Sharing what I have learned from what I have read: A blog by Joe Abittan
Over the last few years I have become increasingly aware of the importance of developing real senses of community and connection between everyone in our societies. Johann Hari's book Chasing the Scream was one of the books that kickstarted these ideas in my mind. We are social creatures, and we create the worlds we live … Continue reading An Epidemic of Disconnection
In the United States we often fail to think about alcohol use when we think about drug use. Our country is comfortable with the idea of recreational drinking to take the edge off a tough day, to enjoy a party or social gathering, and to celebrate a holiday. Alcohol has a lot of downsides, especially … Continue reading Shifting Drug Use
A while back I wrote about Cory Booker's autobiography, and a quote he included from a housing advocate in Newark. Booker, learning from this advocate, talked about how important it is that everyone have access to housing. Both men believed that housing was a human right, just as we have rights to property, we have … Continue reading A True Democracy
In his book Chasing the Scream, Johann Hari describes the ways in which drug prohibition leads to downward spirals for those dealing with drug addiction. From what he has seen first hand, the drug war doesn't stop people from using drugs and doesn't help the planet get closer to a point where no one uses … Continue reading The Downward Spirals of Drug Prohibition
In the context of supporting the war on drugs, Johann Hari, in his book Chasing the Scream, describes most people as, "admirable people who have a series of understandable worries about the alternative. They support the drug war out of compassion for all the people they fear might become victims if we relaxed the laws. … Continue reading Shifting Away from the Drug War
It is an unavoidable reality that we are more motivated by what is in our immediate self-interest than we would like to admit. This idea is at the heart of Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson's book The Elephant in the Brain and can be seen everywhere if you open your eyes to recognize it. I'm currently … Continue reading Help Them Build a Better Life
It is not always clear exactly what the cost is of the status quo. Policing is an area that is getting more attention now, and hopefully calls to defund the police are met with serious consideration as to how much money our police forces really need. The status quo in policing is that we spend … Continue reading The Cost of the Status Quo in Policing
"Focusing only on this smaller aspect and ignoring the much larger causes is one of the reasons why our responses to this crisis are failing so badly," writes Johann Hari in his book Chasing the Scream. The smaller aspect he refers to is the chemical hook of drugs. The story we tell ourselves is that … Continue reading Ignoring Larger Causes
In my life, many family members, friends, and elders have warned me against drug use by belittling those who are addicted to drugs. Words like junkie, derelict, waste, and zombie are commonly accepted words that are used to denigrate drug addicts (and that's the tame end of drug user insults). The common stance, from what … Continue reading The Importance of Respect
I was an undergrad at the University of Nevada when the Black Lives Matter movement first began to take shape. I didn't have a deep understanding of race in the United States. I generally thought that since we didn't use racial slurs directly toward minorities in public and since there were not any visibly active … Continue reading Race and Public Policy in the United States