No, I have no idea who this guy is and don't plan on researching his political past. Just thought it kind of funny. Happy Easter, Lynn

John
Fugelsang

I was watching Fox News the other night (because I'm a thinker) when
I came across a commercial for the drug war. Perhaps you've seen it.
It's the one that says "If you buy drugs, even pot, your money may go
to fund terrorists.

Now this was really an eye opener for me.

I grew up in America's public schools, with all the traditional
fear-mongering propaganda about Pot. You know what I'm talking about -
all the horror stories they feed you about the evil things pot will do
to your brain? I can't recall any of it right now, but you get the
idea.

They always told us "Pot makes you violent. And Lazy." Which never
scared any kids I knew. I always thought if the violent people were
lazy, we'd have a lot less crime. Imagine the thug who threatens, "I'm
gonna kill you, man. Right after this burrito."

And this is why so many kids have a hard time taking the drug war
seriously. We're always changing the reasons, but the message stays
the same. We keep telling them "drugs are bad! Drugs are bad! Drugs
are bad!" and that, my friends, is not the problem.

The problem is not that drugs are bad. The problem is that drugs are
great. That's the problem.

Addiction is bad. Overdosing is bad. Making stupid choices when
you're high is bad, and all you potheads who paid to see "I Robot"
know what I'm talking about.

But now the White House is saying that if you buy pot, your money
will go to terrorists. Clearly, the message George Bush is sending?
Grow your own.

I actually find it funny that the government is now actively linking
the war on drugs to the current war on terror. You see, the Drug War
as we know it began in that bastion of morality, San Francisco, back
in 1873.

Back then, Chinese immigrants were the group everybody was allowed to
hate, and people really didn't like the thought of good Christian
folks going to smoke in the opium dens of "the heathen Chinese." .
White people took opium too, but they usually ate it, or shot it up.
You know, the wholesome way.

So they passed a law taxing imported smokable opium. This is
noteworthy, since besides the obvious racism, it was the first time
the government used taxes not to raise money (as the founders
intended), but to punish and control private behavior. Thus began a
long tradition of drug laws that work about as well as British
toothpaste.

The well regulated, law abiding opium houses shut down, the Chinese
underworld grew stronger: violence erupted; lives disrupted; police
and politicians corrupted; America interrupted.

So it's extra ironic they'd link the drug war to the terror war.
Because now that the Taliban is out of power, people can finally get
decent opium again.

The Drug war's been around so long it seems like it's part of our
heritage. But cannabis hemp was a major American crop from the
earliest colonial days. The US census of 1850 counted 8000 hemp
plantations.

I'm going to repeat that, because I think it's worth noting. The 1850
US Census counted 8000 cannabis hemp plantations. Growing cannabis was
as American as apple pie. And everyone knew that if you smoked the
flowery top of the plant, you'd want to eat a lot of apple pies. But
it was never a concern. Then, as now, the biggest drug problem was
alcohol.

When the government made Marijuana illegal in 1937, the American
Medical Association officially protested. Because for hundreds of
years, it's medicinal and industrial uses were well documented.

Washington grew hemp at Mount Vernon. Thomas Jefferson grew it at
Monticello, and actually helped smuggle rare hemp seeds out of China.
Nowadays, they'd go to jail for it. That is, if we ever started
locking up the rich white guys

Benjamin Franklin started a colonial paper mill that made paper from
hemp fiber. I'm not suggesting Ben ever smoked any - I'm sure lots of
sober guys fly kites during thunderstorms.

And since it's April, it's worth mentioning that from the 1600s to
the 1800s, cannabis hemp was used as a currency - legal tender. In
fact for over 200 years you could pay your taxes in cannabis hemp. So
next April 15th, try to send the IRS a few loose marijuana cigarettes.
I'm sure they'll appreciate your knowledge of our history, and you can
even file it as a "joint return."

The point is, Cannabis has been in America for hundreds of years -
even longer than white people. But it's only been illegal for the past
70. So technically, decriminalizing it is the true Conservative point
of view...

And it's the issue of medical marijuana that makes this a moral
battle. I grew up in a Catholic family. An extremely Catholic family.
We used to have open casket reunions. Now I'm not anti-Christian at
all. My Mother is an ex-nun and my Father an ex-Franciscan brother. I
just view Jesus the way I view Elvis. I love the guy, but some of the
fan clubs scare me.

Because what I learned from the bible as a child was that Jesus was a
radical nonviolent revolutionary; a man who hung around with lepers,
hookers and crooks; who never spoke English and wasn't an American
citizen; was anti-death penalty, anti-capitalist, anti public prayer
(Matthew 6:5, please remind them) but Never anti gay; and was a long
haired, brown skinned (yes, it's in there), homeless, middle eastern
Jew. And all he wants us to do is love people - especially the people
we don't like.

So I have a hard time believing that JC would advocate locking up
sick people.

In 1996 the voters of California approved a medical marijuana
proposal. The Clinton White House promptly put the kibosh on it.
George W. Bush is also opposed to medical marijuana. Now both of these
presidents have been vague, at best, about their drug histories. But
they've had no problem locking up others for the same behaviors. Which
I take as a sign that neither of them truly believes in the drug war.

Because if they really felt at their core that illegal drug use was
evil, they'd confess their crimes and ask forgiveness. Remember - if
they thought it was a sin, they'd turn themselves in. Imagine Johnnie
Cochran saying it - it'll sound better.

I'm not saying that these two presidents are evil men. It's just part
of why the drug war makes no sense. It's a thousand piece jigsaw
puzzle where the pieces don't fit - and it's never going to look like
what they promised you on the box..

The drug war violates civil liberties, privacy rights, rights against
search and seizure. It's led to out of control crime, corrupted law
enforcement & business officials, and shown that the wealthy can get
away with what the poor cannot - in short, it makes a mockery of any
claim to be a free country.

The war on drugs is a war on Americans. It's not even about race
anymore , but class - and the only color that matters is lack of green.

But we can't stop? You know why? We as a nation, a people, a tribe,
are hooked.

Like Caffeine, Oxycontin, fructose or Vicodin - we are addicted to
the drug war.

We know it doesn't work - we can't stop.

We know it's too expensive and we can't afford it - we can't stop.

We know there are a million people in prison and every year we pay 40
grand apiece to keep them in jail; when they could be out working,
paying taxes and contributing to the economy - but we cannot stop.

There are two types of people who keep repeating the same behaviors
over and over, always expecting different outcome. Addicts, and crazy
people.

So we'd better hope we're addicts. Because I don't' want to believe
the country I love is this insane. And the good news is this : if we
are addicted, we can get treatment.

I've had the pleasure of being on 2 different episodes of Politically
InCorrect with Arianna Huffington, and to me she's a shining example
of how an opened heart and an opened mind can enrich any community. My
respect goes out to everyone intervening to help America break this
ill-natured addiction.

Thank you all for doing the Lord's work.