ASUCSD Denounces Drug Enforcement Administration
From April 21 to 25, nobody heard the screams and kicks from Daniel Chong, a UCSD engineering student, as he was dying in a 5-by-10 foot antechamber without anything to eat or drink. No window, no toilet, no nothing. He survived on urine and whatever he could find in the cell, which amounted to unexplainable traces of methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration in San Diego is responsible for this.
Immediately, it is clear there is absolutely no justification for such treatment of any person, no matter the crime. However the swift arm of justice is absent when armed bureaucrats are the offenders. William Sherman of the DEA issued an apology amounting to self-congratulation as “this event is not indicative of the high standards” to which he claims to hold his employees. Now Chong is suing for $20 million, but when their annual federal budget exceeds $2 billion, is this a realistic path to protecting the innocent from DEA desecration?
A wholly unrelated student also attending UCSD, Angad Walia, led the campus response by proposing a resolution to the Associated Students of UCSD condemning the intolerable DEA. The resolution in full can be found here. Read just a few of the highlights:
WHEREAS, Things will only be made right when Californians, beginning with the young people of the state, instruct the federal government that this kind of abuse of power will never be allowed to happen again
WHEREAS, the DEA disrespected the law of the land, the United States Constitution, in violation of the rights of Daniel Chong, including rights including but not limited to the Seventh and Eighth amendments to the Bill of Rights, as well as the writ of habeas corpus (Article 1, Section 9, US Constitution)
The resolution calls for the ASUCSD body to condemn the DEA, to encourage other college councils to do the same, as well as request the Chancellor of UCSD to make a statement.
This heroic act by Walia and his friends at UCSD’s chapter of Young Americans for Liberty is only the beginning for them. The steps already taken by Walia set a great example for public action in the future. You may find his story similar to the ones told at the Tenth Amendment Center about people take necessary steps to nullify unconstitutional power assumed by the federal government. The first thing he did was go to one of the councilmen and ask how to get a resolution passed.
Angad Walia knew he would be able to take advantage of UCSD policy requiring public input during council meetings. The problem was the meeting would be that very night, as it always was, Wednesdays at 6 p.m. At 1:15 p.m., he began to draft the resolution. After securing a sponsor from the council as required by protocol the resolution was rushed to vote and unanimously adopted by the ASUCSD.
How does one know that today isn’t another April 21, 22, 23, 24 or 25? If it happened once, it can happen again. The DEA carried off Daniel Chong from a house the morning after a 4/20 party, and none of the drugs found inside could have inflicted the type of hell that the holding cell did. By the way, Daniel Chong only smoked marijuana (he must have dreamed of becoming President). The DEA ought to be responsible for handing over the $20 million to Chong, but who is responsible for seeing that the DEA is not given another $2 billion next year? Only a diverse, decentralized and locally-organized people with a basic understanding of the Constitution. Would the San Diego County police be as likely to mistreat Daniel Chong this severely? Would the County Sheriff or District Attorney or Chief of Police remain employed as easily as the William Sherman?
Check out Angad Walia’s resolution, or the Model Legislation offered by this site and you’ll find exactly what’s needed or at least what’s needed to inspire the appropriate actions in your community.
