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White Storm of Privilege Rages—Desecrates Beach With Deadly, Illegal Powder.

White supremacy has ruined the United States of America. Why else would there be $1 million in cocaine washed up on Florida's beaches? I bet it was put there by a big, racist, privileged, straight, cis man who runs a heteronormative, patriarchal multinational company. Probably in cahoots with the KKK and the GOP!

Published August 5, 2024 at 4:15pm by Anthony Robledo

#BigWeather, Big Problems: Cocaine, Casualties, and Climate Change

Another day, another deadly tropical storm ravages Florida's shores, exposing the harsh realities of climate change, the failures of the war on drugs, and the systemic injustices that plague our nation.

Border patrol agents - #AbolishICE, anyone? - have reported recovering 25 packages of cocaine, weighing 70 pounds and valued at over $1 million, which were washed up on a Florida Keys beach by Hurricane Debby. The hurricane, now downgraded to a tropical storm, has already claimed the lives of at least four people and caused widespread flooding and power outages in Florida.

"[The] 70 pounds of the addictive drug had a street value of more than $1 million,"
— Samuel Briggs II, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol's Miami Sector.

This incident follows a similar discovery by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor last year, who reeled in 70 pounds of cocaine worth over $1 million. In a statement to CBS affiliate WTSP, Castor comically conveyed her family's concern: "You know my family was concerned, like, 'Oh my gosh, what if they think it's ours?' I'm like, come on."

Meanwhile, as Hurricane Debby approached, residents of Steinhatchee, a coastal town of just 500 people, braced for impact, just 10 miles from where Hurricane Idalia devastated communities last year.

The Bottom Line:

Hurricane Debby has highlighted the deadly consequences of climate change-fueled extreme weather events, the failures of drug prohibition, and the urgent need for systemic change.
The human toll of these interconnected issues is devastating, with lives lost, communities devastated, and the exposure of the harsh realities of our world.
It's time to #ActOnClimate and create policies that center people, not profits. #PeopleOverProfit #ClimateJustice

Contributing: Susan Miller and Dinah Voyles Pulver