White Boy

I'm something of a law and order kinda of guy. Or more importantly, a by the books person who feels things should be done a certain way.

The War on Drugs is an absolute cluster bomb, and we lost that battle long ago. The biggest issue is the fact the government supplied drugs to cartels, dealers and even its own people. It had idiots that had no idea about drugs making arbitrary rules that ruined lives and destroyed families. And worst of all, law enforcement is the biggest beneficiary of seized goods and contraband, which means they will never want to abolish their cash cow with updated laws and sentencing. The drug problem was never addressed properly and the underlying reasons for the "problem" exploding are never understood. In the end, there are probably hundreds of tales like White Boy Rick, though I doubt they have the insidious details that make this story so interesting.

Richard Wershe, Jr. Was a pawn for the drug enforcement community, a teenage carrot to draw out far worse individuals than himself. While his legend has gotten out of control and hyperbolized over the years, in the end he was a small time dealer/government informant who was left to dry. I won't excuse the fact White Boy Rick was a criminal, but the aftermath is where this story is its most interesting.

Thirty years for a small time drug crime is utterly ridiculous. The length for most drug offenses in general are an affront to humanity, and Rick payed the ultimate price. This leads to the reason why so many refuse to help the police or other law enforcement, and even for a fastidious person like myself the punishment does not fit the crime.

Anyway, this is a very well put together and taut documentary that doesn't dawdle with the facts or the pace. It perfectly illustrates the corruption of higher leveled perpetrators and the aftermath of who really has to do the time for the crime.