cannabisnews.com: Fair Deal for Noelle Bush 





Fair Deal for Noelle Bush 
Posted by CN Staff on October 22, 2002 at 12:36:56 PT
By Jesse Jackson
Source: Chicago Sun-Times 
Noelle Bush, the daughter of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, is in trouble. Last week, she was sentenced to 10 days in jail for violating a drug rehabilitation program. Workers at the treatment center allegedly found crack cocaine in the heel of her shoe.As a parent, my heart goes out to her and to her parents. I know that Gov. Bush would do anything to rid his daughter of the scourge of drugs. It must break his heart that her private agonies are played out in the glare of the national media.
At least he should take some measure of relief to know that she is getting the best treatment and tough but sensible judicial sentencing. Noelle is, in essence, a third-time offender.She was arrested in January on a felony charge for trying to use a phony prescription to get Xanax, a drug favored by cocaine users. The court enrolled her in a drug rehabilitation program as an alternative to prosecution for forgery. But in July, she was found with an unauthorized prescription drug. She was sentenced to jail for three days and returned to the program.Now on this third offense, this time with crack cocaine, the judge gave her 10 days in jail instead of charging her with a felony. He told her she was being given another chance.This treatment is surely measured. Drug rehabilitation, not felony prosecution. Punishment for backsliding, but not lengthy incarceration. Several chances to wrestle with those demons and find a way out, supported by family and friends. We pray that Noelle rids herself of her addictions and moves on to live a productive and joyous life.Some have suggested that the governor's daughter is receiving special treatment. No doubt she is. A judge, for example, ruled that her therapists could not be subpoenaed to testify about the alleged crack cocaine discovery, surely an unprecedented decision. But the point should not be that Noelle is treated worse--it is that her sentencing, which focuses on treatment and rehabilitation--should be accorded to everyone's child, not just to a few.And there is the problem. Gov. Bush, his brother, and Republicans and Democratic politicians alike have postured tough on the drug war. They've pushed ''three strikes and you're out'' laws, which put young people away for decades for three offenses, even if all of them are minor felonies for drug possession like those Noelle might have faced. Some have called for two strikes and out. Under those laws, Noelle would be facing 20 or 30 years in prison, with minimum sentencing rules outlawing early parole or probation.That clearly would be a huge miscarriage of justice in Noelle's case. What she needs is treatment, time to rehabilitate, love and understanding, and measured penalties if she backslides. But decades-long sentences for minor drug offenses are a huge miscarriage of justice when it happens to the sons and daughters of the poor as well as those of the powerful.Today, the United States has some 2 million people in jail or prison. The increase is due largely to the ''war on drugs,'' whose arsenal includes mandatory minimum sentencing and ''three strikes'' laws. Hundreds of thousands have been sentenced for decades for crimes not much worse than Noelle's. Their lives are tossed away. Their families' hopes dashed. Their youth taken from them.''Well, it's their own fault,'' politicians say. ''They are guilty of drug abuse.'' And so they are. Their addictions, their demons, drive them to break the law. But we can see in the case of Noelle that neither society nor the family nor the child would be well-served by facing decades in prison. Why can't we see that for the child of a poor family, as well?One reason is surely race. It isn't an accident that 70 percent of the imprisoned population is people of color. According to the Justice Policy Institute, African Americans represent 13 percent of regular drug users, compared with 74 percent for whites and 9 percent for Hispanics. Yet African Americans make up 35 percent of those arrested for drug possession, 55 percent of drug convictions, and 74 percent of those sentenced to prison for drug possession.We should all pray for Noelle and for her family. But let us pray for the poor child as well as the privileged, the unheralded as well as the famous. And let's start a movement to ensure that all receive the kind of sensible treatment now being accorded the daughter of Gov. Bush. The governor and his brother could do the nation a great favor by leading the way.Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL)Author: Jesse JacksonPublished: October 22, 2002Copyright: 2002 The Sun-Times Co.Contact: letters suntimes.comWebsite: http://www.suntimes.com/Related Articles:A Contemptible System http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14528.shtmlJudge Gives Noelle Bush 10-Day Sentencehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14475.shtmlA Crack House Divided - Arianna Huffingtonhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14127.shtml 
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Comment #11 posted by goneposthole on October 22, 2002 at 20:55:59 PT
Please be patient, relax
I have 'had it' for about 33 years now, and eventually this will all end.Fire one up and take it all in stride.You can have lobster tail, I want dungeoness crab.
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Comment #10 posted by John Tyler on October 22, 2002 at 20:35:10 PT
Author of the article
Jessie Jackson was the author of this article. Wow, that is the first time I have ever seen a mainstream "Civil Rights Leader" come out with an article against the WOD, even if it was weak. Where have these guys been for the last 30 years? Haven't they heard the jails are full of black folks doing long time on minor drug charges, and he's talking about Noelle getting 10 days for a 3rd offence. I have to stop this is crazy.
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Comment #9 posted by DANA on October 22, 2002 at 20:33:34 PT
....yes....
..The C-I-R-C-L-E....is a heavy cat!...I'm glad you finally "had it"!...SWAMPIE...is always heavy....good to see you.....................d
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Comment #8 posted by SWAMPIE on October 22, 2002 at 19:08:31 PT
...Noelle.....
  What does she get to eat?Is it "Turkey-Bologna" like all jails serve nowadays,or Lobster????What's on the "menu"???? SWAMPIE
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Comment #7 posted by mayan on October 22, 2002 at 18:33:55 PT
No,really... I swear I'm not a Bush!!!
DdC, I totally agree! I couldn't imagine living in that family. I surely wouldn't admit I was a Bush! I would seriously contemplate suicide.unrelated -9/11 Relatives Push for Commission: 
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=544&ncid=693&e=2&u=/ap/20021016/ap_on_go_pr_wh/attacks_intelligencePart three of the new video "Aftermath:Unanswered Questions from 9/11" has now been released: 
http://www.gnn.tv/after_math/index.htmlPaul Thompson's Complete 9/11 Timeline:
http://cooperativeresearch.org/completetimeline/The People's Investigation of 9/11:
http://www.911pi.com/Major Events on Saturday, October 26th! Protest the Crimes of the Government,the 9/11 Cover-up and the Imperial invasion of Iraq. WASHINGTON,D.C. and SAN FRANCISCO:
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/events.html
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Comment #6 posted by goneposthole on October 22, 2002 at 18:03:51 PT
What is Noelle's problem?
I found this fascinating website by typing 'cannabis and autism' at a search engine. It is for your perusal. It will be helpful.Rehabilitation may not be helpful for Noelle. Nutritional imbalances may have some influence on her plight.
http://www.talkinternational.com/issues_health_autism_guide_aug_03_01.htm
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on October 22, 2002 at 16:07:59 PT
p4me 
Thanks and am looking forward to seeing the pictures. 
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Comment #4 posted by DdC on October 22, 2002 at 15:29:16 PT
I Think Being Jebya's Daughter is Max Sentencing..
Can you imagine any member of that family not seeking some form of escape at the mere glimpse of the real Family History? Drugs or completely losing your own identity in some form of obedience to the great and powerful WoD...The young being more idealistic, seeing a light of truth that must sting the eyes of every one of the Bush Klan. Great grand pa the Nazi trader/traitor or grand pa C.I.A. fascist, trading crack for guns. Or Dadya and Unkle Dubya, lackeys to 41. Protecting family investments through legislation. The most black hearted reproductions in History. I know of no time when people were poisoned with chemicals, then sold treatments. Forced into war on neighbors using cannabis alternatives or war to protect crude oil investments. More than once, while the sheople graze on what's given them. Those questioning, forced Librium, Ritalin or Thorazine. Profiting on Perpetuating devastations in cleaning up and band aiding. Religious warts blaring trumpets of doom, aiding the Bushits, backing every move. Ashcraft, Walters and Pat Robberson. Fallswell and Billy Graham feeding the flames of Reefer Madness. Rumsfeld, Cheney tied in like a ribbon wrapped round a package sold by the media. Called prohibition. I won't lower myself to this scum by thinking Noelle should be treated the same as everyone else who is treated wrongly. She is speaking out, with dysfunctional actions, but nonetheless, still shining a light on one of the worst states abusing human rights on the planet. W Sr, and his three sons should live in a Florida prison "Hole" And not run a World Order more diabolically mean and ugly than even those in the past we thought could never happen again. Rape as a deterrent. Legal Witch hunts and Kangeroo Kourts. Lynching the Outspoken or Firing Squads of D.E.A.th at Rainbow Farm. Incarcerating Liberty who's in violation of the WoD. Torturing the environment for abusing Korpses profits. Bushit solved the problem of the Gas Chambers by investing in prison slave labor. Prison construction & Supply. Cannabis Competition ie; Petro Pharmaceuticals. With Congress and the Supremacy in his pocket and the Senate afraid to enter reality. Biggest copshop budget yet. It is happening here. It's just not broadcast by Fauxnewts. First they came for the potheads, then the governors daughter, then the beer drinkers, then the writers. Mandatory Pisstest, tattooed social security, run your palm through here to enter. Separated by education, who gets in is who obeys. Questioning types sent to labor or 3 strikes and the cages. Prisons and Police cleaning up the streets. A world for the elites. Cause we don't want to hurt any bodies feelings. We'll poison the air with our SUV's out of pride and in spite of ourselves keep on fighting this WoD if only just for the hell of it. While Bush rakes in fortunes we sit by worrying. Obediently hitting the Malls, waving our Iraqi crude oil plastic banners from our antennas. Sending checks to Sally Struthers feeding those who can't eat the nutritious hemp seed thats illegal. Cause the D.E.A.th needs to Justify expenses. Aborting right wing Christian babies in the process of eradicating pheasant habitat. To raise statistics.Wearing cotton or polyfiber supports incentives providing turf for terrorist to grow, most just fed up with Unkle Scams interventions. Manipulating governments? The very same I.G. Farbins? How can anyone pretend its not, let alone participate? Those are clearly blinded by their own greed or self importance. To lie to a kid who knows your lying to them. Only reinforces their belief that adults are bonkers. DARE's attempt at the impossible goal of zero tolerance is insanity making money. But still insanity. Those profiting on the war on cannabis won't profit if they win. No self respecting Despot wants to win, if they're profiting on the war, the war must go on. And on and on and on and if a fluke happens like the Berlin Wall coming down, stealing profits from Bush and Rayguns. Another must by substituted. When we allow fiction writers like Bennett and Walters to start governing and enforcing laws designed to profit a minority of International Corporations, at the expense of the majority of citizens. We are participating in Fascism. When the individual can not grow a business, and is forced under the control of a corporate position. Then the United States will be dead. Even dying has become a product of a corporate business with incentives thrown on the dying to leave their homes and possessions and enter a warehouse. Tax paid. Sick sick sick. Its a Damned League of D.E.A.th and I personally feel it is better to die standing than to live on my knees. Enough war. The victims must unite. Enough!Peace, Love and Liberty or the Ugly D.E.A.th upon us!DdC"Certain American industrialists had a great deal to do with bringing fascist regimes into being in both Germany and Italy. They extended aid to help Fascism occupy the seat of power, and they are helping to keep it there." - William E. Dodd, U.S. Ambassador to Germany, 1937. Continued... http://www.sumeria.net/politics/shadv3.htmlD.E.A.th Deceptions
http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/ddc/DEAth.htmlU.S.Al Qaeda!
http://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/39/39670.gifThugczar Wally
http://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/35/35838.gif
We reap what we sow...
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Comment #3 posted by p4me on October 22, 2002 at 14:43:11 PT
Stuff
Let me say that I am very pleased with the outcome of Steve Tuck's day in in court. With one injustice after another injustice here in the Federally Dictated States people have lost their sensensitivity to the situation that robs people of their property, freedom, and good name before the law to promote the financial interest of the money gifted. I am extremely happy that Steve has informed us of his continuing saga, because without his direct contribution we would not see what his story has illuminated.I think the big story of the day is that 10 newspapers have changed their story from Iraq kicked out the weapons inspectors to the original stories that said that the UN called the inspectors out. Look how long they got away with that lie before forced to admit the reality of it all. The story is linked at Cursor.org: http://www.fair.org/extra/0210/inspectors.htmlI have emailed 8 or 10 people that have contributed articles on the internet about the importance of re-establishing the Majority Rule to our elections. One guy was a guest journalist that submitted the last YellowTimes article I put up, yesterday. He said I should just right my own article and submit it. I say this for the benefit of people like Doc Zombie that may want to compose something and submit it. YellowTimes only puts up two or three articles a day and if a submission is well-composed I could see how they would publish it. YellowTimes is all about giving an outlet to things suppressed by the propaganda powerhouses that present a brainwashed reality.Now, here is a request for people that contribute comments and especially for those that have waited for an opportunity to contribute. Could you call your Board of Elections Office and ask if it takes a majority of voters to elect a candidate to the US House or US Congress? Or if you know where that information can be found please make that information available to us with your comment to Cnews. In rememberence of Paul Peterson, "That's an order."In the community v cannabis column, I would like to tell FoM that I will try to put some pictures up on the net of the National Rottweiller Show from this last weekend. There are really two different shows like in WNBA and the NBA. There was an Australian judge that did the females and I think the judge that did the males was born in Ireland. Austrian and German are different but similar languages and when the judge could not communicate in English he would talk to the German next to me and she would tell him the English word. It made me think what a county fair was like a hundred years ago when a large proportion of the country spoke German.On the voting situation, they always say it was one vote that kept Andrew Johnson in office during his impeachment and one vote chose English over German as the national language.My friend's dog's finished second and third in the female division. Last year's champion, Molly, finished third and the 4th place dog and highest placed non- Dutch dog at this year's World Show in Amsterdam, Lena, finished second. There was a procedural scandal and when the winner was announced only two people applauded. Molly finished first in the Northeast championship in Pennsylvania last month and I believe the winner was there, although I could be wrong. Lena won this years Southeast Show. I do not think that the winner even won one of the two remaining regional shows. My friend was devastated by the ruling that robbed him of a one-two finish. It was a political decision that ruled the day and everyone knew it. Most of these breeders know each other very well and they all know Rottweilers. 1 
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Comment #2 posted by The C-I-R-C-L-E on October 22, 2002 at 13:02:15 PT
Alright, this is too much...
I've had it.I've read enough of how this person demonstrates the unfairness and shame that besmirches our system of treating drug addicts. (wow, I never use that word in a sentence: "besmirches") Repeatedly, each article says "She gets special treatment. But it's not that we want her to be treated like others, it's that others should be treated like her."That's very nice of you to say, but it does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Does anyone really think that by having newspapers say "It's okay that they're treating your family member with kid gloves Mr. Bush. Just do the same for others, purty please." Will anyone learn anything? Will a single sentence now be changed?Our future has been held hostage by the rampant and discriminatory incarceration of millions of our fellow children and adults. It is time for the Bush family to have their family member "held hostage" by the prison industry (notice the parenthesis, all you trigger-happy agents of corruption) using the process they have implemented, until we are all free. She deserves a three strikes sentence. As so many are routinely used to be made an example of, now is the time to make an example of this hypocrisy. Jail her for 20 years with no parole. How fast might we see change?The journalists are living in the future where all the people get treated like Miss Bush, while the rest of us live in the present and tens of thousands are stuck in the past, lives snuffed out by prison.As everyone goes about their daily tasks today and enjoys the freedom to go the store and buy a sodee-pop, remember all those staring at a wall day after day after day after day...this article does not help and sheds no new light. We already know the people in power are running a scam on crime and punishment. So what else is new?  They deserve no less than the punishment they have mandated be meted out. This "urinates" me off, sorry...
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Comment #1 posted by p4me on October 22, 2002 at 12:50:03 PT
My view is this
I am all for the author's call for reform. I am for putting Bush's daughter in jail and giving the next person a break. Don't start the soft stuff with the Governor's precious flower. Start with the next one. 1
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