cannabisnews.com: Panel Asks Metro To Cut Free Public Ads





Panel Asks Metro To Cut Free Public Ads
Posted by CN Staff on October 30, 2003 at 22:45:30 PT
Metro News
Source: Washington Times 
A Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority subcommittee endorsed a plan yesterday to eliminate free public service announcements, except for those sponsored by the federal or local governments.   Metro officials said money woes are forcing them to cut their ad budget and that the plan is not in response to complaints about recent public service ads — one suggesting marijuana is good for sex and the other promising to make a homosexual man straight.
Metro says it needs at least $516 million to repair or replace assets and an additional $946 million for new trains, buses and improvements to help it respond and recover during regional emergencies.   The Washington Times reported the "Legalize and Tax Marijuana" ad drew the ire of D.C. Council member Jim Graham, chairman of Metro's Board of Directors.   "I was very upset to see Metro [posting] ads about marijuana and sex," said Mr. Graham, Ward 1 Democrat. "We have a responsibility to the public in advertising to be truthful."   One poster shows a young couple in a romantic embrace and urges, "Enjoy Better Sex!" Two other ads ask commuters to "Save Our Taxes!" and "Protect Our Children!" by legalizing and taxing marijuana.   The ads also upset Rep. Mark Souder, Indiana Republican.   "I was flabbergasted," Mr. Souder said in a letter to Richard A. White, Metro's chief executive officer. "Drug use and pregnancy are two of the strongest things that prevent young people from finishing school and becoming successful. At a time when the District of Columbia is suffering from the dual epidemics of substance abuse and sexually transmitted disease, we were shocked to learn that Metro is posting advertisements encouraging illegal drug abuse and risky sexual activity."   More than 10 percent of the District's 572,000 residents are addicted to illicit drugs or alcohol, according to a recent study by Mayor Anthony A. Williams' office. The District has the highest rate of new AIDS cases per capita in the nation and ranks near the top in infection rates of other sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, according to the city's health department.   The ads, place by the Massachusetts-based nonprofit Change the Climate, appeared on the exteriors of 50 Metro buses and inside 150 others. They also were posted at 10 subway stations.   The nonprofit group has said it wants to promote discussion about drug laws but does not advocate marijuana use. This is the group's third ad campaign in the metropolitan area since 2001.   Thirteen percent of Metro's ad space goes to public service announcements. However that amount could be cut to about 5 percent if the proposal made yesterday by the Metro's Operations Committee is approved by the agency's 12-member board.   Metro's existing policy states at least 10 percent of its advertising space must be reserved for nonprofit groups. Two years ago, agency officials rejected Change the Climate's ad campaign but reversed the decision after the American Civil Liberties Union took up the group's cause, citing the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech. • This article is based in part on wire service reports.   Source: Washington Times (DC)Published: October 30, 2003Copyright: 2003 News World Communications, Inc. Website: http://www.washtimes.com/Contact: letters washingtontimes.comRelated Articles & Web Sites:ACLUhttp://www.aclu.org/Change The Climatehttp://www.changetheclimate.orgLawmaker Shocked at Metro Role in Marijuana Adhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17661.shtmlScrap The Pot and Sex Adshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17468.shtmlPro-Pot Ads To Be Posted at 10 Metro Stationshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17456.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by John Tyler on November 01, 2003 at 07:07:45 PT
For what it's worth.
There was an interesting program on PBS the other night about a colony of Vikings on Greenland that disappeared in the 16th century. They had been there for many centuries. When the colony was established the climate was unusually mild. Over the centuries the climate got colder to the point where agriculture was very difficult and no longer sustainable. A very strict conservative Medieval Church ruled the colony. So, rather than adapt to the colder climate and survive like the Native Inuit population they chose to cling to their old way of life of farming and raising cattle and they all perished.
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Comment #8 posted by gloovins on October 31, 2003 at 14:32:51 PT
The obvious choice 
For Souder H'ween costume would be A) a bright white sheet (c'mon, he's a ghost!? what were you thinking?? ;)) B) a bright neon green Cannabis leaf (see that's scary and evil in Souder Kountry)Seriously folks, I implore you to check all your kids candy and stuff for mold, scissors and nuclear WMD. Also, remember, Nestle should not be bought for they support PDFA and are on their boycott list.Oh yeah, and so is Microsoft.I think I'll go drink some Draino now, on the rocks of course.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on October 31, 2003 at 12:07:00 PT
Happy Halloween
BOO! Did I scare ya? LOL! I don't watch scary movies but I'm planning on finding one to watch tonight. It's a day that I eat way too much candy! Have a safe and fun Halloween everyone!
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Comment #6 posted by i420 on October 31, 2003 at 12:00:17 PT
Gloovins
Halloween may have started as you say but it has become a fun tradition for kids and adults alike. It is the only holiday that you can dress up as whatever you want be it funny scary or whatever. Who cares what it was just enjoy what it is now. Lets all have some real fun and dress up as Mark Souder and tp John Walter's house!! 
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Comment #5 posted by Adam1 on October 31, 2003 at 07:01:59 PT:
Amen my Brothers
Can I have an Amen for Puritan fascists such as Mark Sauder and Jim Graham?.... These holy warriors and the burdens they carry are doing everything possible to "protect" us from the evils of....well, apparently thought and speech which do not necessarily reflect their own godly agenda. You don't really think that our forefathers intended the constitution to protect the free speech of hoodlums like Change The Climate and the rest of us, er, their supporters, do you? Has my sarcasm become apparent yet? Please be sure to click on Washington Times email link and write them a little letter expressing your views. It's likely that none will be published anytime soon, but it'll atleast give them an idea of who their audience includes. Perhaps in time they'll realize: We are everywhere!!!
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Comment #4 posted by goneposthole on October 31, 2003 at 06:02:17 PT
be sure to vote
for Mark Souder and return him to Congress. All of you Republican voters in Mr. Souder's Indiana congressional district, please be sure to vote for Congressman Souder. He represents you. Such a wise old owl, Mr. Souder is. He would never indulge in risky behavior and have sex, but he doesn't mind sexing up his message. Such a great thinker, Mr. Souder is. His moral clarity is equal to and more than likely surpasses Bill Bennett's. I'll bet he writes letters to Rush to tell him to hang in there. Mr. Souder will never stumble and fall from grace, he is perfect; free of sin and transgression. A walking talking child of God we should all aspire to become. "... oh so good, oh so fine, and oh so healthy in his body and his mind. He's a well respected man, now, doing the best things so conservatively."-The KinksWhat more could we ask for? Long live Mark Souderyeah, right
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on October 31, 2003 at 05:52:14 PT
Puritans still running amok
Souder & company don't want a society where you walk around and see all different kinds of people, different viewpoints & opinions.They want a pure society, with only ONE viewpoint needed. All you need to think about is is buying a bunch of crap, therefore, you need to work as hard as possible, thus ensuring the cash flow to the rich elite. It's ironic that Souder is probably one of the THE most responsible people in the world for the current situation of drugs & disease in Washington. He's perpetuated the WOD more than anyone in recent years. Reap what you sow, pal. He should have to move into a crackhouse & live there for a year.Last note - How come we don't hear anythign from Souder on Britney Spears, or Chritina Aguilera? I guess it's OK when big entertainment corporations brainwash little girls into whores. But God help you if you try to enjoy a little herb that grows out of the ground.
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Comment #2 posted by gloovins on October 31, 2003 at 05:15:49 PT
Please. H'ween is evil people, listen to Kenneth C
What About Halloween?In order to understand Halloween, it is important to understand the history of this fall holiday. Halloween, which directly stems from Irish, Scottish, Welsh and British folk customs, was celebrated as the Druids' autumn festival. The Druids were an order of priests who worshiped nature. They were accomplished magicians and wizards at the height of their influence some 200 years before the birth of Jesus.This holiday was originally celebrated to honor Samhain, lord of the dead, on October 31 (the end of the summer). The Druids believed that on this date, Samhain called all the wicked souls that had been condemned within the last year to live in animal bodies. He was believed to have released them in the form of spirits, ghosts, fairies, witches and elves.According to Druidic tradition, these souls of the dead roamed the city on Halloween night and returned to haunt the homes where they once lived. The only way the current occupants of the house could free themselves from being haunted was to lay out food and give shelter to the spirit during the night. If they didn't, the spirit would cast a spell on them. That is where the phrase "trick or treat" comes from: They would be tricked if they didn't lay out a treat.The jack-o'-lantern was also a part of this belief system. The carved pumpkin symbolized a damned soul named Jack. According to the tale, Jack was not allowed into heaven or hell. So, he wandered around in the darkness with his lantern until Judgment Day. Fearful people hollowed out turnips (and later pumpkins in the United States), carved an evil face on them, and a lit candle inside to scare him and other evil spirits away.The Druids had other outlandish beliefs which have since turned into tradition. For example, they were afraid of black cats because they believed that when a person committed evil, he would be turned into a cat. Cats were thus considered to be evil. To scare them away, the Druids decorated their homes with witches, ghosts and the like. They also decorated with cornstalks, pumpkins and other goods in offering of thanks and praise to their false gods.In addition to being Halloween, October 31 was also the New Year's Eve of the Celts and Anglo-Saxons. To celebrate, they built huge bonfires on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits, and often offered their crops and animals to them as a sacrifice - sometimes they even offered themselves or others.The Romans began the conquest of the Celts around A.D. 43 and ruled much of what is now the United Kingdom for about 400 hundred years. During this period, two Roman autumn festivals were combined with the Celtic festival of Samhain. One of them, called Feralia, was held in late October to honor the dead. The other festival honored Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The practice of bobbing for apples became associated with Halloween because of this festival.Some people have thought that Halloween's only significance was as the evening before All Saints' Day, a festival of the Catholic Church honoring all Christian saints. The Mass said on All Saints' Day was called Allhallowmas. The evening before became known as the Eve of All Saints, the Eve of All Hallows, All Hallows' Eve, or Hallow Even, which has given us the name Hallowe'en.Although All Saints' Day contributed to the naming of Halloween, All Saints' Day itself did not exist until A.D. 700 when it was instituted by Pope Boniface IV. Originally it was celebrated in the spring on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Its date was changed to November 1 by Pope Gregory III (reigned A.D. 731-741) in an attempt to add a Christian influence to the traditional pagan customs still being celebrated on October 31 by Celtic converts. When sending missionaries to convert native peoples, the Catholic Church encouraged the redefinition of local customs into Christian terms and concepts. Therefore, All Saints' Day and Halloween became unified, because of the same ties to reverencing the dead.The combination of these customs eventually became the traditional celebration we call Halloween. It is important for parents to consider these "harmless gestures of enjoyment" and the distorted images they make in a child's heart. We must realize Halloween is a holiday centered around fear and death.Modern day witches and wizards believe this night to be the most suitable night of the year for magic and demonic activity. In Deuteronomy 18:10-11, God forbids us to participate in any kind of occult practices or witchcraft. Further, in the New Testament, we are told to abstain from the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).As Christians, we should not celebrate Halloween, rather we should recognize October 31 as the day the Lord has made - a day we can rejoice in (Psalm 118:24). And we don't need to be fearful, for God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7).Parents should teach their children faith in God. Children can have just as much fun on a Halloween centered around the Word of God and family fellowship. Make a commitment today to give your children the Word of God instead of the fairy tales the world offers - it will help them grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).Here is a prayer of safety you can pray for your family on Halloween:Father, in the Name of Jesus, I thank You that You watch over Your Word to perform it. I thank You that my family and I dwell in the secret place of the Most High and that we remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty, Whose power no foe can withstand.Father, You are our refuge and our fortress. No evil shall befall us - no accident shall overtake us - nor any plague or calamity come near our home. You give Your angels special charge over each one of us, to accompany and defend and preserve us in all our ways of obedience and service. They are encamped around about us.God, if you exsist, can you please help this man...?Trick or treat ya'll --this is when time begins
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Comment #1 posted by TroutMask on October 30, 2003 at 22:53:58 PT
1984 all over again
That's right folks! Only government ads in public transportation from now on. This is double-plus-ungood!-TM
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