Newt Gingrich - Illegal Drugs
Summary
Congressman Gingrich has advocated for a possible death sentence for anyone dealing drugs in the US, noting that they have made a personal decision to get rich by destroying our children. He has also called for greatly expanded drug testing to catch those who are using drugs.
Death Sentence for Drug Dealers
In August of 1995, Congressman Gingrich spoke at a fundraiser for another Congressional Republican. When addressing the issue of illegal drugs, Congressman Gingrich stated that he planned to introduce legislation to allow for the death penalty for drug dealers.
The first time we execute 27 or 30 or 35 people at one time, and they go around Colombia and France and Thailand and Mexico, and they say, 'Hi, would you like to carry some drugs into the U.S.?' the price of carrying drugs will have gone up dramatically.
If you import a commercial quantity of illegal drugs, it is because you have made the personal decision that you are prepared to get rich by destroying our children. I have made the decision that I love our children enough that we will kill you if you do this.
They'd have one chance to appeal. They wouldn't have 10 years of playing games with the system. We should say to them, 'When you make the decision that you're going to get rich at the expense of our children, you are signing your own death warrant.'
O'Reilly Appearance
In March of 2009 Congressman Gingrich appeared on the Bill O'Reilly Show and discussed drug policy. Congressman Gingrich argued for possible testing for everyone.
O'Reilly: I don't know whether you know this, but I did one of my papers at Harvard on this -- on how to reduce demand for drugs. But the United States has never figured it out. You can't lock up drug users, I mean, that doesn't work. And you can't force them into rehab, you have to want rehab, and even if you want it, it's very hard to get off hard drugs and alcohol. Very hard.
What you can do, though, is sanction people along the way. And this is what they do in Singapore. If you're caught possessing drugs -- and that means drugs in your bloodstream, they have a little hair thing, and they put it in there -- then you have to go to mandatory rehab. And they have centers where you go.
Now, they have no drug problem in Singapore at all, number one, because they hang drug dealers -- they execute them. And number two, the market is very thin, because when they catch you using, you go away with a mandatory rehab. You go to some rehab center, which they have, which the government has built.
The United States does not have the stomach for that. We don't have the stomach for that, Mr. Speaker.
Gingrich: Well, I think it's time we get the stomach for that, Bill. And I think we need a program -- I would dramatically expand testing. I think we have -- and I agree with you. I would try to use rehabilitation, I'd make it mandatory. And I think we have every right as a country to demand of our citizens that they quit doing illegal things which are funding, both in Afghanistan and in Mexico and in Colombia, people who are destroying civilization.
Sponsored and Cosponsored Legislation
This representative has not been identified as sponsoring or cosponsoring significant legislation related to this title.
References
[1] Website: New York Times Article: Gingrich Suggests Tough Drug Measure Author: NA Accessed on: 05/19/2011