I saw a photo of a panel discussion

Where facts based on stats were being used to justify

Incarceration rates of people using drugs

The panel drew conclusions supporting police

Much the way that would be expected from that news group

Conveniently, they failed to represent drug use rates

That are so unequal to the incarceration rates that

Maybe some jail time for inaccurate reporting should come their way

For drug use knows no culture, but prisons seem to accept people

Of different cultures at different rates,

According to government stats at least.

I wonder about the values and attitudes that let the health

Of our public continue to be based on inequality

I wonder if the number crunchers and metrics guys

Understand what is happening

Beyond the Columbo logic of,

“Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time,”

Because there is more at work

Than the seemingly simple choice of, “Just Say No.”

Maybe the attitudes and values of our legal system

Need an investigation to ensure

The good stays with our liberties

And the bad gets changed

Of course, when ostriches debate on network television

Sandy discourse is all we get