We should all be outraged at the use of ketamine or any other drug being administered at the hands of the police.
Full stop.
I 100% agree. I can maybe imagine some case where it is justified, but certainly not this case, and the fact that it is becoming common is outrageous. I had never heard of this. What the hell is going on in Minneapolis?
I almost made the exception for administering narcan but decided against it.
I know of police officers who spend a lot of every shift administering narcan. On one hand, I'm thankful that people who have overdosed are being saved, this is really not the work for police officers--and most police officers agree.
And I also want to say that while, on principle, I don't care if people use drugs, too many are needing rescue by narcan. I'm glad if they are rescued but WTF? that the need of rescue due to opioid overdose is so common? Also: I've spend a fair amount of time with kids who come from families with a lot of drug and/or alcohol abuse and the effects of either/both on children are tragic and unfair--and those are vast, vast understatements.
At least half of all those currently incarcerated in federal prisons are there for drug offenses. At least half. Looking at my local 'who's in jail' section of my local newspaper, it is almost exclusively filled with drug and/or alcohol offenders, often who are arrested for other offenses such as domestic abuse, shoplifting, vandalism, stalking, etc.
One of the things we talk about is legalizing drugs. OK but that's only a tiny part of the solution. Legalization of drugs will not alleviate or mitigate or reduce in any way the extremely detrimental effects of parental/adult usage of drugs on children any more than the legalization of alcohol use has eliminated, alleviated, mitigated or reduced the harm that alcohol abuse by parents/adults does to children. Yeah, I'm saying children because they certainly did absolutely nothing to deserve the neglect and abuse and worry and fear and shame and loathing and horror that parents who abuse alcohol and/or drugs visit upon them. Removing kids from the situation is a bad solution and should be used only when there is no other solution.
What would be a much, much, much better use of our taxpayer dollars is an excellent mental health care system AND an excellent system of care for those dealing with chronic pain or pain from injuries or surgeries. Some people have no problem with the opioids they may be prescribed following a surgery. I know someone who became addicted in 3 days and was hospitalized on the fourth or fifth day for withdrawal of a drug dependency he didn't know he had and had never had until he needed knee surgery. Had to be readmitted and then go through withdrawal in a careful, controlled, slow way--and fortunately had insurance to cover it. So let's not all be cocky about how it couldn't happen to us. It could happen to anybody if the circumstances are right and your body's wiring or chemistry makes you susceptible.
Of course, all of this care goes right along with excellent health care for all. Period. No exceptions. Not even for Our National Shame/Cheeto in Chief. I mean: wouldn't we all like to see them come up with some cocktail of drugs that puts him in his right mind long enough to comprehend that he has lost the election, been convicted of a lengthy list of criminal offenses, including, in all probability, treason and to fully comprehend the sentences he will serve?
Sorry to cram so many personal rants into one post.
