Drug WarRant

I’m still catching up on my reading from the time I was gone. Here are a couple of things from TalkLeft that you shouldn’t miss.
“bullet” TalkLeft has the info on a Denver Post series on the drug war. Most notable is this incredible piece by Robert Hardaway. If you haven’t read it yet, please do so.
“bullet” TalkLeft also has the story of a 96 year-old woman arrested for cocaine possession and a million dollars worth of drugs missing from a Florida Police evidence room, plus a crime lab scandal in Washington State.
Stuff to do on Tuesday, March 16 in Illinois

1. Vote. See my endorsements for guidance.
2. Don’t let the Drug Czar get away with lies. Keep him honest by stopping by the summit at Radisson Hotel in Schaumburg, 1725 Algonquin Road (9 am to 5 pm)

After the incredibly blatant statement by the General Accounting Office that the Drug Czar’s Office was allowed, nay encouraged, to lie (not that we were surprised by the lying part, just the willingness of the GAO to shrug their shoulders over it), I decided that maybe we could use this to our advantage.
So I started with the Associated Press:

Dear Editor:

I wanted to alert you to the recent United States General Accounting Office response to a complaint about the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and their use of false and misleading information.

The complaint from U.S. Representative Ron Paul:
http://www.mpp.org/WarOnDrugCzar/complaints/gao_complaint.html

And the GAO response:
http://www.mpp.org/pdf/GAO_response_0304.pdf

That response included in part:

“Even though the statements may have been controversial, they were made within the context of ONDCP’s statutory responsibilities, which include taking such actions as necessary to oppose efforts to legalize certain controlled substances such as marijuana…

“The Deputy Director’s statements about marijuana are thus within the statutory role assigned to ONDCP. Given this role, we do not see a need to examine the accuracy of the Deputy Director’s individual statements in detail.”

The GAO has specifically noted that the ONDCP is not only allowed to provide misleading or false information but is in fact practically required to do so in order to achieve its mandate.

This philosophy is contrary to the AP Code of Ethics, which includes, in part:

“The good newspaper is fair, accurate, honest, responsible, independent and decent. Truth is its guiding principle.

“It avoids practices that would conflict with the ability to report and present news in a fair, accurate and unbiased manner…

“The newspaper should guard against inaccuracies, carelessness, bias or distortion through emphasis, omission or technological manipulation.”

Given this conflict between the ONDCP mandate and the AP Code of Ethics, It would seem prudent that the AP pursue a policy of automatically requiring independent verification of any releases coming from the ONDCP, including statements by Director John Walters, and Deputy Directors Andrea Barthwell, Scott Burns, Barry D. Crane, and Mary Ann Solberg.

It is unfortunate that we have a government agency that apparently must provide false information in order to do its job. Fortunately, the AP is not required to disseminate it.

Sincerely,

Pete Guither

Feel free to copy the letter and send it to the media of your choice. Then, while you’re at it, go for the politicians:

Dear Senator …….. …………,

I want to alert you to the recent United States General Accounting Office
response to a complaint about the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP) and their use of false and misleading information.

The complaint from U.S. Representative Ron Paul:
http://www.mpp.org/WarOnDrugCzar/complaints/gao_complaint.html

And the GAO response:
http://www.mpp.org/pdf/GAO_response_0304.pdf

That response included in part:

“Even though the statements may have been controversial, they were made
within the context of ONDCP’s statutory responsibilities, which include
taking such actions as necessary to oppose efforts to legalize certain
controlled substances such as marijuana…

“The Deputy Director’s statements about marijuana are thus within the
statutory role assigned to ONDCP. Given this role, we do not see a need to
examine the accuracy of the Deputy Director’s individual statements in
detail.”

The GAO has specifically noted that the ONDCP is not only allowed to
provide misleading or false information but is in fact practically
required to do so in order to achieve its mandate.

It is extremely improper for tax money to be used to support an agency
whose purpose appears to be to give false information to the taxpayers.

Congress must step up and change this, either by eliminating the ONDCP, or
by changing the wording of its mandate to require that it provide accurate
information without an overriding agenda.

Sincerely,

Pete Guither

It’s easy and fun! Copy this letter and then put your zip code in the “Write to Congress” box on the left. Two minutes and you’re done.
If you enjoyed doing that, go to MAP and see what other letters you can write.

“Prohibition has never worked.”

I’ve promised this for some time, and I’m finally coming through with my endorsements for the primary, including President (ymy views there have been clear for a while), Senate, and a couple of smaller local races. So here goes.
President
Democrats:

Dennis Kucinich. Sure, John Kerry’s got the nomination. He even has all the delegates he needs right now, so a vote for Kerry in the primary is wasted. Every vote for Kucinich increases his voice for reform at the convention. Here’s my endorsement page.
I met Dennis tonight at Illinois State University (picture). Wonderful job. Vote for him.

Republicans:

Blake Ashby (write-in). Again, Bush has it wrapped up obviously, so send a message. Write in Blake’s name and shake things up a little.

U.S. Senate, Illinois
This has been an extremely disappointing nomination race to me. None of the candidates have excited me, and as far as I could see, their issue statements have been shallow and mostly scratching the surface. Nobody is addressing the drug war in any serious way. I’ve gathered some information over time on my Illinois Senate Candidates page.
I have not been able to identify any serious drug policy reform candidates in the bunch, so I’m afraid my meager and incomplete analysis is also based on surface. Eliminating ones like Ryan who have allied themselves with evil (William Bennett), and instead opting for candidates who have shown a prediliction for some kind of individual freedom (thereby making them, if not leaders, also not obstacles to drug policy reform).
Democrats:

Barack Obama. This is a tough one. He’s got some strikes against him, but also some positives.
Pros: He promotes biodiesel fuels and the use of renewable energy sources like biomass (while not specifically mentioning hemp, there’s a logical connection). He promises to “work to repeal provisions of the Patriot Act that strip us of our privacy and freedom without improving our security” and “oppose draconian extensions in the Patriot Act being considered by the Ashcroft Justice Department.” He promises to end racial profiling. As a young man, he used pot and cocaine, so he can relate to young people experimenting.
Cons: He was a chief sponsor of legislation banning ephedra. He doesn’t seem to have a clue about the problems in Columbia or the rest of Latin America (in his foreign policy section he lumped Latin America in with Asia and Africa!). Finally, I fear that instead of his youthful experimenting with drugs helping him, that he may lean over backward (like Clinton) to be “tough.”
What can I say? I’m not thrilled, but Obama is my choice.

Republicans:

John Borling. This is a real stretch for an endorsement, but on the front page of his website is:

John is a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. He believes: “We should be free to enjoy our freedoms as long as we don’t infringe on the like freedoms of others or endanger the public safety.” That maxim and the preamble to the Constitution provide guidance on the role of citizen and the government.

That sounds like a proper guideline for drug policy reform, and so Borling is my choice on the Republican side.

U.S. Congress, Illinois District 15
Democrats:

Vote David Gill over Ralph Langenheim Jr. Gill has personally stated to me that he supports medical marijuana and reform of drug laws. He’s also a nice guy. Give him your vote.

Republicans:

Tim Johnson is unchallenged and he has also come out in favor of medical marijuana.

McLean County State’s Attorney:
Republicans:

Sorry. Can’t help you here. Bill Yoder and Teena Griffin are both horrible choices. Each is trying to outdo the other in advertisements regarding their toughness on prosecuting drug crimes. I refuse to endorse either, and unfortunately the winner is likely to be running unopposed in the general election.

This, from the Drug Policy Alliance, has been posted elsewhere, but I felt it’s important enough to present it in full here as well.

Drug Czar John Walters is at it again – traveling around the country on a taxpayer-funded drug war myths tour – but this time we have his schedule!!
Walters and the White House usually keep his schedule a secret until the last minute because they fear that drug policy reformers like you will challenge his drug war lies. This time around we can plan ahead and pressure him to answer the real questions! We know exactly where he will talk and what topic he will address – the Bush administration’s plans to take away parents’ rights to decide how best to keep their kids safe. Let’s say no to student drug testing!!!
Chicago, IL, March 16, 2004. 9am-5pm
(Radisson Hotel Schaumburg, 1725 Algonquin Road)
Fresno, CA, March 18, 2004. 9am-5pm
(Fresno Convention Center, 848 M Street)
Atlanta, GA, March 25, 2004. 9am-5pm
(Holiday Inn, 450 Capitol Avenue)
Denver, CO, April 8, 2004. 9am-5pm
(Executive Tower Hotel, 1405 Curtis Street)

You can RSVP for the summits here. You can also check their online tool kit for ways to help end student drug testing.
This is a great opportunity to confront the Drug Czar’s lies and propaganda, or just to let the press and others attending know that there’s another side to this story.

Via Cannabis News we learn that the General Accounting Office has given federal approval to the Drug Czar to lie to us (not that he needed it before).
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) complained to the United States General Accounting Office (GAO) back in April of last year about misleading statements used by the Drug Czar’s office (specifically this Scott Burns material) in order to lobby against drug reform efforts.
This week, the GAO responded (pdf). Their response includes the following:

Even though the statements may have been controversial, they were made within the context of ONDCP’s statutory responsibilities, which include taking such actions as necessary to oppose efforts to legalize certain controlled substances such as marijuana…
The Deputy Director’s statements about marijuana are thus within the statutory role assigned to ONDCP. Given this role, we do not see a need to examine the accuracy of the Deputy Director’s individual statements in detail.

So, in other words, since the mandate of the ONDCP includes doing whatever is necessary to oppose legalization, that automatically includes lying.
This makes it clear that the ONDCP must be completely abolished, or at minimum, have a congressionally mandated change in its mission.
Somewhat ironic that on the top of the GAO letterhead containing this statement are the words: “Accountability * Integrity * Reliability”
Right.

Loyal reader Scott has been keeping me informed about the activity at the John Kerry forum. Although registered, I haven’t had time to visit there much recently.
However, there is a strong and active drug policy debate going on there that has expanded into five topics already. Go over, check them out and participate!

• Marijuana Decriminalization
• Medical Marijuana and States Rights. Where does Kerry stand?
• Agricultural Hemp
• War on Illicit Drugs, Terrorism, Crime and Solutions
• Should drugs be legal? What does Kerry think?

While I was gone, LastOneSpeaks had outstanding coverage of the major drug war reform news, including the following highlights:
“bullet” Students Speak, DEA Sneaks Away, showing once again that drug warriors are terrified to debate honestly, because their “facts” just… aren’t.
“bullet” Deep in the Heart of Texas. I’ve talked a bit about the tragedy in Tulia that ended up with the pardons of 35 people who had been railroaded in a gross miscarriage of justice. A $5 million settlement and the dismantling of the drug task force is a step in the right direction.
My favorite quote on this is from Vanita Gupta, an attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund:

“It’s not simply that Tom Coleman was a rogue officer,” she said. “The city
of Amarillo has recognized that federally funded task forces are
ineffective tools of law enforcement and they operate as rogue task forces
because they are unaccountable to any oversight mechanism.”

That’s one to remember.
“bullet” Have Drug Czar – Will Travel for Prohibition. LastOneSpeaks notes that the Drug Czar is continuing to tell his lies in Nevada in an attempt to influence the election process there.
“bullet” Double Jeopardy. Saturday’s New York Times article A Student Aid Ban for Past Drug Use Is Creating a Furor by Greg Winter is an excellent article about the horrible HEA provision that denies education to students who aren’t rich and have been caught with marijuana (while not penalizing rapists or murderers).
Nick Gillespie at Hit and Run has the best take on it:

“It is absurd on the face of it,” says Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.). He knows what he’s talking about: He wrote the goddamned law, which was passed in 1998. “I am an evangelic Christian who believes in repentace,” he says, “so why would I have supported that?…Why would any of us in Congress?”

Souder’s subsequent Damscus Road experience aside, the short answer to his question is: Because Congress is filled with jackasses.

We need to push for complete repeal of the provision, not just a modification.

New York was a blast, and there was no time for posting to the blog this past week. We played four-square on the Brooklyn Bridge at 3 in the morning, had incredible bagels at Bagels on the Square, sushi at Japonica, egg drop and wonton soup at Wo Hop, dogs at Gray’s Papaya, tiramisu with espresso and sambuca at Ferrara’s and a whole lot more. We saw amazing shows: Wicked, Aunt Dan and Lemon, BodyVox, I Am My Own Wife, and Avenue Q. And, of course, we walked all over the city. Some random pictures of our experiences are here.
I would have liked to check out The Marijuana-Logues. Unfortunately previews start at the end of this week and it opens end of March, so I didn’t get to see it — perhaps it will still be open in June when I return.
I’d like to say Hello to Will and his friends — one moment during the week when I got to have some stimulating discussions about the drug war. Amazing who you can meet in the subway. Also Hello to Deidre. Thanks for the note. I would love to catch up with you sometime, but it appeared this week was not the time.

I’m leaving now for a full week. I’m taking 23 theatre students to New York City for a week of Broadway, off-Broadway and dance productions, plus walking tours all over the city and opportunities to meet graduate school program directors. As always, it’ll be great to be back in the NYC for great food and sights and favorite moments like sitting by “Imagine” in Strawberry Fields, 2 hot dogs and Papaya Recession Special, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge at night, WoHop in Chinatown and more.
I don’t think there will be wireless access in my hotel, but I’m sure I’ll find locations and I’ll be able to check my email, but I’m not sure how much (if any) posting I’ll be doing — even if I have easy access — my thoughts will be focused on enjoying (and helping 23 others enjoy) the city.
Here’s a couple of things coming up to watch for:
What Would God Smoke – A live audio chat on Wednesday, March 10 at 3 pm Eastern with Ethan Nadelmann and renowned thinker, writer and spiritual pioneer Ram Dass.
Dennis Kucinich appearance – For those in my local area, Drug WarRant endorsed Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich will be at Illinois State University on Sunday, March 14 at 8 pm. I’m still supporting Dennis for the nomination because of the hope that he will bring drug policy reform to the Democratic convention and/or platform. If you’re in the area, stop by.
Sites to visit – As always, check out some of the links on the left while I’m gone. Particularly LastOneSpeaks, and TalkLeft. Hit and Run often has some good stuff and you can always get good information at MAP, Cannabis News, Drug Policy Alliance and others there.