Can You Hear Us Mr President?

So I’ve been a talking with NORML lately about setting up a local chapter for the Hampton Roads area. I’m proud to say this actually might happen. I can’t say that I know when this will happen, I hope soon. Thanks to Dee, and Keith at NORML.

In other news on the legalization front, Chairman H. Morgan Griffith of the sub-committee on crime under the Courts of Justice in the House of Delegates stated that he was going to kill HB 1134 & HB 1136 once the bill reached his committee. Sounds like he doesn’t know what his constituents want. He can’t! Griffith hasn’t let his constituents voice their opinion with him. That is exactly what is wrong in our country. Politicians make decisions based on what they THINK we want, without ever asking.

I took the liberty to check out the bill and see who was on the committee, as you seen by my earlier posts. I did receive a reply by my Delegate Paula Miller. She currently never said whether she was for, or against it. She just quoted what Chairman Griffith said. What will it take? In order for us to move forward we must group together. We must tell everyone we know in Virginia and call our Delegates. Let them know what we want. After all, it’s their tax-paid job.

So I’ve pasted my email with Paula Miller below.

So what do we need to change your mind Paula Miller? You tell me how many signatures it’s going to take to prove it to you? Where do you stand on this issue? We want to know.

Below I’ve taken the liberty of gathering names, email addresses, phone numbers for all members on the committee. Email them, call them. Voice your concern for our current drug policy. Remember, we’re Americans this is what we do. Aren’t you tired of hiding? Let’s email them. Tell them to say yes to HB 1134.

DelDAlbo@house.state.va.us – Delegate David B. Albo –(703) 451-3555 — Chairman
DelCAthey@house.virginia.gov — Delegate Clifford L. Athey, Jr. — (540) 635-2123 – Vice Chair
DelMGriffith@house.state.va.us — Delegate H. Morgan Griffith — (540) 389-4498
DelTKilgore@house.state.va.us — Delegate Terry G. Kilgore — Phone: (276) 386-7011
DelBJanis@house.state.va.us — Delegate William R. Janis — (804) 726-5856
DelRBell@house.state.va.us — Delegate Robert B. Bell — (434) 245-8900
DelBCline@house.virginia.gov — Delegate Benjamin L. Cline — (434) 946-9908
DelSIaquinto@house.virginia.gov — Delegate Sal R. Iaquinto — (757) 430-0102
DelTGilbert@House.state.va.us — Delegate C. Todd Gilbert — (540) 459-7550
DelCPeace@house.virginia.gov — Delegate Christopher K. Peace — (804) 698-1097
DelJMiller@house.virginia.gov — Delegate Jackson H. Miller — (703) 244-6172
DelMLoupassi@house.virginia.gov — Delegate G. Manoli Loupassi — (804) 698-1068
info@votevillanueva.com – Delegate Ron A. Villanueva — 757-216-3883
DelWCleaveland@house.virginia.gov — Delegate William H. Cleaveland — (540) 992-4041
DelJJohnson@house.virginia.gov — Delegate Joseph P. Johnson, Jr. — (276) 628-9940
DelWArmstrong@house.virginia.gov — Delegate Ward L. Armstrong — (276) 632-7022
DelWBarlow@house.virginia.gov — Delegate William K. Barlow — (757) 357-9720
DelVWatts@house.virginia.gov — Delegate Vivian E. Watts — (703) 978-2989
DelDToscano@house.state.va.us — Delegate David J. Toscano — (434) 220-1660
DelCHerring@house.virginia.gov — Delegate Charniele L Herring — (703) 370-1163
DelJMcClellan@house.virginia.gov — Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan — (804) 698-1171
patrick@hopefordelegate.com – Delegate Patrick A. Hope – No Number

I posted this on Craigslist in my area, just wanna see what happens what people say, how people in my area feel about it.

I wanted to get everyone’s overall feeling on the drug war. Do you think its working? In what ways is it working? Does it not work? Why doesn’t it work? Here’s my take. Feel free to respond to me personally or on here.

4500 teens will try Marijuana today. To me if we were winning, that number would be much lower. As of today at 12:07PM EST we have spent just this year $15,794,815,718 according to CanYouHearUsMrPresident.Com. We’ll spend more and more every year, trying to fight a drug that’s never harmed anyone, not one single reported death. At one time in our countries history, hemp was in every farmer’s crop. In fact it was illegal to not grow hemp. Our constitution is written on hemp paper. Hemp makes a very durable material for a number of different items, not just jewelry that surfers wear. (1)

Marijuana was a victim of a smear campaign. Harry J. Anslinger was the head of Federal Bureau of Narcotics in August of 1930. (2)He was also the husband of the Allen W. Mellon’s niece. He was also the Secretary of the US Treasury who later appointed Anslinger to the Bureau of Narcotics. (2) Anslinger linked every gruesome crime, to marijuana. He had people believing that if they smoked it, they would go out and hurt people, or themselves. If you’ve ever seen someone that’s high, to me they don’t look like they’re going to hurt me or themselves. All of the politicians of course believed the media, and waged war on marijuana as well. In 1937 Marijuana was made illegal by the ‘Marijuana Tax Act’.

We were manipulated as a population, the government now controls what we can, and cannot put in our bodies. When lawmaker’s don’t know how to fix a problem, they make a law. You cannot control something which is illegal. You only make the problem much worse; our prison population holds more non-violent drug possession prisoners than any other crime. Each prisoner costs $22,000 a year. Make it legal to possess 1/2 oz of Marijuana, and crime rates will plummet.

It’s coming. You all should get use to the idea, in fact you should try it. Urge your reps to rethink our policy. Let’s think rationally.

1. Guither, P. (2009) Why is Marijuana Illegal Retrieved October 14, 2009 From http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/

2. Wikipedia.org (2009) Harry J. Anslinger Retrieved October 14, 2009 From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_J._Anslinger

Mr. President,
On the many different websites hosting video’s these days; we’ve all heard you saw we needed to ‘re-think’ our drug policy. We all agree with you there. I come here today, starting a new war on drug policy, and standards. No more will we stand by, and allow you to tell us what’s allowed in our bodies. If someone is stupid enough to put something in their body, they are ultimately taking the risk. How would you feel if someone told you, that you could no longer smoke cigarettes, Chew gum, or even had a beer? Now I know you wouldn’t appreciate it much. You said the DEA raids of state legal pot clinics would stop, yet they still continue. You said you would change these things, WE got you there. Now it’s time for your end of the bargain.

So the ‘professionals’ say it’s a gateway drug, I disagree, a few key points on why it isn’t. Number one, no pothead is ever going to murder, or kill anyone; however they may however die of laughter from insanely moronic cartoons. Number two, I can’t remember which TV show host said this but, did you know that most hard drug users start on nicotine, and alcohol? This is how a lot of my friends have started. Number three, marijuana was America’s cash crop, and still could be. How many trees do we go through a day for paper? Hemp is durable and easily harvested, it’s a god damned weed, and it grows wild anywhere!

The question is Mr. President, are you going to fulfill your job, you say you stand for the people, well in your town hall discussion, you said you didn’t want to ‘grow our economy’; we’re not asking you to. We want it legal for the right we’re supposedly entitled to. I feel personally you’ve let us down. I’m not affected by the mortgage crisis, or the credit crunch, nor am unemployed. I work 40 hours a week, I pay taxes, have a family, and a do-gooder. I’m the typical American, I don’t own a home, I don’t have a portfolio, nor do I have a savings. I live pay-check to pay-check.

At least give us the opportunity to make our case for the legalization of marijuana. With enough voices you WILL hear us.