cannabisnews.com: It Takes a Hurricane 





It Takes a Hurricane 
Posted by CN Staff on September 21, 2004 at 20:47:05 PT
By Colin Kingsbury
Source: Boston Weekly Dig 
The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition (MASSCANN) had high hopes for the 15th annual Boston Freedom Rally held last Saturday on the Common, but thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Ivan, much of it went up in smoke. After several years of rallies that drew crowds well into the tens of thousands (at least several hundred of which were not carrying badges), God's avenging wrath descended upon the city like Robert De Niro's character in Taxi Driver who grumbled, “Some day a real rain's gonna come and wash all the scum off the sidewalk.”
Returning every September with the seasonal migration of college students, the Freedom Rally is one of those events that reliably produces more stupidity per square foot than a crate of whip-its in a freshman dorm. It's like a gay rights parade that starts out with everyday-looking folk in jeans and T-shirts who make families standing on the sidewalk think, “OK, this is pretty reasonable” and ends with Mom dumping out the groceries, so she can put the bags over the kids' heads as Big John's Leather Circus-a-Go-Go float passes by. I've long favored complete marijuana legalization, but every time the Freedom Rally rolls into town, I find myself getting an attack of the Ashcrofts.That aside, it's obvious to anyone with a functioning central nervous system that the only thing even the most radically stoned person poses a threat to is the Drake's cakes shelf at the local Store 24. As for the threat they pose to themselves, I'd be hypocritical if I claimed to care: I'm in favor of gun ownership, and plenty of gun owners have blown holes in their heads while cleaning their shootin' irons. The Freedom Rally always makes a point of touting the highbrow cause of medical marijuana - and perhaps the weed can, as some supporters allege, go as far as reversing certain types of cancer. But it's clear that the only disease the black-clad and tie-dyed alterna-kiddies who invariably dominate the crowd are hoping to cure is the ennui of upper-middle class life. Naturally, one of the best reasons to legalize pot is precisely to make it harder for the sullen little brats to buy it. As one matures, substances like pot and dry gin martinis become necessary to temporarily dispel the tragic fog of adult life and let us luxuriate in the liberty of youth again for a few hazy hours. But the average 16-year-old boy needs a chemical stupidity supplement about as badly as he needs Viagra. Let him sniff glue, I say.But back to this year's main event. By the time I arrived on the scene mid-afternoon, the main concert area had been abandoned to the deluge. What remained of the event were a few hundred people huddled under a set of makeshift tents. It would've been tempting to call it a bust, but in fact, it was anything but.As it turned out, the city's finest was the dog that didn't bark this year. Taking the stage after some generic hippie band finished its set and the great green hour drew near, co-organizer Keith Saunders rhetorically asked the crowd, “What time is it?” Proving once again that Bostonians are complete nerds, the crowd shouted back, “4:17!” “4:17?” Saunders asked, sounding like an evening talk-show host whose main celebrity guest failed to stick the landing on her big laugh line. “Actually, I think it's been 4:20 in this tent all day long.”When the countdown finally hit the real 4:20, Saunders counseled the huddled mass to “enjoy it while you can, because this probably isn't going to happen for very long.” Outside the tent, colorfully decked-out High Times contributor and veteran marijuana activist “Captain Joint” said, “This year, I've seen more people smoking pot under that tent, with just the few people that are here, than I've seen with fifty to a hundred thousand people in this park, because usually you've got cops and rangers going all through the crowd watching everybody.” For whatever reason, the usual contingent of law enforcement bailed earlier in the day - either to pursue gang members or a hot cup of joe. Either way, it was probably the only moment the Freedom Rally actually lived up to its name.And for this crowd, the whole subversion-of-authority thing is obviously a big part of pot's allure. For the same reason one doesn't see too many drag queens running around in Scottish kilts, many of today's smokers will rue the day Robust Jamaica Bold shows up on the menu at Starbucks. It's just no fun when society says OK.And what, precisely, is holding back that dreaded day? As Captain Joint notes, decisive majorities that cross racial, ethnic and even left-right political lines now support medical marijuana, with full decriminalization not far behind. But if the attendees of the Freedom Rally are any indication, marijuana legalization may be one of those causes whose greatest threat comes from its loudest adherents. In the pursuit of freedom, a little restraint is in order. We all may love our crazy aunts, but there's a reason some of them have locks on the outside of their bedroom doors.Source: Boston Weekly Dig (MA)Author: Colin KingsburyPublished: September 21, 2004Copyright: 2004 Boston Weekly DigContact: letters weeklydig.comWebsite: http://www.weeklydig.com/Related Articles & Web Site:MassCannhttp://www.masscann.org/Storm Dampens a Rally for Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19512.shtmlPot Question on Ballot in Parts of E. Arlington http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19471.shtmlA Show of Support for Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19383.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Post Comment