cannabisnews.com: Drop The Charges and Apologize, Libertarians Say





Drop The Charges and Apologize, Libertarians Say
Posted by CN Staff on May 15, 2002 at 19:49:06 PT
Libertarian Party Press Release
Source: Libertarian Party 
Libertarians have a modest suggestion for the government officials who arrested singer Dionne Warwick at the Miami airport for marijuana possession: Drop the charges immediately --then apologize to Ms. Warwick. "Americans aren't clamoring for protection from pot-smoking musicians, so why is the government arresting them?" asked Steve Dasbach, the Libertarian Party's executive director. "In turbulent times like these, police agencies should focus on defending us from terrorists and other violent criminals. Dionne Warwick is neither - so the government should leave her alone." 
The 61-year-old Warwick was detained at Miami International Airport on Sunday when baggage screeners found 11 marijuana cigarettes in her lipstick container. Warwick, who gained fame in the 1960s for singing such Burt Bacharach tunes as "Walk on By" and "I'll Say a Little Prayer," was charged with possession of less than 5 grams of marijuana and is scheduled to appear in court. "It's time to say a little prayer for the politicians and prosecutors who are so misguided that they're wasting valuable police resources on harmless marijuana smokers," Dasbach quipped. "How many dangerous criminals will walk on by as law enforcement spends its time - and your money - prosecuting people like Dionne Warwick?" But the five-time Grammy Award winner is just the latest high-profile example of the government's senseless War on Marijuana Smokers, Dasbach said. "According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, 734,498 Americans were arrested in 2000 on marijuana charges - 88 percent of them for mere possession," he said. "That's not just bad news for those individuals; it's actually good news for terrorists. "Law enforcement authorities have only a finite amount of time and resources to investigate and prevent crimes. So every moment spent arresting, booking, and prosecuting a marijuana user is a moment that can't be spent tracking down terrorists and other dangerous criminals. Why not re-deploy every agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration to fight terrorism and other violent crimes? "Moreover, approximately 36,560 people are in jail today after being convicted solely on marijuana charges, according to the Washington, DC-based Marijuana Policy Project. That means that thousands of Americans are having their lives, families, and careers destroyed because of committing a 'crime' with no victims. Shouldn't the government focus on destroying the lives of terrorists instead?" A clear majority of Americans agrees with Libertarians that marijuana should be decriminalized, Dasbach noted. "A Zogby poll released in December asked whether Americans supported arresting and jailing marijuana smokers, especially 'in light of the events of September 11 and the increased attention to the threat of terrorism,' he said. "A majority of 61 percent opposed such arrests, 33 percent supported them, and 6 percent were undecided. "So politicians who want to continue waging the War on Marijuana Smokers aren't just helping real criminals, they're also out of the mainstream." But it's not too late to reverse course, Dasbach said. "First, the government should drop the charges against Dionne Warwick and apologize for disrupting her life - and do the same for every other marijuana offender," he said. "Then apologize to the rest of America for this criminal misuse of police resources." Complete Title: Police Who Arrested Singer Dionne Warwick Should Drop The Charges and Apologize, Libertarians SayNewshawk: MDGSource: Libertarian Party (DC)Published: May 15, 2002Copyright: 1994-2002 Libertarian Party Website: http://www.lp.org/Contact: http://www.lp.org/contact.htmlRelated Article & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Grammy Winner Arrested for Pot Possession http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12827.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #9 posted by Lehder on May 16, 2002 at 20:50:28 PT
fear
The fascination, and frustration, of America has always been the way one society
     can produce so much optimistic vigor and risk-taking intellectual energy alongside a
     ruling culture of such boorish ignorance and cruelty. Noam Chomsky's book, I wondered. Are they really going to let him appear? No
     such luck. The offending book was indeed by Chomsky but America's leading
     dissident was not invited on to the show. Like Soviet television in the 1970s, which
     regularly put up regime hacks to pillory the two giants of non-conformity, Andrei
     Sakharov and Alexander Solzhenitsyn, without giving them a say, Ms Zahn's guest
     was William Bennett, a Republican former cabinet minister. He proceeded to
     "explain" Chomsky's high sales with a flippant "kooks in our midst" argument."If people knew I held these views, I wouldn't be able to stay in this job," an old
     college friend confided as I passed through the city for a few days last week. He
     was appointed by the Bush administration to a top Federal position (not connected
     to foreign policy) some months ago. His subversive views on the Middle East, if
     uttered in Europe, would raise no eyebrowshttp://commondreams.org/views02/0516-04.htmWhat began as Ridicule and Ignorance in this country matured to heavy-handed Intolerance and now a growing ambience of just plain Fear. Nothing could be more stultifying to the happiness and potential of individual human beings. If there were a practical way out of here for me I would be gone, and that is my advice: Go and live your life. Clutching at hope, one could wait for the November elections. But I think that many who do not leave then will wish they had. I wish I had left decades ago, in the Vietnam era; when I was young it would have been so much easier. If you really need this reality, then you can take your TV set with you.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by MDG on May 16, 2002 at 13:35:00 PT
Dimebag...
They do fight for regular Joes, this one just happened to be in the momentary media spot-light. If they wrote an article about you or me, would Gramma Jones in Boise, ID pay attention? Probably not, mostly because of name-recognition/celebrity. But, the situation gives us all a good "box" to stand on, and show how ridiculous the WoSD is (to those who might not otherwise know it).
boppy, it's good to hear of another Libertarian from IN.
Now, THIS is about regular Joes!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by boppy on May 16, 2002 at 11:57:52 PT
who knows?
This is why I've been voting Libertarian since 1980. Of course the "facts" reported in this case can always be distorted like how many joints there were, where it was stashed, etc. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by dimebag on May 16, 2002 at 11:50:08 PT
Another Question
How come, this liberation party is only writing in for a musician. Is she more important than, say, you or I? Why dont they have the compassion to write to congress or the Fed Gov. on behalf of all U.S citizens.I guess it would take too much time....
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by dimebag on May 16, 2002 at 11:41:17 PT
Thats not the Real Question
How does one make 11 joints out of 5 grams? I could make probably 2 at best.... But not eleven.. That warwick character can sure roll a dubie.Spark One up for the Nation Mrs. Warwick.We need to get her on our side...
She has Money, She smokes Pot....
Fu*K, if we got every musician that smoked marijuana to be our voice, then maybe we could get somewhere.Dimebag.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 15, 2002 at 22:07:43 PT
DCP
I wanted to let you know where the satellite stands. Today I finally called and they have been trying to reach me and they were calling my computer phone so now they will be here to put in the satellite in the next week. I want to thank you too again. I received an email from Mark a while back that he would accept the money for me and I really appreciate it. I was told also today because my older computer is the second edition of Windows 98 the satellite will work on that computer too. I can't wait! Thanks again.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 15, 2002 at 21:30:17 PT
I Know How Dan
You see it is really simple. You get a magnifying glass and put it over the 11 joints so it makes them small and you use tweezers and stuff them in no problem! LOL!Honestly I have no idea either!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by Dan B on May 15, 2002 at 21:21:38 PT:
Good Questions DCP
I have just one more question: how does one fit 11 joints in a lipstick container? I really don't mean to be sarcastic here; I just don't understand how it can be done. Perhaps I am way behind on modern lipstick accouterments, but I can't see how anyone can fit 11 joints in one of those little tubes.Dan B
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by DCP on May 15, 2002 at 20:28:51 PT:
Warwick Bust
Let’s see how this works out. How many women carry lipstick
cases in their carryon luggage? 90%? Of these tens of
thousdands of lipstick cases carried on, how many are opened
to inspect the contints? 1% or less? How is it that Ms. Warwick was singled out for a search? Were they waiting for her? 
These questions should provoke thought by all intelligent
people. DCP
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment