BY GRETCHEN COTHRON — The United States’ attack on the trade of illicit drugs has had dire consequences on the national budget, including funds that could be used to enhance national security to protect from terrorist attacks. By calling the attack on drugs a “Drug War”, the government has connoted that the law enforcement crackdown […]

BY GRETCHEN COTHRON — In the United States in 2010, almost 15,000 homicides were committed with a weapon. In 8,775 of  those homicides, the assailant used a firearm.[1]  Assailants used rifles in 358 homicides, shotguns in 373 homicides; unknown types of firearms in approximately 2,000 homicides, and handguns in 6,009 homicides.[2] Despite the shocking mass […]

BY GRETCHEN COTHRON — On October 16, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned the conviction of Salim Hamdan for supporting terrorism. Hamdan v. United States, 11-1257, 2012 WL 4874564 (D.C. Cir. Oct. 16, 2012). Hamdan’s conviction was based on his activities as Osama bin Laden’s driver and […]

BY GRETCHEN COTHRON — Recently, The New York Times published an article discussing the failure of the armed forces to effectively treat military personnel with substance abuse problems. The article referenced a report by the Institute of Medicine that gives an in-depth look into substance abuse problems in the armed forces. In the ten-year span […]