy up anti-Bush Jr. websites, Junior also hired a private investigator to investigate his own past.
Hey, Junior! Yes, you were dancing on top of a table butt-nekkid. Yes, you did it.
There are various reasons why Junior can't admit to snortin' disco dust.
One reason is that Mr. Compassionate Conservative Governor slashed drug treatment programs for prison inmates. He also toughened prison sentencing on non-violent drug offenders. Then, to put more frosting on the hypocrisy cake, he passed laws to send "irresponsible" 16-year-olds to adult prisons.
If Bush says he snorted, his male bovine excrement would get even more funky. We should forgive him for his drug use, but he isn't too forgiving when it comes to others' "irresponsibility."
I noticed something as I researched this matter. The eighties were the times when Republican President Reagan waged his war on drugs. His wife said, "Just say no."
The eighties were also the time when Republicans gave the rich tax breaks.
It should be no surprise that crack, a poor man's drug, can get a person a longer prison sentence than powder cocaine, a rich man's drug.
Right along with tax breaks, Republicans were giving the rich prison breaks.
Bush Jr. also has said that prison confinement was all the treatment drug offenders needed. He said this despite the fact that untreated drug offenders will more than likely be re-arrested.
It has been proven that when treated for their drug habits, drug offenders will be less likely to return to prison.
There has been speculation about the coincidental timing of Bush's slashing of treatment programs and the new Texas private prison boom.
If there's one thing that has ticked me off about Republicans it's the very fact that they just adore slashing programs that benefit the poor.
Like I mentioned before, rich folks don't get stiffer penalties like poor folks. Also, rich folks like Junior can afford to seek treatment.
I would rather have people getting help to better themselves at taxpayers' expense than to lock them up for longer periods of times at taxpayers' expense. More than likely with no kind of treatment, drug offenders will pull the same stunts that landed them in prison the first time. They could hurt some folks like some did the first time.
Investing money in treatment helps taxpayers in the long run. If we invest more money to help keep folks out of jail, then less money will be spent in the future.
More than likely, Republicans will use taxpayers' money to keep the prison business booming.
So, seeing how your son behaves towards the less unfortunate is why his past with drugs is relevant, Mr. Bush. Any kind of proof will show what a hypocrite he is.
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Other MindPower columns by Patrick Scott Barnes:
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