cannabisnews.com: Drug War Hypocrites Kill A Troublesome Author Drug War Hypocrites Kill A Troublesome Author Posted by FoM on June 24, 2000 at 15:45:16 PT By Vin Suprynowicz Source: DrugSense AMMA Peter McWilliams, 50, author of the 1993 book "Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do: The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in Our Free Country," and accomplished public speaker on libertarian topics, died at home in Los Angeles June 14. Struggling for breath in his bathtub, Peter choked to death on his own vomit. But it was not an accident. McWilliams suffered from both cancer and AIDS. A prescribed cocktail of toxic drugs was capable of holding his viral load to zero -- in effect, producing complete remission. Problem was, these drugs produced such severe nausea that McWilliams was unable to keep them -- or anything else -- down. Fortunately, it turned out a natural and harmless herb exists which was almost fully effective in relieving McWilliams' nausea -- whereas a synthetic variant of the herb's dominant ingredient, the patented and thus pharmaceutically profitable Marinol -- proved only one-third as effective. Unfortunately, following the effective yellow journalism campaign of William Randolph Hearst to identify this herb, Indian hemp, in the public mind as the dreaded tool of white women's seduction by minority Lotharios -- "Marihuana" -- the forces of racism and repression managed to outlaw it, progressively if unconstitutionally, between the years 1916 and 1934. Fortunately, the citizens of California since realized that mistake, and in the autumn of 1996 they re-legalized marijuana there for medical use on a doctor's "recommendation" -- no prescription required -- by a 55 percent majority. Seven other states have since followed California's sensible lead. Unfortunately, cops operating in California -- the same ones who used to snarl "If you don't like the law, change it" -- no longer pay any attention to the law. Now they just break into people's homes, trash or seize their property, and kidnap them because they feel like it. "On Dec. 17, 1997, federal drug and tax agents raided McWilliams' home and offices, confiscating manuscripts and equipment and effectively shutting down his publishing business," according to J.D. Tuccille of Freedom Network News. "The ostensible reason for the raid was a book advance paid to Todd McCormick, an author and fellow marijuana activist who rented a home where he wrote and grew marijuana with the money."http://www.free-market.net/ Both men said the marijuana grown in the Bel Air mansion was intended to supply buyers' cooperatives that serve patients in California. Mind you, this "crime" was committed, the arrests made, and the case proceeded in its entirety after the popular vote to legalize this activity. Wait, it gets better. Why do you suppose the scum who run the War on Drugs in California decided to prosecute this case in federal court? One might imagine a defendant like McWilliams would have had an open-and-shut dismissal, once he explained his deadly illness, presented medical testmony that only the medical benefits of marijuana were keeping him alive, and finally introduced evidence that he was being prosecuted in spite of the popular victory of Prop 215 in November of 1996 -- that is to say, "the law." Ha ha. You see, in federal court, Judge George H. King ruled none of that information could be introduced into evidence. McWilliams couldn't even argue that the Ninth Amendment voids any and all federal drug laws. Nope.All disallowed. Any lawyer who tried to mention any of these facts to McWilliams' federal jury -- carefully screened in advance to eliminate any potential juror who opposed the War on Drugs, of course -- would have been arrested, jailed, and disbarred. Deprived of the opportunity to enter any of the facts which would have constituted his only sensible, valid, and true defense, McWilliams had no choice but to cop a plea in hopes of getting a reduced sentence. He was awaiting sentencing for his "crime" at the time of his death. "Federal Judge George King ordered him not to use medical marijuana while he was on federal bond," explains McWilliams' friend, Don Wirtshafter. "Because his mother and brother had put up their houses for this bond" -- and because he was subject to periodic urine tests, of course -- "Peter felt obliged to follow this order." As a result, McWilliams' viral count soared and he spent long hours in bed, fighting nausea. Unable to work, he defaulted on bankruptcy payments and recently lost his home. By thus violating the law which holds any adult of normal intellect responsible for acts which a reasonable man might expect to cause the death of another, Judge King -- along with all the other sadists still prosecuting the War on Drugs -- was directly responsible for the death of Peter McWilliams, whom they singled out and killed primarily for his outspoken political opinions. "Peter McWilliams was a brilliant author and American patriot who was killed for his political beliefs -- by an overdose of government," said our mutual friend Steve Kubby, of Laguna Beach, this week. Kubby, California's 1996 Libertarian gubernatorial candidate and himself an adrenal cancer survivor being prosecuted for using legal medical marijuana, announced he will seek his party's vice presidential nomination in Anaheim this week "to force a debate about the failed police 'War on Drugs' onto center stage in the November election. ... "McWilliams' books inspired people to believe in and fight for their rights. Those responsible for the death of Peter have only added fuel to the fire." Kubby, 53, continued. "They killed the messenger, but the very message they tried to smother will burn more brilliantly than ever." Ironically, the Inquisition-like nature of the McWilliams prosecution was exposed by John Stossel in an interview with McWilliams which aired on ABC'c "20/20 Friday" on June 9, five days before Peter's death. Even the usually statist Barbara Walters shook her head in dismay. But wait, we're not quite done. Scrunch down and check this out: "Although personnel files are among the most closely guarded of police secrets, a copy of Ellis "Max" Johnson II ... was leaked to the media after he entered the academy last fall, sparking a fierce debate over the city's hiring practices," wrote Jesse Katz, under a Denver dateline, in the Los Angeles Times last weekend. "Nobody expects police departments to hire saints," reporter Katz continued, but "the confessions of Johnson, one of Denver's newest officers, were startling in their candor. "Under questioning from background investigators, Johnson admitted he had used drugs on approximately 150 occasions -- not just marijuana, but also crack, LSD, speed, PCP, mescaline, Darvon, Valium. ... But Denver's Civil Service Commission, which sets the criteria for police hiring, insisted that the 40-year-old former karate instructor had been clean since 1987 and deserved a second chance. ..." To become a cop, you understand. Busting teen-agers with nickel bags of dope. Jailing and killing people like Peter McWilliams. "With their frankness coaxed by a polygraph, 84 percent of Denver's police applicants -- and at least 65 percent of its recent hires -- have acknowledged past experimentation, according to civil service records," reporter Katz continued. "In some cases, officers bust people for acts they themselves have committed. ... "That police -- the ultimate symbols of order and authority -- are willing to tolerate its use 'tells us that our Draconian system of drug laws bears no resemblance to reality,' said Elliott Currie, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley and the author of 'Crime and Punishment in America.' ... " 'Let's wake up,' said Paul Torres, the Denver's Civil Service Commission's former executive director. 'The days of Mayberry are long gone.' " OK. I'll buy that. But it also sounds pretty much like what federal Judge George H. King should have said, in dismissing all charges against Peter McWilliams. Don't you think? The full text of "Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do" is available on the Internet, for free, at:http://www.mcwilliams.com/books/books/aint/ Vin Suprynowicz is assistant editorial page editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His book, "Send in the Waco Killers: Essays on the Freedom Movement, 1993-1998," is available by dialing 1-800-244-2224; or via web site: http://www.thespiritof76.com/wacokillers.html'Send in The Waco Killers' http://www.thespiritof76.com/wacokillers.html American Medical Marijuana Association 15 Monarch Bay Plaza, Box 375, Dana Point, Ca 92629 Web site: http://www.drugsense.org/amma/ E-mail: amma drugsense.orgRelated Articles:MapInc. Articles On Peter McWilliamshttp://mapinc.org/mcwilliams.htm Death of a Crusader http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6165.shtmlAnother Drug War Victim http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6153.shtmlPeter McWilliams, R.I.P.http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6128.shtmlMurder in Californiahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6119.shtmlLearning from Peter McWilliams http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6086.shtml ForaHero.com Peter McWilliamshttp://www.forahero.com/Please take a moment and sign this page, even if you never heard the name of the man behind the good deeds until after his passing. Simply help us say "this one man will not be forgotten." Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by jeffsnyder on May 01, 2001 at 13:41:33 PT how do we get even with these stupid people that run the government? i can hardly take another day of it. why will they not do the right thing and set us free. they killed peter. is there no way to vote in good people or are there none left? god help us all. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on June 28, 2000 at 18:43:49 PT Peter McWilliams Martyred The Progressive ReportBy Fred E. Foldvary, Senior EditorPeter McWilliams, libertarian author of Ain't Nobody's Business if You Do: The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in a Free Society," died at the age of 50 on June 14, 2000. He had AIDS and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer, but did not directly die of those diseases. He was required to take many pills, but he vomited constantly, rendering pills useless. To keep the pills in his stomach, he had been using medical marijuana to ease the nausea caused by his medical treatments. He was then was arrested and not allowed access to cannabis. He died at his home in Los Angeles, the cause of death recorded as asphyxiation. It appears that he was alone, vomited, and was unable, in his weakened state, to clear his airway.Web Posted: June 28, 2000 Copyright 2000 by Fred E. FoldvaryClick to read the complete article.http://www.progress.org/archive/fold147.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on June 24, 2000 at 19:14:39 PT: Thank You Alison! Thank You Alison for such a heartfelt post. We will all miss Peter. I don't know if you were on his mailing list but it was always a highlight of my day to see what Peter had to say. He will be missed by many people.Thanks Martha This article is where many people left comments after we heard about Peter's death.Peter McWilliams Passes Away http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6069.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Alison Myrden on June 24, 2000 at 18:55:11 PT: Drug War Hypocrites kill Author Hi Martha. Thank you for the information regarding this posting. Very sad indeed. For those who have ever been forced to take a large number of pills, or very strong Narcotic medication and "lost them", this story is especially upsetting. I, for one will never forget the name Peter McWilliams. I mentioned to someone else (Renee Boje) that he would have been "next on my list to contact"....:o) I am always looking to cause alittle trouble !! I hope the "Big Fellow in the Sky" takes very good care of Peter and I hope he saves me a seat beside him up there. I truly admired what he stood for and would have loved HIS support.....Sleep well Peter, for now, you are no longer in unrelenting discomfort. Your work in Heaven is only beginning....My Love to your Friends and Family,Gary and AlisonOntario, Canada xo"THIS MAN WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN !!" I promise !! 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