cannabisnews.com: This Is Your Government on Drugs This Is Your Government on Drugs Posted by CN Staff on May 14, 2004 at 13:42:00 PT By William McColl Source: AlterNet It sounds a bit like the answer to one of those old late night, "so whatever happened to..." questions. Tommy Chong, 65-year-old grandfather, the lesser-known half of the goofy late-70s burnout comedy duo Cheech and Chong, was convicted of the illegal sale of drug paraphernalia over the Internet (i.e. he marketed a line of glass bongs). In a bit of priceless comedic irony, the investigation was code-named Operation Pipe Dreams. Chong was sentenced to 9 months in prison on the second anniversary of September 11. Chong, with no prior arrests, is an unlikely figure to wind up in prison for rarely enforced paraphernalia laws. However, much to his misfortune, he does have one asset that the Bush administration's Justice Department covets in spades. He's got a high profile. Chong's takedown was meant to send a message to every stoner in America. Dude, you cannot wink at The Man. Even as issues like Iraq, gay marriage and the environment command greater attention, the Bush administration has renewed the war on drugs. In this faith-based administration, the drug war is the ur-"values" war, the blueprint for the conservative kulturkampf. In fact, the drug war is even more ancient than most people realize. Temperance as a movement emerged in the early 1800's as drinking, previously considered healthful and a basic component of life, was identified with social disorder. It quickly became an issue of hearth, home and morality. Long before Bill Bennett gambled away his virtue book profits and before Richard Nixon, the first President to proclaim a "war on drugs," was born, the battle between the Wets and Drys was a defining political issue in America. From the 1880s until the end of prohibition, Americans endured fifty years of pitched battle over the drug alcohol. It's worth remembering that the drug war gave us not one but two Constitutional amendments: one banning alcohol, then another un-banning it. Despite alcohol's decisive win, or rather because of it, the battle moved to other fronts. In 2000, no sane person following drug policy would have suggested that within three years Tommy Chong would be imprisoned for selling paraphernalia. The trends of the 90s were decidedly favorable for reform. Between 1996 and 2000, voters passed 17 reform-oriented ballot initiatives on subjects as diverse as medical marijuana, limiting asset forfeiture abuse and treatment instead of incarceration. New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, a Republican, called for legalization of marijuana and ultimately passed a range of reform measures. According to the Drug Policy Alliance (where I was formerly the director of National Affairs), 46 states passed 150 notable drug policy reforms between 1996 and 2002. Countries throughout the world, including close allies such as Britain and Australia began to experiment with reform, often going much farther than the U.S. without appearing to suffer especially ill effects. As a candidate for President, George W. Bush looked rather moderate on drug issues. In October of 1999, he answered a question from CNN about medical marijuana by stating that "I believe each state can choose that decision as they so choose." Later, after his election, he said "I think a lot of people are coming to the realization that maybe long minimum sentences for first-time users may not be the best way to occupy jail space and/or heal people from their disease." However, the arc of the drug war under Bush veered towards emphasizing morality and punitive policies within months of his inauguration. Bush Gives Drugs to the Far Right Drug Czar John Walters is perhaps the key element in this equation. In the 1980s, Walters served as an Assistant to then-Secretary of Education Bill Bennett and then as Bennett's chief of staff at ONDCP when Bennett became the first cabinet-level drug czar. Walters left ONDCP in 1993 and became a bitter critic of President Clinton's drug policies. Prior to his return as ONDCP's director, he solidified his standing in Republican circles as the President of the Philanthropy Roundtable, a far right-wing non-profit funded by the Olin, Scaife and Bradley Foundations and the New Citizenship Project, whose goal is to promote religion in public life. Thus, he is not a neo-con but more of an old-line Bill Bennett values maven. Walters is in touch with his inner kulturkampfer. Bennett and Walters had long sought platforms from which to force national discussion about character and values. Although the drug czar does not command any actual police forces, it is a cabinet-level position that is not only tasked with creating the national drug strategy but also has some ability to force other cabinet officials to participate in the strategy. Walters was a particularly hard critic of Clinton's drug policies, co-authoring blistering articles for the Heritage Foundation and the Washington Times accusing Clinton of "abandoning" the war on drugs. The articles call for a renewed war on drugs by using the presidential bully pulpit to get an anti-drug message out, stepped up use of the military for interdiction efforts, highlighting the deterrent effects of harsh mandatory minimum sentences, forcing source countries to reduce export of drugs and use of drug testing in treatment. As drug czar, Walters has enacted his calls for a renewed drug war by emphasizing drug use as a moral issue and by "pushing back" against perceived cultural permissiveness. He has used his bully pulpit to force discussion of drugs into a black/white, us-against-them paradigm, a paradigm to which the concept of war is already well suited. As a result, the major drug initiatives of the Bush administration have taken on a distinctly combative flavor. For example, in the first year following September 11, Walters repeatedly sought to link the drug war to the war on terrorism in taxpayer funded advertising and elsewhere. Indeed, the administration appears to view drug users as one element of a fifth column, a component of the axis of evil inside the U.S. As part of his efforts to push back against his perception of a countercultural message favoring drugs, Walters has worked to eliminate any visible manifestation of drug culture. Thus, there can be no relaxation of any drug law for any purpose, including use as medicine. As a result, there is a renewed effort to root out physicians who prescribe higher levels of opiates than some of their peers, despite widespread acknowledgement that the American medical establishment routinely undertreats pain. This may also explain the otherwise puzzling use of precious space in Bush's State of the Union address in January to discuss steroids. It's a visible, highly talked-about manifestation of drug-related culture. Walters has also made good on his desire to invigorate interdiction efforts overseas. In Colombia, the U.S. is now giving aid to help the government shoot down airplanes suspected of smuggling drugs. In 2001, this type of shoot first and ask questions later policy resulted in the deaths of a missionary and her daughter in Peru. Last year, the U.S. spent nearly $600 million in military aid in Colombia, including tacit endorsement of paramilitary units, despite the Columbian government's poor human rights record. Unfortunately, reporting on Colombia is almost non-existent in the wake of the war in Iraq. Similarly, Walters is intent on ending drug policy experimentation in the states, a decidedly non-conservative position. He has sought to roll back popular medical marijuana laws in the nine states that have passed them. He also directly opposed drug reform ballot initiatives in 2002 by traveling to, and directing taxpayer funded ads to, states where drug reform initiatives are on the ballot. In a similar vein, the DEA conducted raids on most of the major medical marijuana cooperatives in California, resulting in the arrests of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis, cancer and other ailments. Finally, this pushback really does seem to be about a fifth column in the culture war. Thus Tommy Chong isn't merely a paraphernalia dealer, he is a personification of the 70s - and think how gratifying it must have been to imprison the 70s. In the meantime, Democrats have found it hard to articulate their interests in drug policy and at ONDCP. Why? The framework of the "drug war" is a trap. If, instead of a "war" it was an "effort to minimize dangers from pharmaceutical, alcohol, nicotine and other psychoactive drugs" - if, say, we emphasized health outcomes instead of "fighting a war" - it is very likely that rather than building jails and prisons we would stress health and education. The U.S. now has the highest incarceration rate of documented prisoners in the world, outstripping even China and Russia. And nearly half of all those in federal prisons are serving time for drug crimes. In the meantime, it's been estimated that almost half of those who need treatment for drugs can't get it. How the Democrats Can Get a Handle on Drug Policy Democrats need to find a way to begin to step out of the trap of the "drug war." Although all too many Democrats are enthusiastic practitioners of the drug war, some are beginning to reevaluate the issue. For instance, Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) was a confirmed drug warrior in the 80's, but after years of his Harlem constituents being convicted and sentenced to hard time upstate, he has spoken out about overreliance on incarceration, introducing a series of bills to reduce sentencing disparities in crack cocaine. Representative Rangel's turnaround on sentencing is a good example of how the Democrats can begin to change the conversation. They need to tell the real stories of the real people affected by our drug policies. Kemba Smith is an African American woman who, stuck in a controlling relationship with her college boyfriend, ended up playing a marginal role in her abuser's drug crimes. Eventually, despite neither actually using nor selling drugs, she was convicted under conspiracy laws of all the crimes of his gang. Under mandatory minimum laws, she received 24 and a half years, a longer sentence than manslaughter in many jurisdictions. She was eventually freed after 6 years when President Clinton commuted her sentence in 2000. Women, especially African American women, are now the fastest growing segment of the prison population. Like Kemba, they often play a minimal role in a conspiracy but have little information to bargain with authorities. African Americans already know Kemba's story, but white America doesn't have a clue. She's articulate and smart. It would be interesting to see her onstage at the Democratic convention. When Americans talk about drugs in the context of pain management, they express far more nuanced views than our current dialogue allows. The baby boomers are getting ready to retire just as the DEA has announced a war on oxycontin, vicodin and other drugs used with little harm by millions to control pain. Certainly they will be ready for a more subtle dialogue. For the same reason, medical marijuana garners up to 80% approval in some recent polls. Americans intrinsically understand its potential benefits as a last resort in helping people to find relief from the pain of cancer or other diseases. In addition, people convicted of drug crimes face a set of invisible punishments beyond prison. They lose access to housing and needs assistance, they are often forbidden from receiving licenses. In one state, they cannot receive a license to be a hairdresser. A particularly self-defeating law prevents people convicted of drug crimes from receiving federal grants or even loans for higher education. Education is the most likely indicator that an individual will not recidivate. In the meantime, parents are screaming for assistance at the community level. There are parents who have lost their houses and their jobs in the process of trying to get their kids into decent alcohol or drug treatment. HIV is resurgent in America, and intravenous drug users, their spouses and children are at particular risk. Study after study has shown that syringe exchange coupled with education can slow the transmission of HIV. Americans want to do the right thing on HIV. The lack of health care and the lack of substance abuse treatment (including the startling lack of most kinds of treatment other than 12-step treatment) is a national disaster. A clear, consistent, highly prioritized message by Democrats on this topic could work. Democrats can also emphasize both the out of control costs of the criminal justice system and the failure to prioritize more serious crimes over drugs. They know that Tommy Chong is not a major threat to their kids and they cannot be happy that it will ultimately cost the government at least $18,000 to imprison him and many thousands more to prosecute him. Ultimately it is up to Democrats to free themselves from the straightjacket of John Walters' war for morality. As for Tommy Chong? He'll get out of prison in July.Visit: -- http://www.freetommychong.org/ & http://www.freetommychong.net/Source: AlterNet (US)Author: William McCollPublished: May 14, 2004Copyright: 2004 Independent Media InstituteContact: letters alternet.org Website: http://www.alternet.org/DL: http://alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18703Related Articles & Web Sites:He's Taking One Big Hithttp://freedomtoexhale.com/tommy.htmReefer Madness, Again http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18836.shtmlChong Family Valueshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17916.shtmlTommy Chong’s Next Movie http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17908.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #51 posted by victor420 on May 16, 2004 at 23:35:54 PT: Why cannabis is illegal !!!!!!!!!!!!! The government makes to much money with it beening illegal.Think about it they make a bust they get fines,autos,houses,they get every thing plus the bud.Their just gonna put that back into the streets and do it all over again.If it were legal they would only beable to tax it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #50 posted by Jose Melendez on May 16, 2004 at 19:32:13 PT the wall comes crumbling down . . . White House MoveThe White House took the unusual step yesterday of announcing its intention to appoint Deborah P. Majoras as (Federal Trade Commission Chairman Timothy) Muris' replacement before Mr. Muris had announced his resignation. Attorney General John Ashcroft praised Ms. Majoras "an outstanding lawyer" committed to "enforcing the antitrust laws." Mr. Muris issued a statement last night, saying he planned to leave this summer. "Serving as Chairman of the Commission has been the greatest honor of my professional career," he said. Mr. Muris, who became FTC chairman in June 2001, had worked for the FTC twice before, as assistant director of planning and later as the director of the bureau of consumer protection, the FTC's top staff post for consumer issues. In 1985, after leaving the FTC, Mr. Muris served in the Office of Management and Budget for three years. He subsequently joined George Mason University as a law professor. No consumer background Ms. Majoras has no similar consumer background but was principal deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust at the Justice Department during the term of former Assistant Attorney General Charles A. James, early in the Bush administration. While there she helped negotiate the Justice Department's settlement of the Microsoft Corp. antitrust case filed during the Clinton administration. She argued the case for the federal government during an appellate court hearing as some state attorneys general challenged the settlement. (from White House Announces Replacement Before Resignation, May 12, 2004) http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=40493See also: http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/foia/divisionmanual/ch2.htmhttp://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f1700/1763.htmAshcroft willl just love my first FOIA request . . .http://pipepeace.com/terror/potusHint.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #49 posted by Hope on May 16, 2004 at 07:49:35 PT sukoi, thank you Thank you for sharing the post here. Thank you for the url. [ Post Comment ] Comment #48 posted by sukoi on May 16, 2004 at 06:18:05 PT Hope (comment #41) Although I wish that I could claim those words as mine, they are'nt. Those words are from a post at the John Kerry Internet Town Meeting and were written by an active duty soldier using the name "stopthewod". Here is the link to the thread: http://forum.johnkerry.com/index.php?showtopic=30196&st=15 [ Post Comment ] Comment #47 posted by Jose Melendez on May 16, 2004 at 06:07:58 PT FoM What did not make sense in my comment #42?(This is your government on drugs)Also, Democratic strategist and former White House Drug Policy and House Government Operations Committee public affairs director Robert Weiner has agreed in principle to an interview for my Drug War Crimes Act documentary expose.Read: http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=112-05142004and see also:http://www.weinerpublic.com/page9.htmlhttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1018/a03.html?69561http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1018/a04.html?69561http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n949/a06.html?69561http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n459/a05.html?69561and: http://pipepeace.com/terror/potusHint.htmlmore soon . . . [ Post Comment ] Comment #46 posted by Hope on May 15, 2004 at 19:10:44 PT Excuse me I meant to post my comment to another thread. [ Post Comment ] Comment #45 posted by Hope on May 15, 2004 at 19:08:18 PT Unholy Alliance It's brilliant."we should certainly not underestimate them" was a standout and he is so right. [ Post Comment ] Comment #44 posted by Jose Melendez on May 15, 2004 at 17:03:29 PT FoM Yes. [ Post Comment ] Comment #43 posted by FoM on May 15, 2004 at 16:01:58 PT Jose I don't understand your post. Are all of those e-mails public? [ Post Comment ] Comment #42 posted by Jose Melendez on May 15, 2004 at 15:16:18 PT Attention thread monitors: reschedule, or retire. From: Jose Melendez jose *******Date: Fri May 14, 2004 19:46:17 US/EasternTo: bjohnson so.co.volusia.fl.us, Ombudsman npr.org, lperkins local6.com, info montelshow.com, hhawkins igc.org, publicaffairs voa.gov, atc npr.org, newcase.atr usdoj.gov, moore.te hsmv.state.fl.us, bob_graham graham.senate.gov, ddanforbes aol.com, atfmail atf.gov, AskDOJ usdoj.gov, inspector.general usdoj.gov, CindyBarineau fdle.state.fl.us, sternshow howardstern.com, webmaster safesearching.com, cowan marijuananews.com, cbennett pot-tv.net, revd pot-tv.net, dagreenmachine excite.com, steve kubby.com, weedy pot-tv.net, marc pot-tv.net, matt drudgereport.com, TommyChong FreeTommyChong.orgSubject: Fwd: USDOJ Comments, antitrust violations, ethics. HISTORICAL and DOCUMENTARY. From: Jose Melendez jose ********Date: Fri May 14, 2004 19:32:43 US/EasternTo: Mike Smithson, Law Enforcement Against ProhibitionSubject: Fwd: Address corrected: letter to editor: drug war exposed as illegalI thought you might like to see this letter to the editor: Begin forwarded message:From: Jose Melendez jose *****Date: Fri May 14, 2004 16:25:54 US/EasternTo: letters nypost.comSubject: Address corrected: letter to editor: drug war exposed as illegaloops, that's maywood, nj. Drug war is still illegal.see also:http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/imprt/reg/2004/fr031114.htmhttp://dvdeland.com/terror/potusHint.htmlEditor,The Drug Enforcement Administration's Anthony Placido is breaking at least three of the U.S. laws he swore to uphold, even as he wrote his letter to the editor minimizing the effects of second hand cigarette smoke.For the record, over one million Americans die each and every year from complications due to the taxed, regulated and use as advertised of "approved" foods, supplements, intoxicants and medications.By comparison, there are less than 20,000 U.S. deaths from illegal drugs and almost without exception, harms attributed to such contraband are enabled by prohibitions.Sound familiar? We've already tried such a "noble experiment" in this country, by banning alcohol 80 years ago or so, with nearly identical increases in per capita homicides, youth access, abuses and police corruption.The Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts prohibit restraints of interstate trade, and foreign commerce. Yet the D.E.A. colludes with radioactive toxic waste superfund site owner Stepan Company in Maywood, New Jersey to warehouse hundreds of metric tons of raw South American coca leaf for pharmaceutical cocaine and soft drink flavoring extraction, along with surfactants and other industrial chemicals.Waging war against citizens of this country, or aid and comfort to our enemies is defined as treason, per Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution.Since drug war is crime, perhaps drug warriors ought to start lobbying the public for amnesty.Jose MelendezDeLand, FLRe:US NY: LTE: Dead Wrong On Drug War URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n723/a02.html Newshawk: http://www.painreliefnetwork.org Votes: 0 Pubdate: Tue, 11 May 2004 Source: New York Post (NY) Copyright: 2004 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc. Contact: letters nypost.com Website: http://www.nypost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/296 DEAD WRONG ON DRUG WAR Deroy Murdock is dead wrong ( "Wrong War, Wrong Drugs," Opinion, May 7 ) when he argues that "adults should be free to stimulate, fortify or medicate themselves as they wish, so long as they respect the rights and safety of others." About 8 percent of the U.S. population engages in regular drug abuse. However, this small minority cost the rest of us dearly - from increased crime and health-care costs, danger on the highways, environmental contamination, decreased productivity, lost human potential and family breakdown. Perhaps Murdock and the American public would be interested to know the following: * Two-thirds of arrestees test positive for drugs. * Forty-five percent of reckless drivers not impaired by alcohol test positive for marijuana. * One-third of AIDS cases are drug-related. Emergency room visits resulting from the abuse of narcotic pain relievers have increased 163 percent since 1995. Stopping steroid abuse is not just about the integrity of our national pastimes, it's about giving children a healthy future. Abuse of anabolic steroids puts our kids at risk of heart disease, liver cancer, depression, stunted growth, eating disorders, hostility and aggression. Drug abuse is like a tax on every American family - a tax that averages $1,500 a year. Worse than the financial cost, though, is the human cost. Here in New York, an 8-year-old Brooklyn boy, DeShawn Hill, was killed a few months ago when he was caught in the middle of a turf battle for the "rights" to sell a dime bag of marijuana. In a nation increasingly concerned about the second-hand effects of cigarette smoke, we must finally come to grips with the truth that drug abuse is not a victimless crime. Anthony Placido Drug Enforcement Administration New York Field Division Manhattan [ Post Comment ] Comment #41 posted by Hope on May 15, 2004 at 14:16:12 PT sukoi, your words are just so wonderful "Yeah I feel pretty damn good about donating to MPP. Great post too. I clicked on one of the links… about Tommy Chong. Man, it really sucks. It was just a power hit by the DEA. Take out the leader – ( HaHaHa Laughing my Friggin A** Off ), and all of the marijuana smokers will become disorientated and run off the side of a cliff like a bunch of lemmings.Well, let me tell ya something Mr. DEA … and I know you are monitoring this thread by now. I don’t smoke, I don’t use drugs. You Mr. DEA, yes I’m talking to you. You are perpetuating America’s drug problem. Prohibition has never worked. It didn’t work in the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve, it’s not working now, nor will it ever work. No matter how many 15 year old girls you strip search in school, not matter how many innocent lives you take during unwarranted drug raids, no matter how many urine samples you force from our bodies, no matter how many billions of dollars you take from us taxpayers, no matter how many lives you cut short by taking away needed medicine, no matter how many religions you role over taking away their holy sacrament, no matter how many rights you take away from Americans, no matter how many history books you rewrite, no matter how many studies you throw away. All prohibition is doing is keeping you in a paycheck. When America finally wakes up and tires of these constant infringements on her rights and civil liberties, you will be in the unemployment line. I know this scares you, but if only you used your talents in ways that will actually benefit our country, if only you used your unlimited amount of tax payers dollars to make a difference…. To educate, to feed, to clothe, to better our society, America will be so much better for it, You, Mr. DEA, you declared war on US, not us on you. For some reason you seem to hate us and want to put us in prison. How would you feel if we hunted and imprisoned you? Probably not very good huh? This is an un-winnable war. Stop now, stop hurting people, stop imprisoning people, stop killing people. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Prohibition has not worked since its inception. I declare you, Mr. DEA insane.'Non-Smoker - A Patriot - A Soldier (Active Duty) - A Husband and Father - A VoterMy country tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died! Land of the Pilgrim's pride! From every mountain side, Let freedom ring!" [ Post Comment ] Comment #40 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on May 15, 2004 at 13:12:51 PT Free Tommy Chong, for a start... I urge everyone who has not yet done so to go to freetommychong.org and click on the petitions bar on the left of the page. There are three Free Tommy petitions and one to end Operation Pipedreams. Petitions [ Post Comment ] Comment #39 posted by Max Flowers on May 15, 2004 at 11:56:30 PT FoM I agree on Kerry You are dead right FoM, if the Iraq war isn't proof enough that the US needs to stay out of other nations' affairs, I don't know what more one needs.It does not work, and in every single example of when we have done this one can find death, destruction, anger, poverty, resentment and more among the people we supposedly "help" with these actions. It is a state of denial beyond the pale that is needed to keep doing this crap over and over again. We need a diffrent way of relating to the rest of the world, and we need to get it FAST. [ Post Comment ] Comment #38 posted by dididadadidit on May 15, 2004 at 09:54:36 PT Mayan on Republicrats I fully sympathize with the viewpoint that “America needs a second party” and even have a bumper sticker that says exactly that. I have for years to decades thot of our alleged two party system as a fraud with the reality being that of one fascist party with two branches and the illusion of a choice. The advent of the Bu$h presidency has however sharpened my focus on the difference between the two branches and a comparison I like to use is to compare the GasOilParty to German fascism with the Dems as fascism light and more like the Italian brand.Fearing the Nazi brand of fascism could well get us all killed or worse, I am a reluctant supporter of the only alternative that has a chance of derailing the immediate danger, namely the Dems and their designated candidate, Kerry. I would prefer a viable (good luck) run by Jesse Ventura, but he is talking about 2008 and I fear if we don’t get rid of the thugs in the white house now, we may find ourselves minus our democracy and facing little prospect of getting it back; 2nd amendment notwithstanding, the army or nationalized guard units being far better armed than the citizenry.Given another 4 years, I fully expect the wedding, promo’d by Johnny Pee and facilitated by Senator Hatch with his Victory Act add-on to the Patriot Act, to define drug violators as terrorist enemy combatants. Once so defined, they may be simply “disappeared” into summary conviction by military tribunals and executed. If such policy were in place just a few years back, the whole Tulia debacle could have been avoided and the black troublemakers would have simply disappeared rather than calling Texas on their abuse of justice. Any enemy of the state (disagree with Bu$h on anything) could be accused and dealt with accordingly.If there is any chance that the Council on Foreign Relations, the Illuminati, or a cabal of corporate elitists don’t control both parties, any chance that the Dems will slow down the fascist run off the cliff, any chance that Kerry does not equal Bu$h, any chance whatever, I’ve got to take that chance and convince as many others as I can to do likewise.One thing I am going to do is give the Kerry campaign a check for $54.20 (as done with Kucinich in the primaries) along with an explanatory message indicating the 4.20 as a marker of where the money came from. The feds estimate (likely undercounted by at least a factor of two) 20 million smoking criminals in our midst. If 5% could be reached to make similar contributions (less than an ounce of cheap seedy Mex) we could funnel $50 million into his campaign, marked as to where it came from. Kerry is no Kucinich on drugs. He’s also no Bu$h. A $50 million dollar contribution (bribe?) could well see a little slack directed our way in a Kerry administration. We will never be cut any slack by the Nazi thugs currently in charge.All fascists not being created equal, I’ll hold my nose and throw in with the Dems; at least they are starting to read the polls (see comment 3 on Rohrbacker Hinchley) instead of just looking to out stupid the Repugnicans.Cheers: [ Post Comment ] Comment #37 posted by FoM on May 15, 2004 at 09:20:20 PT The Other Prison Outrage: On The Home Front http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18861.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #36 posted by E_Johnson on May 15, 2004 at 09:16:03 PT We should write Dr. Aronson, suggest research "These people are rare," said Dr. Elliot Aronson, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who studies social influence. "It's really hard for us to predict in advance who is going to resist by looking at things like demographic data or religious background."Suppose we look at history of marijuana use, I wonder whether that would be a predictor of who will resist commands to abuse another person.Oh gosh if he's in Santa Crus then he's witnessed some brilliant resistance to abuse by a whole city government. [ Post Comment ] Comment #35 posted by FoM on May 15, 2004 at 09:05:49 PT A Comment I just heard a portion of John Kerry's radio address. He better wake up. We don't need more troops. We need to get out of other countries issues. We must stop policing the world. We only police countries where they have something we want. It must stop or we are all doomed. Eve of DestructionDon't ya understand what's I'm trying to say?Can't you feel the fear that I'm feeling today? [ Post Comment ] Comment #34 posted by FoM on May 15, 2004 at 08:49:44 PT EJ I'll Archive The Story It really is hard to decide what to post. I have been looking for an article comparing our american prison problem to what is happening in Iraq but I can't find one article. It makes me very angry when I think about it. I call it righteous indignation. In fighting a war over seas we can not forget our prison problem here. After all we are suppose to be the land of the free. [ Post Comment ] Comment #33 posted by E_Johnson on May 15, 2004 at 08:36:57 PT FoM could this be archived? http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/14/international/14RESI.html?pagewanted=1This article doesn't mention pot specifically but it has a special significance for the pot community. It validates our struggle without even knowing it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #32 posted by E_Johnson on May 15, 2004 at 08:18:02 PT Nonconformists resists pressure to abuse others This is from the NYT article, it suggests to me some experiments with marijuana to see whether marijuana promotes resistance to conformity" In the noted experiment 40 years ago when Dr. Stanley Milgram showed that most people will deliver a lethal dose of electricity to another subject if instructed to do so by a scientist in a white lab coat, a minority still said no."These people are rare," said Dr. Elliot Aronson, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who studies social influence. "It's really hard for us to predict in advance who is going to resist by looking at things like demographic data or religious background."The men singled out by General Taguba dissented despite the threat of being ridiculed or even court-martialed for not following orders. Psychologists believe they may have been guided by a strong moral compass and past experiences with conformity."It is sometimes the case that they themselves have been scapegoated or turned on by the crowd,"said Dr. John Darley, a professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton. "If you go back into the lives of these people you can often find some incident that has made very vivid to them the pressures of conformity working on the others in the group." [ Post Comment ] Comment #31 posted by E_Johnson on May 15, 2004 at 08:12:24 PT We are the ethical nonabusing Americans Potheads are nonconformists. We don't go along with group abuse. We have an internal locus of control that makes us resist the laws against pot even if we're threatened.http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/14/international/14RESI.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #30 posted by goneposthole on May 15, 2004 at 07:42:51 PT government on drugs in Iraq The crudest example of asset forfeiture is happening in Iraq. Abu Ghraib prison stripped any dignity any Iraqi detainees had before entering into the confines. Such is life for the Iraqi untermenschen. They're a sorry lot over there, those untermenschen in Iraq. They need to be harassed and degraded for their own good. Operation Nightmare for everybody. Tommy Chong, a celebrated American untermenschen, had his dignity stripped from him courtesy of Mr. Ashcroft. If he could, without impunity from his god, Mr. Ashcroft would have the American untermenschen stripped to nakedness all of the time. It wouldn't bother his conscience at all. What a guy, old Adam Mr. Ashcroft.All of those 'holier than thou' hallowed so-called leaders that now rule the American citizenry with the Homeland Security iron hammer have clearly become addled from all of their high-handed tactics to protect zie vaterland. True blue Un-Americans if there ever were any.Like the greenfox said: It is doomed, and there is no fixing it or saving it.http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/18/thread18036.shtmlIt is abundantly clear, unequivocably and invariably, that the US government is slipping, stumbling and falling.Have a nice day. Stay away from drugs and smoke your cannabis.If you are going to be deemed a subhuman, might as well live up to the reputation. [ Post Comment ] Comment #29 posted by mayan on May 15, 2004 at 05:15:25 PT More & More... Buckland, Carlisle, Charlemont, Chatham, Chilmark, Colrain, Concord, Dennis, Groton, Heath, Littleton, Marblehead, Tisbury, Truro, MA Eureka, MT Carbondale, CO East Lansing, MI Bangor, ME Those are the latest of the four states and 314 cities, towns and counties that have already passed resolutions, ordinances or ballot initiatives to protect the civil liberties of their residents...Bill of Rights Defense Committee: http://www.bordc.org/index.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #28 posted by mayan on May 15, 2004 at 05:08:35 PT RepubliCrats... "Ultimately it is up to Democrats to free themselves from the straightjacket of John Walters' war for morality."Don't count on it. The Dem's could have a home-run issue in cannabis-law reform(and the 9/11 cover-up...if they weren't a part of it also) but they are just as corrupted as the Republicans. This country needs a "second party".The corporate media has turned on Bush as he has the world against him and can no longer push the "hidden power's" agenda of perpetual war. Kerry will pick up where Bush leaves off but it is ludicrous that "both" candidates are pro-war! Choose your evil or vote your conscience.The only way out...A 9/11 WIDOW SPEAKS OUT - NYC, May 22nd: http://www.ny911truth.org/may22_details.htm9/11 International Inquiry - Toronto, May 25-30: http://www.911inquiry.org/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #27 posted by breeze on May 15, 2004 at 00:45:25 PT This seems ESPECIALLY relevant I recieved this in my email-PRISONER ABUSE AND THE DRUG WAR - WHAT YOU CAN DO***PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE***DrugSense FOCUS Alert #291 Friday, 14 May 2004Very few in the media, or in Congress, are making the connection between the fact that prisoners in the United States suffer a degree of abuse no less inhumane than those in Iraq. There has been reports that several of the soldiers charged in Iraq received their training working in United States prisons.But there are hardly any news reports that tie prison abuse of our drug war prisoners to what happened in Iraq. See:http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htmThe current focus of the press on prisoner abuse in Iraq presents a superb opportunity for you to write letters to the editor pointing out how ironic it is that anybody is shocked over the photos, when our prisoners here at home are treated no better - to include our drug war prisoners.Need facts?The November Coalition has already set up a page of links to good reports at:http://www.november.org/abuse/media.htmlNote "Prisoner Abuse: Not in Bush's America?" at the bottom of this page:http://www.november.org/abuse/For more facts see:http://www.drugwarfacts.org/civilrts.htmandhttp://www.drugwarfacts.org/prison.htm*********************************************************** ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:Write a LTEs to the papers in your state about this issue. This is a good example of a topic that may result in a printed letter without the need to tie it to any other specific item the papers may have printed.To find your state/local newspapers, go to MAP's media links page at:http://www.mapinc.org/media.htmUsing the 'List by Area" dropdown find and bring up the list of newspapers in your state and their LTE contact.Let your members of congress know about how you feel about this issue. If you can, visit with the members, or visit their state/local offices, as telling them or their staff directly always shows a deep concern, stronger than any other message. Or give them a phone call.Find the contracts for your representative at http://www.house.gov/And for your Senator at http://www.senate.gov/Thanks for your effort and support. It's not what others do it's what YOU do***********************************************************PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID(Letter, email messages, etc.)Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent letter list (sentlte mapinc.org) if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to MGreer mapinc.org if you are not subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging our impact and effectiveness.Subscribing to the Sent LTE list (sentlte mapinc.org) will help you to review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing efforts.To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form*********************************************************** ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:Writer's Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/***********************************************************TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:Please utilize the following URLshttp://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htmhttp://www.drugsense.org/unsub.htmWe wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter writing activists.***********************************************************Prepared by: Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialist ===Please help us help reform. Send drug-related news to editor mapinc.orgSee http://www.mapinc.org/hawk.htm for details [ Post Comment ] Comment #26 posted by FoM on May 14, 2004 at 21:47:29 PT Hope You said a large hysterical group is really bad. I couldn't agree more. They are dangerous. [ Post Comment ] Comment #25 posted by Hope on May 14, 2004 at 21:42:47 PT sub-human treatment Some people have whipped other people into fearful hysteria with prevarications and outright lies. Hysteria isn't good. A large hysterical group is really bad. [ Post Comment ] Comment #24 posted by FoM on May 14, 2004 at 21:27:51 PT Hope That's right. They want to treat someone who is addicted to drugs like they are sub human and all they are is a person with a problem who might need help. Jail won't help. [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by Hope on May 14, 2004 at 21:01:03 PT I liked this from Mr. McColl's article If, instead of a "war" it was an "effort to minimize dangers from pharmaceutical, alcohol, nicotine and other psychoactive drugs" - if, say, we emphasized health outcomes instead of "fighting a war" - it is very likely that rather than building jails and prisons we would stress health and education. [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by Hope on May 14, 2004 at 20:40:26 PT GCW, "The Eye of the Needle"??? Cool. That makes sense. I like the visuals my imagination draws on your description. It differs slightly from the explanation in the book, but it makes sense. I'm convinced of one thing, though, and now more than ever...Jesus wasn't talking about a sewing needle in the famous parable, and it really is a great parable, too. You don't know how many elderly fundamentalist ladies I know who have shut me out like they thought I was the devil himself when I tried to explain (I thought they’d be just as happy about it as me) that I didn't think Jesus was talking about a literal camel through the literal eye of a sewing needle. I guess they may have developed a theory on something akin to making a camel into thread. As soon as I heard about the camel having to be “unloaded” and “on his knees” the beauty of it stunned me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by The GCW on May 14, 2004 at 20:19:17 PT "The Eye of the Needle"??? (Remember the Magi who gave Christ Hash?)Perspective Alignmenthttp://www.templeofsolomon.org/sitemap.htg/sitemap.htm Many ancient cities were enclosed by walls with gates that were closed and locked at night. Narrow passageways were placed in the walls to allow entry into the city after the gates were secured. The passageways were wide enough to allow a person to enter the city but the passage was not nearly wide enough to accommodate an animal as large as a camel. The passageways were called "The Eye of the Needle" because they were so narrow. One of the most misinterpreted sayings of Jesus Christ relates to "the eye of the needle". The saying (badly translated) is, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven". A camel is a beast of burden and in ancient times a camel was usually seen loaded with the material goods of its owner. The simile of "a camel passing through the eye of the needle", suggests the actual meaning of Christ's quotation is, that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than it is for a MATERIALLY MINDED PERSON to enter heaven; one whose mind is burdened like the camel. My purpose in including this "eye of the needle" interpretation is to provide one demonstration of how many passages of the New Testament are deeply veiled by simile and metaphor. Many literal interpretations lead to paradox and the decoded passages lead to a transcendent understanding.http://www.aloha.net/~johnboy/magi.htg/magi.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by FoM on May 14, 2004 at 20:01:49 PT RasAric You never know if we all will meet someday but in reality by meeting people and corresponding like we do here on CNews it's like having a pen pal but in real time. I understand alot about people and how they feel even without meeting them. We aren't strangers when you think about it. What a remarkable time we live in. Everything is bitter sweet.I'm glad you soon will be free. [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by Hope on May 14, 2004 at 20:01:07 PT Virgil "Billy Graham is a rich man and how is he to enter the pearly gates when a camel cannot pass throught the eye of a needle." As I understand it, "Eye of a Needle" was a hole in a canyon wall near Damascus. I have never found a word about it on the Internet. I had a photograph of it in a wonderful book...which was borrowed and never returned and I do not remember its title or author. I also spoke to a young man from Damascus quite a few years ago and he knew of it. It, the Eye of the Needle, was about two feet from the desert floor around the canyon… was only a few feet deep (depth of canyon wall at this area). It was, or is, about three or four feet high and about two feet wide...just large enough to fit a camel through...on his knees...unloaded... and pushed from one side and pulled from the other. This labor intensive passage could save a caravan days going around the canyon wall. And, I believe, Jesus said something more like, "It is harder for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of God than for a camel to pass through the (E)eye of a (N)needle."I can check it if you wish…but I think that’s what it says. It’s kind of like that thing where people say that the Bible says that money is the root of all evil. Actually it says, “The love of money is the root of a great many evils.” [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by The GCW on May 14, 2004 at 19:47:25 PT If I could whisper... DididadadiditKulture War(s):A bull’s-eye splitting golden arrow.Please consider:It’s no longer enough to simply be a Christian.It is important to be an obedient Christian.There are 2 kinds.And everyone is a Christian.The commandments in simplest terms from Christ is, We should, “love one another.” (Do that and very real spiritual qualities become available.)Show Us a person who supports caging their bro for using a plant that God said is good on literally the 1st page of the Bible and We will all see a disobedient Christian. (Some time after the 1st page there is mention of: do not kill which exposes more disobedience etc.)Please consider to not use a disobedient Christian as an example for Christianity. I know most (perhaps more than 99%) are disobedient, but consider basing Your generalization on the very few who are obedient Christians.It is time to distinguish which kind, when We speak of Christians or a Christian. (THIS WOULD BE PREFERABLE)Disobedient Christians cage humans for using plants which God created and said were good (on the 1st page…).Disobedient Christians support the killing in Iraq, in America and around the globe.Obedient Christians love one another.Civilized?Not till We stop killing Our own brother, Father and fellow Son of God.How ‘bout a new political party: The Obedient Democratic Christian Party (The O.D.C.)We can let Jesus Christ Himself through the “spirit of truth” finally run the show.That will require re-legalizing cannabis. Full on.This started out short…Would You rather have an obedient Christian or a disobedient Christian become President?There are only 2 kinds. And We have had enough of the disobedient Christian.The Green Collar Worker [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by RasAric on May 14, 2004 at 19:37:52 PT Someday when our goal is accomplished... I would like to sit in a big circle with everyone who writes their "peace" on this forum and pass a number of joints around.Time is getting near...on top of that, I'm off parole inna couple o'months(bye bye Johnny Pee)!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by Hope on May 14, 2004 at 19:33:55 PT Sukoi, comment # 12 Wow! [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by Hope on May 14, 2004 at 19:27:53 PT Virgil, it made me smile. "My basic thought on Christians is that if they can believe Christianity they can believe anything."(Must get back to reading. Just had to tell you when I read the offended part.) [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by FoM on May 14, 2004 at 18:54:23 PT mamawillie It could be. The courts are ruling more for people's rights.sukoi, thank you. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by mamawillie on May 14, 2004 at 18:37:40 PT Gay Marriages legal The US Supreme court just refused an attempted stay for the gay marriages that will take place on Monday in Massachusetts.http://story.news.yahoo.com/fc?cid=34&tmpl=fc&in=World&cat=Gays_and_LesbiansSo maybe in the cultural war first gay marriages then upholding the 9th circuit ruling?Could it be that we are getting close? [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by sukoi on May 14, 2004 at 18:37:04 PT FoM; no, THANK YOU!!! You are helping to capture this knowledge and make it available for others and you are doing an OUTSTANDING job! On another note;I felt that I should reciprocate since I posted dididadadidits' comment on the Kerry forum. Here is a post from that forum by a TRUE patriot:'Sukoi: Yeah I feel pretty damn good about donating to MPP. Great post too. I clicked on one of the links… about Tommy Chong. Man, it really sucks. It was just a power hit by the DEA. Take out the leader – ( HaHaHa Laughing my Friggin A** Off ), and all of the marijuana smokers will become disorientated and run off the side of a cliff like a bunch of lemmings.Well, let me tell ya something Mr. DEA … and I know you are monitoring this thread by now. I don’t smoke, I don’t use drugs. You Mr. DEA, yes I’m talking to you. You are perpetuating America’s drug problem. Prohibition has never worked. It didn’t work in the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve, it’s not working now, nor will it ever work. No matter how many 15 year old girls you strip search in school, not matter how many innocent lives you take during unwarranted drug raids, no matter how many urine samples you force from our bodies, no matter how many billions of dollars you take from us taxpayers, no matter how many lives you cut short by taking away needed medicine, no matter how many religions you role over taking away their holy sacrament, no matter how many rights you take away from Americans, no matter how many history books you rewrite, no matter how many studies you throw away. All prohibition is doing is keeping you in a paycheck. When America finally wakes up and tires of these constant infringements on her rights and civil liberties, you will be in the unemployment line. I know this scares you, but if only you used your talents in ways that will actually benefit our country, if only you used your unlimited amount of tax payers dollars to make a difference…. To educate, to feed, to clothe, to better our society, America will be so much better for it, You, Mr. DEA, you declared war on US, not us on you. For some reason you seem to hate us and want to put us in prison. How would you feel if we hunted and imprisoned you? Probably not very good huh? This is an un-winnable war. Stop now, stop hurting people, stop imprisoning people, stop killing people. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Prohibition has not worked since its inception. I declare you, Mr. DEA insane.'Non-Smoker - A Patriot - A Soldier (Active Duty) - A Husband and Father - A VoterMy country tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died! Land of the Pilgrim's pride! From every mountain side, Let freedom ring! [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by E_Johnson on May 14, 2004 at 18:22:14 PT I could make generalizations about Libertarians If Virgil can make wild genralizations about Christians then I can do it about Libertarians.A bunch of spoiled white middle class people who think their abstract ideology should be followed just because it's so simple and elegant and pretty.LIbertarians are all pretty. They all look like models. They're obsessed with suits too. Talk about superficial.Do we want a bunch of spiritually empty fashion model looking people with with a severe ideology addiction running the world?There see Virgil, I matched you for subtety but used less words. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Virgil on May 14, 2004 at 18:11:17 PT The Christians The question I ask a Christian is "What is so important in this world, that your fate for eternity would be decided." It is kind of like what kind of job can you do for one day and receive retirement and medical benefits. It would have to be some real special thing.What really is happening is that the Christians are being led by a figurative ring in their nose. The Republicans main attraction is their call to end abortions. It is the one issue that gives them a following while they bomb and pollute the world. What is strange is that the Christians want everyone to do it their way. But it is really not their way, because plenty of Christians say one thing and will have an abortion when it is the only practical solution. What is important to the issue is that the Christians can have it their way under current policy, but someone wanting choice can not do it their way under Republican policy.They are trying to impose a way of life on everyone. What makes this dangerous to drug policy is that enables the Republican Party. It is not that the Christians are for arresting people or spraying Colombia with poisons, it is they are the backbone of a monster that is concerned about power and greed.My basic thought on Christians is that if they can believe Christianity they can believe anything. I am sure that offends people, but tough. There is a great truth to it. They believe a mythology and then try to justify everything with a mythology.I am not trying to pick a fight, but the real politicians worship money and power and religion is not that important in the scheme of things. My thinking says that if Bennett were a Christian he would have plucked his eyes out and would be a poor man because of acts of charity.When I was in high school and could first drive to the library and read on religion, the little county library had very few books on religion but they had a huge collection of Billy Graham's books. Billy Graham is a rich man and how is he to enter the pearly gates when a camel cannot pass throught the eye of a needle. I will say that the Muslims seem to actually believe in their eternity and discount the worldly sphere. But in America Pat Robertson and Bill Bennett seem to place an inordinate amount of concern over what they think an instant in time.My only point really is that the Christians are being led by a single carrot like a donkey on a cart. Sure they get their share of carrots, but they are pulling a cart of people intent on getting what they want because they own the cart and carrots.Here again we see AlterNet conversing on the subject where no such content is on television or major print. If the two hundred channels were not so controlled people would be seeking an understanding instead of watching the personalities give a go at soundbites.The drug laws have a way of surviving because people have grown up with them. It is like they justify current policy because it has survived much like a young child might think their is a Christ because there are so many churches. There have been articles of different denominations calling for reform, but they are just braying as they pull the cart. It is like the quote of this year where the government official said we do not listen to the reformers. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on May 14, 2004 at 17:31:44 PT sukoi Thank you. I really appreciate the top notch comments that people post here. I wanted CNews to be a place where articles could be discussed and knowledge gained. I believe we all are learning. I didn't understand much really about the drug war before I got on line and got active. The more I learned the more troubling it has become because it shows the lack of concern for the rights of people to live their own life their own way. We are a big nation but we are individuals and each individual's rights are very important.When we get closer to elections I will post on John Kerry's board but you all are doing a fine job and it's just nice reading for now. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by sukoi on May 14, 2004 at 17:08:49 PT FoM Thank you, I/we will! You should add a post or two, it doesn't cost anything and it certainly couldn't hurt! [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by sukoi on May 14, 2004 at 17:04:12 PT dididadadidit Thank you! I'm amazed every day when I visit CNews and read the comments here. Most of the comments here are better written than the article being written about, that should tell you something! I'm kind of like FoM (a one or two sentence type) but I can't get over the fact that everyone who comments here is able to put things in a context that I never would have thought of! Outstanding journalism at the least! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 14, 2004 at 16:55:52 PT sukoi I just wanted to mention that the work you all are doing on John Kerry's Board is good and necessary. I bookmark the thread and read it daily. I know you all must get discouraged because all you want is to be heard. I believe you are being heard. Don't lose hope just keep on doing what you are doing and results will come in time I believe. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by dididadadidit on May 14, 2004 at 16:44:22 PT Sukoi comment 4 I'm honored by the thot. Please do.Cheers [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by sukoi on May 14, 2004 at 16:33:50 PT dididadadidit I just posted this article on the John Kerry MJ Decrim. thread:http://forum.johnkerry.com/index.php?showtopic=30196&st=0&#entry238935 I was wondering if I could have your blessing to post your comment as well? An excellent and well written comment I might add! All who comment here are absolutely phenomenal writers; kudos to all of you! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by dididadadidit on May 14, 2004 at 16:13:36 PT Kulture War(s) What a great article. McColl hits the nail squarely on the head with his culture war observation.The sides in this war are the drugs, sex and rock and roll group versus the American Taliban, those fundamentalist Christians who, like their fundamentalist Islamic cousins, don't have a whole lot of toleration for those who are not with them and a mean streak a mile wide to punish the evildoers.I saw confirmation of the culture war in the fall of '02, back before Fox took over all the networks and subsumed them into the ministry of propaganda to pump up the Iraq war. It was a CBS Sunday morning show in which a California lady suffering from MS talked up the relief she obtained only from MMJ and as much as told the feds to go to hell, she'd continue to smoke her med regardless of what they thot about it. Next came Johnny Pee, himself, about to pee himself, as he tried to justify the unjustifyable in the wake of the prior guest. He started off by saying, "We're not coming at this from the standpoint of moral blockheadedness, but rather from - - -" as he then recited the usual litany of lies, no medical value, stronger than your dads pot, wrong msg for childrun, etc., etc.When they say it's not about the money(sex), it damn well is about the money(sex). When they say it's not about moral blockheadedness, whadda you think?The moral blockheads are now running the show with Bu$h as their pope. If they get another 4 years to consolidate their power we may never get rid of them, if we even still can. The lack of toleration for other lifestyles is based on fear, fear that free competition of ideas may sway away some of the less committed. Obviously we can’t have college age kids smoking’ dope and maybe thinking differently, or thinking. Rock and roll could interfere with listening to the preacher, or worse, to dancing, good god, maybe even SEX!Then there’s the Democrats. After decades of nothing but matching or trying (and too often, succeeding) to out stupid the Reps they have been little better. Witness Biden and his anti-rave bs. Witness Clinton threatening California doctors with loss of prescription writing license if they talk MMJ with patients, seeing more arrests in his 8 years than 12 of Reagan Bush I, signing into law the restrictions on college loans to the cannabis tainted. But there is hope here. Kucinnich. Even better, the indication that Dems are starting to read the polls as indicated by the Rohrbacker Hinchley house vote last summer where the Dems were over 2 to 1 in favor of the bill that would have forced the DEA to leave medical folks alone in states that had made it legal. The “Compassionate Conservative” Reps on the other hand, were 13 to 1 against and in the old south confederacy, an astonishing 74 to 1 (Ron Paul, a libertarian in a Rep suit) against. The American Taliban is especially strong in the south. I wish Lincoln had just let ’em go.We have no chance with FlightSuitBoy. I’ll vote Dem for president for the first time ever. No fan of Kerry, but, we gotta get rid of the Taliban before they get us all killed or worse.Cheers: [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by mamawillie on May 14, 2004 at 15:49:41 PT Awesome article This was a smart, thought-provoking, well-written read. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by RasAric on May 14, 2004 at 15:26:24 PT Gov On Drugs?... No Argument There Our Government is definitely on something that's not good for them or us.Tommy is almost out!!!! Woo-Hoo!! Congradulations!!! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment