I’m only here for a couple of days and the conference is packed with such wonderful events, that I hadn’t really dealt in any coherent way with the fact that I’m in our nation’s capital (and I haven’t visited for about 15 years.
Quite frankly, I wasn’t very happy about being here. I’ve had a pretty sour view of politics and our nation’s “leaders.” And my first night here, I ate at a restaurant filled with pissant preppy political popinjays. I sat there quietly and listened to them talk — and to them, Washington was simply a big game of Monopoly, and the country was just a bunch of colored squares. I can’t imagine that they even care about drug war victims, or what mandatory minimums do to a community.
But late tonight I put my cynicism aside and took a little walk. From the hotel, I walked to the Capitol and then through the Mall to the Washington Monument. Past the fountains and the reflecting pool and up the stairs to Abe Lincoln’s Memorial.
I had to block the added security measures and construction from my mind, but very soon I started to feel the beauty and power. There was a presence. And I realized that the idiot politicians in office are ephemeral. They don’t have the power to destroy such historical power and significance.
And there was hope.
- DrugWarRant.com, the longest running single-issue blog devoted to drug policy
Join us on Pete's couch.
Send comments, tips,
and suggestions to: Recent Comments
Servetus on Guy who wants to be in office has ideas about drugs: “Prescription codeine sales are dropping as people switch to marijuana for pain relief. “A reduction in the misuse of opioids…” Jan 19, 20:03
Servetus on Guy who wants to be in office has ideas about drugs: “Josee Guindon, DVM, PH.D., is named the 2023 William A Devane Young Investigator Award Honoree by the International Cannabinoid Research…” Jan 10, 21:40
NorCalNative on Guy who wants to be in office has ideas about drugs: “The AMA and the JAMA are nothing but consistent in their anti-cannabis positions. They’ve had little interest in emerging cannabis…” Jan 7, 16:12
Servetus on Guy who wants to be in office has ideas about drugs: “Bad news for Big Pharma — Cannabis is overtaking opioids for pain relief: As more U.S. states legalize cannabis ……” Jan 6, 22:11
Servetus on I really thought I was done hearing that name: “Former New York City mayor and prohibitionist Rudolph W. Giuliani, who promoted a warrantless stop-and-frisk scheme that plagued many New…” Jan 5, 20:32
Servetus on I really thought I was done hearing that name: “Prince Harry — The Duke of Sussex – likes drugs. …reveals in his new memoir “Spare” that he has taken…” Jan 5, 18:24
NorCalNative on Rohnert Park cop charged in marijuana theft: “The cops from Rohnert Park drove North through Santa Rosa, Windsor, Healdsburg, and Cloverdale to get to the county border…” Jan 2, 15:57
Son of Sam Walton on Rohnert Park cop charged in marijuana theft: “Now that we have a slew of new elected folk coming in, remind them that not a single Federal Judge…” Jan 1, 09:27
Pages
- About
- Articles
- A Day at the Museum
- A story for Thanksgiving (Isidro and Teresa Aviles)
- Andrea Barthwell, caught red-handed
- Andrea Barthwell, Snake Oil Salesman
- Bong Hits 4 Jesus – Supreme Court Case
- DEA Bad Girl Michele Leonhart
- Deep Thoughts About the Drug War
- Drug War Victims
- Drug War Videos
- Drug WarRant Joins SOPA, PIPA Protest
- Hammer Down, Pop Up
- If I were Contrarian-King of the United States
- Increase in Burger Abuse Seen
- Irvin Rosenfeld and the Compassionate IND — Medical Marijuana Proof and Government Lies
- Karen Tandy and the DEA (Can Congress Get a Clue?)
- Len Bias – the death that ushered in two decades of destruction
- Mother and Son
- Patriot Act, Victory Act, Despot Act
- Petition for Correction under the ONDCP Information Quality Guidelines
- Raich v. Ashcroft
- Rand and American Enterprise Institute Studies – Indictments of Federal Drug Policy
- the Drug Czar is Required by Law to Lie
- Treatment Statistics
- Who’s Who in Drug Prohibition
- Why is Marijuana Illegal?
Archives
Authors