Today’s Cato Daily Podcast features Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo recounting how a SWAT team burst into his home, forcing he and his mother-in-law to the ground with guns drawn and killing his two Labrador retrievers. Police were conducting a drug bust that turned up absolutely nothing and Calvo has been completely exonerated. Listen to it here.
Even if you’re not appalled by the idea of putting people in prison just for getting high, stories like this ought to give you pause. The War on Drugs has eroded all of our civil liberties, exposing us to searches, property forfeiture, and violent raids.
Calvo appeared at Cato yesterday along with Peter Christ, Tim Lynch, and Radley Balko, whose blog, of course, is a must-read for documenting these kinds of abuses. Video of the event should be up within a few days.
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Jacob Grier is a freelance writer, barista, mixologist, and magician in Portland, OR. He writes, eats, and drinks a lot. His articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Reason Online, The Oregonian, and other publications.
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