cannabisnews.com: Pot Statistics Used To Defend Both Sides





Pot Statistics Used To Defend Both Sides
Posted by CN Staff on October 31, 2004 at 07:22:17 PT
By Daniel Rice, Staff Writer
Source: News-Miner 
It's not often when people on both sides of an issue use the same statistics to make their points. Both opponents and proponents of a ballot measure to legalize marijuana, however, cite some of the same figures in arguing whether voters should approve ro defeat the measure Tuesday. Opponents of Ballot Measure No. 2 have rallied against marijuana legalization by pointing to statistics such as one-fourth of Alaska students reporting in a 2003 survey that they had used marijuana at least once in the last 30 days.
The response by initiative supporters: Thanks for making our case that current marijuana criminalization efforts don't work.Four years after rejecting a more liberal marijuana legalization proposal 59 percent to 41 percent, voters will be asked Tuesday whether all civil and criminal penalties for marijuana use, distribution and possession should be removed from state law and if the state should be able to regulate the drug like alcohol or tobacco. Backers of the measure argue that a change in Alaska's marijuana policy is needed because the current laws are ineffective in efforts like curbing pot use among youth and lead to harmful side effects such as allowing drug dealers to control the marijuana trade. If marijuana was regulated like alcohol or tobacco, they say, adults could receive their pot from legal sources, children would have less access to the drug on the street and law enforcement would have more time to pursue more pressing problems."The bottom line from my point of view is that what we're doing right now is not working," said Ken Jacobus, an Anchorage attorney involved in the legalization effort. "The war on drugs, we've been fighting the war on drugs since President Nixon and look where it's gotten us."Opponents, however, argue that legalizing marijuana would create more access to a drug that has devastating effects on society. They say marijuana, particularly the potent variety grown in Alaska, increases crime, causes harmful health effects and leads to more substance abuse problems. It's counterintuitive to presume that legalizing a drug will lead to less use, said Matthew Fagnani, chair of Alaskans Against the Legalization of Marijuana and Hemp. Rather, he said, legalization will send a message to society that it's OK to use marijuana."If this initiative passes, I think what you're going to find is marijuana use is going to increase," Fagnani said. Increased use, he said, will bring a host of problems that will cost employers and society.Employers will have to take extra precautions to ensure a safe workplace, authorities will have to worry about the potential for stoned drivers on roads, military personnel will have ready access to marijuana right outside base and law enforcement will be faced with dangerous situations caused by people under the influence of pot, Fagnani said.Fagnani and other opponents said they also worry that legalized marijuana will decrease economic development in Alaska by making the state a less attractive location for military and prompting federal authorities to cut highway funding because of safety concerns. They point to the state's decision to decrease its legal blood-alcohol level limit for driving from 0.10 to 0.08 in light of highway funding concerns as evidence that authorities will cut funding because of safety issues. "It will impact Alaska in a negative way," Fagnani said. Jacobus and proponents of Ballot Measure No. 2 characterize the federal funding and military arguments as scare tactics. "Public funding will pass or fail based on politics and, in the case of Alaska, how long Ted Stevens stays in office," Jacobus said. Legalization proponents also take issue with the argument that the ballot measure will hurt economic development, said Kelly Drew, an associate professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology and a backer of the initiative. Drew said that, if anything, legalized marijuana will enhance the state's economic options. As an example, she cited potential uses for the hemp strain of the marijuana plant such as clothing, food and energy."It's so vilified in the country it's hard to imagine, but it has a lot of viable applications far beyond the drug and the hallucinogenic effects," Drew said. Jacobus said he doesn't buy the argument that legalized marijuana will curb tourism in Alaska, a point that Gov. Frank Murkowski argued during a recent speech at the Alaska Travel Industry Association's conference in Fairbanks. "We have a city here named Tok," Jacobus said. "Alaska could be a marijuana destination like Holland if it chose to be."Jacobus said Ballot Measure No. 2 supporters are encouraged by the results of the 2000 measure, a more radical legalization proposal that included provisions of amnesty and restitution for people convicted of marijuana crimes. Despite a poorly developed initiative and a campaign run from an Anchorage office with a replica of a giant marijuana leaf over the front entrance, the measure still received more than 40 percent of the vote, he said. But this year's measure has been greeted with plenty of formal opposition. Locally, the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly and the Fairbanks and North Pole city councils have all passed resolutions denouncing the initiative. When asked about the measure in public forums and surveys, nearly every Interior candidate for the state Legislature has spoken against it. Scott Burns, the deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, has visited Fairbanks to lobby against the proposal and the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce has actively campaigned against the initiative. During his appearance on Oct. 14, Burns characterized the initiative as a measure funded mostly by the Washington, D.C.,-based Marijuana Policy Project in an effort for drug legalization proponents to get a foothold in at least one state. "Being the first in the country to do this could have all kinds of repercussions," Burns said. If the measure passes, both supporters and critics predict, it will lead to a showdown between federal and state authorities because federal law prohibits possession of any amount of marijuana. Because of court cases tracing back to 1975, current Alaska law allows adults to possess as much as 4 ounces of marijuana for personal use in their home. Medical marijuana was approved by Alaska voters in 1998. On the Web: http://www.yeson2alaska.com/ & http://www.akvotenoon2.org/ Newshawk: The GCW Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK)Author: Daniel Rice, Staff WriterPublished: Sunday, October 31, 2004 Copyright: 2004 Fairbanks Publishing Company, Inc.Contact: letters newsminer.comWebsite: http://www.news-miner.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:Yes on 2 Alaskahttp://www.yeson2alaska.com/A Drug-Abuse Researcher Says Vote Yes on 2 http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19743.shtmlMarijuana Initiative Heats Up Electionshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19741.shtmlAlaskans To Vote on Legalizing Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19738.shtml 
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Comment #39 posted by FoM on November 01, 2004 at 13:12:50 PT
Hope
I do like Kerry but it is because of him being more like a tree hugger type since I can't spell enviormentalist (sp) right. I know that I really care about what is happening to our earth and I also know that if Kerry didn't win it would be 4 more years of lack of concern and that worried me. We can't live without clean water and healthy food to eat and air to breath. 
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Comment #38 posted by Hope on November 01, 2004 at 13:05:23 PT
"I'm just not worried anymore"
Me, either.I was going to see about a pact between you and I to NOT worry. Then I could see you were doing fine without assistance from a pact.Way to go, FoM!
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Comment #37 posted by FoM on November 01, 2004 at 11:40:18 PT
Nuevo Mexican 
Thank you! I finally believe that Kerry will win. I'm just not worried anymore. The last few days I have had my faith restored in people in the USA. I was worried more about why people would want Bush and now I know the majority feel like me and you and many others. 
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Comment #36 posted by Nuevo Mexican on November 01, 2004 at 11:15:24 PT
On the Landslide in the making, and the Stars.....
Everyday, more Astrologers agree with me on the huge victory that awaits John Kerry, and then look at the poll of cell phone users:P.S.: For all of you non-kerry voters, Al Gordiano, from Narconews.com, the CannabisNews of Drug Reform, has endorsed John Kerry, so wake up now, you have nothing but LAME excuses if you ask me, IMHO! Election Day: fear and winning in the USA This article is an objective look at the astrology of Election Day in the USA. If you don't have the time or patience to read this article and you want to know WHO WILL WIN, here is your byte: Kerry will win. Attempts to undermine, spin, or otherwise confuse the election can cause whiplash that backfires on the Republican Party, and the Democrats will win the Presidential election. http://www.artcharts.com/my_astrology_magazine/election_day_2004.htmlThe poll you've been waiting for FOM!Upoc Poll of Mobile Phone Users Shows Kerry as Favorite for Tuesday's Presidential Election Monday November 1, 10:24 am ET 
More Than 16,000 Respondents (More Than 6% of the Total Sample) Give Kerry 57% to Bush's 26% http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/041101/15663_1.html
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Comment #35 posted by Hope on November 01, 2004 at 09:33:06 PT
Ms. Nalepka
Should she ever grace us with her presence again, I'd like to ask her a question.How, Ms. Nalepka, did you protect your children from alcohol abuse?I know she didn't have everybody that handled alcoholic beverages in this country thrown in the clink to protect "the children". So I really would be curious, as a mother myself, to know how she dealt with that issue or possibility of life.
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Comment #34 posted by Dankhank on November 01, 2004 at 08:20:20 PT
It gets messier ...
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1317/a01.html?186"He believes his son was acting on a dare on Jan. 29, 2001, while at a Super Bowl party in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Police said Stevie snorted a fatal mix of Ecstasy and OxyContin, a powerful prescription painkiller"Some kinds 21st Century speedball?
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Comment #33 posted by Hope on November 01, 2004 at 08:05:51 PT
The GCW, comment #31
That's just sickening. Sickening. We've known all along that was what it was all about...but it's still sickening.
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Comment #32 posted by Hope on November 01, 2004 at 08:03:03 PT
FoM, Comment #27 
Probably he pulverized or chewed a couple of timed release pills. One might even kill a person in that case.Just an idea. I don't really know. I know that DAMMADD website won't let me in for some reason.
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Comment #31 posted by The GCW on November 01, 2004 at 06:27:01 PT
Holy Harken
US PA: Editorial: Blood For Oil US Troops Should Not Guard These Oil Operationshttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1552/a07.html?397Congress voted before going into recess earlier this month to double the number of U.S. forces in Colombia. The purpose, unfortunately, is to make more areas of the country safe for exploration by American oil companies including Harken Energy, President Bush's former firm. Cont. 
 
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Comment #30 posted by mayan on November 01, 2004 at 02:55:35 PT
unrelated...
Researchers find drug high a potent field of inquiry:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.marijuana01nov01,0,7785344.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlinesMedical Cannabis-Related Ballot Initiatives in Berkeley and Oakland:
http://www.indybay.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=2585&category_id=27The way out is the way in...Trade Towers Rescue Hero Files 9/11 RICO Suit:
http://www.prisonplanet.tv/Pages/301004_suit_911.htmlWatchdog Groups Push Spitzer For Full 9/11 Investigation:
http://www.ny1.com/ny/Search/SubTopic/index.html?&contentintid=44688&search_result=1Part of 9/11 Report Remains Unreleased; An Inquiry Is Begun:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/30/politics/30panel.html?ex=1256875200&en=0e28c6c45fc47dea&ei=5090&partner=rssuserlandPart of US 9/11 commission report has not been released: 
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1506&e=8&u=/afp/20041030/ts_alt_afp/us_vote_attacks_report
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Comment #29 posted by breeze on November 01, 2004 at 02:29:35 PT
Steven Steiner Jr.- RIP
I feel sorrow for the young man. He, like thousands of other youth in Amerika today, are VERY uninformed of the hazards of using medications/drugs that are both legal and illegal. Understand this before your temper flares- they are told that marijuana is bad for them, stay away from pot- its damaging to your system, makes you lazy, stupid and forgetful. Then, they try marijuana and see exactly how decieved they were about it- that it is harmless, it doesn't do ANYTHING the media tells them. They say to themselves, and rightly so, that their government, their families, teachers, everyone who EVER said anything negative about marijuana was flat out LYING. So, they go a little further on through life, someone tells them about ecstasy or any other illegal chemical- they try it, find out that AGAIN, nothing harmful happened, just take some precautions and everything is beautiful. Then along comes something else, neccesary precautions are taken, but again-things are fine, the next day they have fond memories of their chemical adventure- and soon they begin to wonder if ANYTHING the government has said about drugs is true. Before long- they get confident that there is nothing wrong with any drug the government has blacklisted, they might even have an addiction or two- say to cigarettes, or caffine, alcohol- but the government has legalized these drugs- therefore, it is safe to assume that because these drugs are legal, because older generations of people have dependencies upon them, they are indeed lying about so many other drugs. They get bolder, more knowledgable about their ability to handle some drugs better than others, they learn their limits. And then, after much hoopla on the news, the next fashion drug comes along. Ecstacy was a huge headliner not too long ago- the media tried really hard convince the masses that everyone under the age thirty was hooked on the stuff, and that it literally fried the brain. Another lie, another spin- instead of honesty- just more propaganda. Now enters the scene, a "new" drug- crystal meth- everyone is doing meth- labs are being discovered daily, and cold medicine is something that is being bought in massive quantity to make the stuff, so, behind the counter goes anything for allergy relief, and for colds and flu- requiring picture ID and a signature to buy a simple remedy for stuffy nose and aching head. Ironically, bush failed to have his people get enough flu vaccine worked up in the factory, and so in the coming winter months, many people are going to be suspect of manufacturing meth in their basements across the nation. But this young man in particular doesn't go for meth, or crank, or anything REALLY illegal- instead he uses something that is legal but carefully prescribed by a physcian. He dies from his misuse, because he relied on his government to tell him the truth about other "drugs" and they lied, they failed him, they spouted propaganda instead of truth- there must be something about this drug that gets people high when used that the government isn't forthcoming about, and he finds that once again- he is right, and the powers that be are wrong. So, he keeps pushing for that increasingly unattainable high- and he dies for his efforts, by taking just a wee bit too much. Now, everyone that knew him is either grieving, angry or nervous- thinking "we should have done this," or "we should have done that." The father is blaming those who are for sensibility, those who clearly state- make this drug legal for there are no dangers- and yet he ignores his years of dependency on the government to inform and keep his child off chemicals- even LEGAL chemicals. He confronts himself, he punishes himself, and he decides he must make a stand- in his grief, he sees the very people who would have actually protected him from involving himself with manmade chemicals as the enemy- because the government has said to everyone since time-out-of-mind that marijuana is THE gateway drug. So, he makes a public appearance and effectively gets himself into trouble, beaten up, and then still blaming those who would protect him and others from this fate for their own ignorance- he makes his message known. He is far too conceited and arrogant to acknowledge the truth, far too entranced in the governments lies and propaganda to face the fact that he failed to do research and caution his son against the meaning of responsible drug use, that some drugs are indeed deadly- even though they are legal. At least once a week, some kid is rushed to the emergency room for binge drinking- often, they die from alcohol poisoning- or from their bodies rejection of recieving too much alcohol that quickly- but the public NEVER hears about this, no warnings, no preceptions about the possibilities of alcohol abuse until the youth in the obituaries.I was on one board, making a statement about why marijuana should be decriminalized, and I recieved a very unwelcome post from a veteran of the site- stating that I was very wrong about my views, and that they weren't appreciated at all on that particular site. The person making these comments told me that I was also wrong about alcohol abuse- that essentially there is a warning label on the bottle that CLEARLY states - "Use responsibly" and that anyone who drinks too much and dies did so because of their own ignorance, and basically deserved such a fate.It became quite clear that I was wasting my time, so I refrained from posting on the board- this is the popular mentality that I percieved, not only on that web site, but in society in general. This man, Steven Steiner, directed his anger inappropiately, and to the wrong people. It is obvious that his train of thought was misguided, and that he is in deep need of being DEprogrammed- his anger would be useful to the cause of having others avoid the same fate, but his actions now and in the future will only INCREASE the odds of others being destroyed for their choices. By remaining silent, the majority of people who could make a difference propel and fuel this mentality, this travesty- by not taking a stand for logic and sitting back, they only have themselves to blame when this type of injury occurs. While this man is thinking that he has indeed made an effort to cease irresponsible actions of other youths, he instead, has only created another statistic. He has degraded the memory of his son instead of giving the young man the memorial he deserves.But what of LEGAL drugs that MD.'s prescribe for legitimate pain control issues? He has managed to harm these people as well, if not more so. Doctor's are already apprehensive in prescribing these medications to those that truly need them, to make it even harder for people to get treatment they need is the greater horror. I saw recently on television that there is a study underway that reports that MANY people who indeed need medications for pain management aren't getting the treatment they deserve specifically because of fears and situations such as the one Steve Steiner Jr created. It is inhumane to not allow a patient treatment for a disorder when that patient is in need of said treatment, but to deny that person medications because of some wildly contorted "epidemic" or fear that patient might abuse the tools for pain managment is a clear vision of the future. It would seem to me that if a drug is clearly that dangerous, then the pharmaceutical companies could/should invest in science that would make a drug that is not lethal, no matter how much is taken. Instead, the pharmaceutical companies, the government and all agencies involved have allowed backyard chemists to create some of the most deadly drugs known to mankind- and distribute these drugs via the blackmarket. Common sense tells anyone that with todays technology, an affordable drug, that relieves pain, and/or creates euphoria in the user is the next step. Its only logical, because people are going to continue to do things that have a defined risk- I say eliminate that risk, use technology, use what is available, and prevent such horrible disasters such as this from happening. Do this, and then make the drugs currently available that kill, obsolete. Why would a person want to induce themselves with a deadly/illegal chemical when they could achieve the same level of euphoria safely and legally? But its up to our government, pharmaceutical corporations, and society to do this. Until then, there's only going to be more people becoming statistics- more meat for the grinder. In other words, if the government wants to win the war on illegal drugs, they need to give the people a substitute that does exactly the same thing as the illegal version- and allow them to use it legally. Marijuana is the first step, it is technically NOT even a drug- it's an herb. Drugs are compounded, made from different chemicals and processes- marijuana is merely grown and dried- nothing more.   
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Comment #28 posted by BGreen on October 31, 2004 at 22:16:23 PT
It Explains A Lot!
Soros had nothing to do with Steiner Jr.'s overdose. The fact that Steiner Jr. started using "cigarettes, marijuana and alcohol" when he was 13 in no way indicts any of the three, let alone cannabis, in his death from Oxycontin.Steven Steiner Sr. is nothing more than a failure of a father who has launched a misguided attack on innocent people to revenge the death of his son from legal, approved as safe and effective prescription drugs found at your local pharmacy.It's not just that the cannabis community had nothing to do with Steven Steiner Jr.'s death, but Steven Steiner Sr. was not the innocent victim the phony journalist Cliff Kincaid tries to portray.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 22:00:55 PT
BGreen
Why are they fighting illegal drugs when it was a legal drug that killed him? I have never had an Oxycontin so I don't know but 2 couldn't kill a person or many people would die if they took two. It lacks any good reason.
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Comment #26 posted by BGreen on October 31, 2004 at 21:54:57 PT
How I Found Out The TRUTH Using Google
I typed: "Steve Steiner son overdose" and let Google do the work.It amazes me that so-called reporters aren't able to come up with the truth when all it takes is typing four words and hitting the "enter" key.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #25 posted by BGreen on October 31, 2004 at 21:44:09 PT
Steiner's Son Died of PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Steven Steiner Sr., founder and president of Dads and Mad Moms Against Drug Dealers (DAMMADD) had to deal with just that when his son, Steven Steiner Jr., died of a prescription drug overdose in January 2001.*************************************************************OK, this is ridiculous. Steven Steiner Jr. died from something ALREADY LEGAL!Boy, the internet (and google) makes finding the TRUTH easy as pie.The Reverend Bud Green
Students urged to stay away from drugs
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Comment #24 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 21:11:46 PT
Dankhank
That was so darn good. Thank you.
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Comment #23 posted by Dankhank on October 31, 2004 at 21:02:59 PT
Kincaid Rant
It's been a long day.I read I ranted here it is ...
-----------------------------------------------------To Cliff Kincaid
In your screed, "Protester Mugged As Press Club Honors Nutty Billionaire" you list several observations of MR Soros that seem a trifle venal, vapid and vituperative if not out right ridiculous. I will mention a couple. "But as he held up a photograph of his dead child and began to speak, Steve Steiner was quickly surrounded by security personnel who grabbed and muzzled him. He was roughed up and led away, suffering a dislocated shoulder, a punch to the back, threats of more physical violence, and five hours in the hospital undergoing X-rays and other tests."A bit rough in the handling, but mayhap Steiner struggled mightily ... The point here is Steiner should be doing this to the current drug czar, and every politician that has ever voted or spoke for locking humans in cages for personal drug use. This country has been trying to control drugs with guns and cages for ninety years ... got that?  Ninety Years!! Do you imagine that we can say with any certainhood that we can or are winning this war on adult humans who choose to relax with something other that the two Deadliest drugs that are LEGAL to use?Unknown purity of an illegaly-bought drug is a common cause of overdose, by the way, what did Steiner's son OD on? Unknown purity is a result of the criminilization of those drug products. Steiner's son was 19, he could have been a Marine blown up by an IED in Baghdad. Or he could have been like Jonathon Magbie, late of NY, quadraplegic with breathing difficulties put in jail for ten days, dead on the fifth day because the jail couldn't handle his medical needs. Dead for small quantity of Cannabis, Cocaine and pistol, but I defy you to tell me how he placed any of those items himself in the van he was stopped in."Kerry is on record in favor of “responsible” drug use, has endorsed the scam known as “medical marijuana,” and has even joked about “toking” the drug."What the funk is the matter with you? It will take an act of God for you to absorb an ounce of compassion for a deathly sick person who gets a little smile and appetite during their last days in their mortal coil. Or maybe you will get a cancer that was killed by THC in 1974 in Virginia or Madrid in 2000 and find out that there is no "shammedicine" available to help you? One can only hope.I suspect you have made up your mind and desire no truths to confuse you. So Be It. I can recognise that."The Swiss government gives heroin addicts their fixes in government facilities, where they “shoot up” with needles, also supplied by the government. Soros said that he, too, advocates “clean needles” for addicts, at taxpayer expense, so they can avoid getting diseases as they get high and kill themselves by other means. For Soros, abstinence from drugs and “cold turkey” withdrawal are not the main options."For the Swiss all options are available as opposed to the ones you cite. Your choices are the old standards that work for some, but not enough. Check the recidivism rates for junkies, dismaying at times. The Swiss found out that if they had a clean place to go, no hassles, maybe a shower and some clean clothes, some of them could get jobs. Eventually all that may be left in Switzerland is the absolute hard-corps junkies and I think you might be OK with an idea that we could just shoot them and put them out of all our miseries ... did I get close?"Although he said that marijuana was harmful to young people because it destroys their ability to think and causes memory problems, he said that he opposes the “criminalization” of the problem. So, in effect, he does favor the legalization of marijuana."Insanity can be described as the doing of a thing over and over knowing that nothing will change. In truth, the problem seems to get worse the harder we fight against it?
That's what prohibition does. How about we just stop caging humans for using a plant that has been a staple of human existance for millenia, except since 1937 when Uncle Sam tried to say, "TSK TSK, musn't use it," which quickly became, "If you use it we will assault your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.""In other matters, he commented that although he opposes the Iraq war, he thinks we need more troops there." What the funk is wrong with this? I opposed the war in Iraq, and I also know that we have two choices here ... send more troops to finish the job, or leave. At this point I'm not sure which is the most humane. But this logic is proof of flipflopping? Give us all a break."The currency speculator said he’s comfortable with the recent decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission to impose regulations on his mysterious financial “hedge fund,” even though he lobbied against them."I'm shaking my head ... WTF is going on here? It's the same as the last. Of course he opposed regulation... Who wouldn't? And when he lost the battle he was gracious. Do any of us have a choice against the most implacable of beaurocrat? Can we be gracious in loss? Not any more, I guess. Our illustrious Leader is showing us how big a horse's ass anyone can be if they hold the the thought GWB expressed yesterday or whenever,"I may not be right in some minds but I gotta be admired for my steadfastness." He may not be right but he is steely in his mind. WOW.Finally, Soros, an atheist, said he’d go live in a monastery if Bush wins re-election. I came away from the event concluding that he was even more of a flip-flopper than his candidate Kerry". Bush flipflopped, gosh, really, did he? yes, on Medical Cannabis, saying, when as candidate Bush, he favored leaving that question at the state level. Elected he proceeded to pack the government with nihilists that have persecuted harmless Cannabis users par exellent. The first two orange alerts after 9/11 preceded DEA attacks on cannabis cooperatives menacing old men and women, some in wheelchairs, a paraplegic was handcuffed to her bed, lest I suppose she escape on her hands. Great example of "Compassionate Conservatism," whot?"Joyce Nalepka revealed that the Bush and Kerry campaigns had been asked to respond to three questions about the need to prosecute the war on drugs. The answers from the Bush campaign showed a determination to keep illegal drugs out of the hands of America’s children. The Kerry campaign refused to respond, despite ten different requests for answers to the questions. That would seem to indicate that Kerry may be in the back pocket of George Soros. And Soros has very deep pockets indeed."Nalepka is a well-known prohibitionist who thinks the way you keep drugs from kids is to lock up their parents, uncles, aunts, brother, sister, grand ma, grand pa... get the picture? "We'll bust up your family and put you on welfare." Great idea, think it's working? Insanity is ... see earlier."Cliff Kincaid is President of America’s Survival and contributing editor of the AIM Report. A longtime investigative reporter and media critic, he currently specializes in coverage of the U.N. and other global institutions. Kincaid helps write and broadcast Accuracy In Media’s "Media Monitor" radio commentaries."Accuracy in Media? This is the sound of me shaking my head and laughing.---edited for CNews---DankhankAngel or Devil?-----------------------------------------------------yawning, turning in ... laterPeace
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Comment #22 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 18:57:38 PT
dr slider 
When parents lose a child there is grief. Parents that lose a child suddenly are more shocked then parents who lose a child from a terminal disease and their grief isn't as intense because it is distributed over a long time. When parents are grieving they shouldn't do anything serious until they go thru this very natural process which finally brings healing and only then can life go on with hope. Many laws have been made that have hurt people because a parent or parents jumped into a cause to soon. I really recommend no one do that ever. There is a time for every purpose and when a family is grieving it's not the time to act but to heal.
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Comment #21 posted by dr slider on October 31, 2004 at 18:46:59 PT:
"a different view"
While they go in to no details of the young deaths that spark the behavior of these concerned parents, it must be extremely comforting for them to know that their children were killed by the evil that is "drugs", thus giving them a mission in life (and eliminating the need for reflection). A way to assuage the pain...by inflicting it on others. If they were truly "Mad at Drug Dealers" as they claim, they would end prohibition. But alas, their anger and pain can only be soothed by the destruction of the evildoers.A different view indeed, and mature, for a kindergartner.
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 18:42:07 PT
AlvinCool 
I just thought of something. Wouldn't be great to have a cruise ship named Northern Lights? That would be cool. I'd put money in that area if I had any. LOL!
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Comment #19 posted by AlvinCool on October 31, 2004 at 18:18:59 PT
Just remember
We need money too guys. So if the proposition in Alaska passes sell everything you have and invest it in Alaskan tourism.You really can't miss! Happy Halloween
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 17:31:59 PT
A Different View - American Daily
Protester Mugged As Press Club Honors Nutty Billionaire By Cliff Kincaid (10/31/04) A grieving parent who lost one of his children to a drug overdose attempted to tell the National Press Club on Thursday that billionaire George Soros has to be stopped in his campaign to put John Kerry in the White House. But as he held up a photograph of his dead child and began to speak, Steve Steiner was quickly surrounded by security personnel who grabbed and muzzled him. He was roughed up and led away, suffering a dislocated shoulder, a punch to the back, threats of more physical violence, and five hours in the hospital undergoing X-rays and other tests. After the commotion, Soros gave his own speech and received a National Press Club coffee mug as a token of appreciation. Steiner told AIM that he was accused of “trespassing,” when he had a ticket to the event, and that he simply wanted people to see a picture of his dead 19-year-old son, Stevie, and to explain why Soros-supported legalization would only make the drug problem worse. This “disruption” occurred before the official program was underway and Soros had been introduced. There was nobody else at the podium at the time. Yet security came down on him like a ton of bricks. Steiner wasn’t sure if the people pulverizing him were associated with Soros personally or the National Press Club. Meanwhile, less than an hour earlier, at an event just down the hall, a personal representative of the billionaire, Michael Vachon, interrupted a press conference called by the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) to present evidence that Soros has been violating campaign finance laws in his multimillion dollar effort to put John Kerry in the White House. Vachon interrupted the question-and-answer period by shouting that the NLPC allegations were false and that he and a Soros lawyer were there to answer any questions. No press club security personnel were there to remove him from the room or to tell him that Soros could answer the allegations in his own press club speech. Peter Flaherty of the NLPC permitted Vachon to speak rather than make more of a scene by demanding that he cease his provocative activities. However, Flaherty later issued a press release accusing Vachon of having “disrupted” the news conference. The NLPC had paid $700 to rent the room to get their message out, not have the event disrupted by paid agents of Soros. Steve Steiner, of course, wasn’t supposed to get anywhere near Soros or the press-club podium. He was not one of the press-club officials or special “guests of Soros” on the dais of the National Press Club. He was not there to get one of dozens of free copies of the Soros book, "The Bubble of American Supremacy," that were being handed out for free. Steiner was one of about 20 representatives of anti-drug groups who had paid $35 to attend in the hope of forcing the billionaire to explain and defend his support for drug legalization. They fear that Soros, who is spending more than $20 million to defeat President Bush, will run the nation’s drug policy if Kerry is elected and that a Kerry administration would move toward tolerance and acceptance of illegal drugs. Kerry is on record in favor of “responsible” drug use, has endorsed the scam known as “medical marijuana,” and has even joked about “toking” the drug.The Soros press-club performance was bizarre. During the question-and-answer session after the speech, Soros claimed that he did not support drug legalization but that he favored the distribution of heroin to addicts under “controlled conditions” such as they do in Switzerland. This is a form of legalization. The Swiss government gives heroin addicts their fixes in government facilities, where they “shoot up” with needles, also supplied by the government. Soros said that he, too, advocates “clean needles” for addicts, at taxpayer expense, so they can avoid getting diseases as they get high and kill themselves by other means. For Soros, abstinence from drugs and “cold turkey” withdrawal are not the main options. Complete Article: http://www.americandaily.com/article/5630
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Comment #17 posted by The GCW on October 31, 2004 at 15:19:54 PT
2 different long strange trips.  
What ever problem there is with cannabis;it will be less after We re-legalize cannabis.(I wonder which drug warlords drives one of those new cars that has hemp resin body or dash parts, with out knowing it?  And can we exploit it???)  
 
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 14:39:45 PT
JR That's Interesting
I know how many people were upset about alcohol at the Neil Young concerts I went too. I don't know about sports events but one person I remember said why can't people drink enough to keep them happy before they come into the concert. Why do people need to get up and go get more beer after they are seated and the concert begins. I didn't understand why people needed to drink that much to have a fun evening seeing Neil Young. 
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Comment #15 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on October 31, 2004 at 14:20:06 PT
Dateline: Colorado
Alcohol problems worse at sporting events now that alcohol is banned at said sporting events.
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2501302,00.html
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Comment #14 posted by John Tyler on October 31, 2004 at 12:21:59 PT
Alaskan Poll 2
It is now 58% in favor of the Initiative. Keep your fingers crossed.
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Comment #13 posted by siege on October 31, 2004 at 11:42:09 PT
DRUG TEST
 HAY DEA will you please give BUSH a DRUG TEST like RAY-GUN did, for the people of the country! we would like to know if he is on drugs! BUT would you tell the people the true DEA.
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Comment #12 posted by global_warming on October 31, 2004 at 11:40:26 PT
 The Vote Of A Lifetime !
The Vote Of A Lifetime
By Diane Harvey
merak sedona.net
10-30-4
 "I have never voted. For one thing, my thinking never fit into the grotesquely oversimplified agenda-boxes of modern political parties. Furthermore, our little lives are embedded in the overall context of a dismally corrupt and inhuman civilization...After an extended period of research and reflection on the upcoming election, I offer the following profoundly unambiguous comments...One candidate is visibly, palpably insane: a smirking mouthpiece for the purest concentration of ruthless bloody-mindedness ever to darken the door of Washington...One of these men is a malignant idiot and a lifelong bully, and the other has displayed at least occasional moments of genuine courage and conviction...If we elect the other man, we will still have all the basic underlying miasmas of a greed-based corporate ethos to face. We will still be living in the context of a failed Republic turned dumbed-down consumer monger. We will still be embroiled in an astonishingly stupid war and murdering untold thousands of innocent souls...But at least we will not be willingly led by the criminally insane. At least we will not be destroyed from within by a band of technologically advanced Genghis Khans nurturing bloodcurdling lusts for empire, exercising absolute intimate dominion over their cowed subjects...I know there are no guarantees that the collapse of our nation can be prevented by anyone at all at this point. Nevertheless, I choose to cast the vote of my lifetime for hope, and against the most vicious and dangerous administration in the history of the United States of America...I hope that everybody can get out and vote this Tuesday..gw
 The Vote Of A Lifetime 
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 11:17:03 PT
Friendly Reminder: Alaska Poll
So far it is 57 percent in favor of the Initiative.http://www.frontiersman.com/
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 10:44:42 PT
Initiatives 2004 - NORML
Several state and municipal initiatives to liberalize marijuana laws will be voted on this November. http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6172
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on October 31, 2004 at 10:33:16 PT
No matter whose side you're on...that's funny
"We've been going to the Bushes for long enough. It's time to put a couple of Johns in the White House."
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Comment #8 posted by drfistusa on October 31, 2004 at 10:24:51 PT
What BULL!
another northern country called the Netherlands, has none of the problems these idiots worry about and as far as economic activity, Holland could likely buy Alaska, would Alaska like to have the Tourism income Holland has?? In Holland you can buy Weed across the shopping mall from McDonalds, in a small town I visited or what about Switzerland, look what pot has done to them, they have a rich and free society. Look beyound!!
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 09:29:00 PT
OverwhelmSam 
I think it is so funny all this hoopla! I read that somewhere they were saying that because of the volume of voters that republicans will vote on Tuesday and Democrats on Wednesday! Someone electrified his Bush sign because someone kept stealing it. I bet Michael Moore makes a movie of all the silly things people have done during this campaign season. If you don't laugh at some of these things it could drive a person a bit crazy! LOL!Everyday this poll starts new. The last 3 days it went from 65 percent to a high of 71 percent for Kerry. Bush is in trouble. Currently it is 69 percent for Kerry.Bush, Kerry or Nader?Who would you choose if election were today?http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6092749/
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Comment #6 posted by OverwhelmSam on October 31, 2004 at 09:22:10 PT
FoM
I seen a van going down the highway with the following written on the window:"We've been going to the Bushes for long enough. It's time to put a couple of Johns in the White House."Now, I'm in Texas and I just bet someone has tried to run this guy off the road more than once. LOL
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Comment #5 posted by JustGetnBy on October 31, 2004 at 08:58:57 PT
Conflict of Interest.
  Goneposthole Mr Fagnini is following his wallet, not his moral compass.
He waves the flag, pleas to save the children, and drags out every other hackneyed study as if were new and shiney.  I would wager that most of these prohibitionists are driven by a financial interests. Of course their are zealots at both extreme ends of this controversy.How does a thinking person begin to understand a zealot?
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on October 31, 2004 at 08:49:17 PT
About Elections
I feel like a walking zombie. Hey Happy Halloween by the way! LOL! I hope people take their video cameras and tape different things and send them to Michael Moore. My husband told me he saw a toilet sitting in someones front yard with flush the Johns on the sign. My husband's boss called him early this morning and needed for him to take this load but he went on and on about Bush. He said to my husband. I bet you are voting for Kerry and he said yes and he said oh no. His boss was a little tore up on Beer so it was kinda funny. His boss said Kerry just can't win because he'll take my guns! I laughed. I said since your boss is so riled up go in and say ok you convinced me. I'll vote for Bush. It would blow his mind. Then vote for Kerry on Tuesday and then tell your Boss ( when he hasn't been drinking ) that you changed your mind and voted for Kerry. Then say sorry but I'm just a flip flopper! 
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Comment #3 posted by OverwhelmSam on October 31, 2004 at 08:35:23 PT
Man Tazered To Prevent Him Killing Kerry Supporter
Is there no limit to the Rebublican's hatefulness?WEST PALM BEACH – An 18-year-old Marine recruit remained in jail on Wednesday, charged with threatening to stab his girlfriend over her choice for president, news partner NewsChannel 5 reported in its noon broadcast.The enlistee, Steven Scott Soper, of Lake Worth, became enraged Tuesday night when his 18-year-old girlfriend said she was leaving him -- and voting for John Kerry for president.Soper, who will enter the Marines as soon as he passes the GED test, solidly supports Bush. He allegedly told girlfriend Stacey Silheira, "You'll never live to see the election."Palm Beach Sheriff's Office deputies called to the home in Lake Worth said they had to use a Taser – an electronic stun gun – to subdue Soper. They described Soper as enraged and said he was holding Silheira captive. He was armed with a screwdriver and threatening to stab her in the neck, they said. When Silheira eventually broke free a deputy fired the Taser, shocking him into submission.Charged with aggravated assault, Soper remains in jail without bond until he undergoes a psychiatric exam, News Channel 5 reported.  Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel 
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on October 31, 2004 at 08:24:53 PT
Media perspective
It's interesting - this is OBVIOUSLY a 100% moral issue, yet the media is constantly trying to somehow make it a quantifiable decision, one in which the merits of each "side" must be judged.Any non-brainwashed person can quickly & easily see that prohibition is dead wrong, based on any type of logical policy analysis.  Yet the media dances around that truth like it's the 3rd rail.They can't have an article where one person says "it's wrong to have armed men arrest and jail people for using an herb!" and another says, "F*ckin' hippies! Screw them!"  Yet those are the real positions here, no one is actually making their decision based on crime statistics or youth usage of drugs & alcohol.Our public consciousness is dysfunctional. It's not politically correct to hate anymore. We're so PC that it's un-PC to even ACCUSE anyone of hating anymore. But we buried hatred so deep that we can't recognize it and address its problems anymore.
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Comment #1 posted by goneposthole on October 31, 2004 at 08:16:24 PT
Much needed statistics
"Some 52% of Alaska Natives live in areas which restrict the availablility of
alcohol in some form.""Considering that Alaska Natives made up roughly 16% of the state's population throughout the 1980s, the alcohol mortality rate of Natives was 3.5 times that of non-Natives."j"A majority of Native crimes for which Natives are serving jail time are alcohol related."http://transition.alaska.edu/pt3/projects/ED478/POP/Alcohol/Web%20PageThe sale of alcohol is prohibited in the native Alaskan population, but they seem to be able to obtain it.Give them an enterprise. Let the natives in Alaska grow cannabis, medical or otherwise. They will be employed which will reduce their consumption of alcohol. They'll smoke cannabis instead of drinking themselves illegally drunk.Legal cannabis would be a win/win situation for the Alaska natives.Or, is it better that the natives of Alaska are drunk and stupid all of the time committing crimes and being unproductive?There is a better choice for them. It is better for them to increase their marijuana use to decrease their alcohol use. It's a no brainer.Mr. Fagnani has a dog in the fight. He wants to make money testing people for marijuana in their bloodstreams. It's a conflict of interest. 
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