cannabisnews.com: The Tragedy That Is Pot Prohibition





The Tragedy That Is Pot Prohibition
Posted by CN Staff on July 29, 2008 at 05:43:31 PT
By Paul Armentano
Source: AlterNet
Florida -- Rachel Hoffman is dead. Rachel Hoffman, like many young adults, occasionally smoked marijuana. But Rachel Hoffman is not dead as a result of smoking marijuana; she is dead as a result of marijuana prohibition.Under prohibition, Rachel faced up to five years in a Florida prison for possessing a small amount of marijuana. (Under state law, violators face up to a $5,000 fine and five years in prison for possession of more than 20 grams of pot.)
Under prohibition, the police in Rachel's community viewed the 23-year-old recent college graduate as nothing more than a criminal and threatened her with jail time unless she cooperated with them as an untrained, unsupervised confidential informant. Her assignment: Meet with two men she'd never met and purchase a large quantity of cocaine, ecstasy and a handgun. Rachel rendezvoused with the two men; they shot and killed her.Under prohibition, the law enforcement officers responsible for brazenly and arrogantly placing Rachel in harm's way have failed to publicly express any remorse -- because, after all, under prohibition Rachel Hoffman was no longer a human being deserving of such sympathies.Speaking on camera to ABC News' "20/20" last week, Tallahassee Police Chief Dennis Jones attempted to justify his department's callous and irresponsible behavior, stating, "My job as a police chief is to find these criminals in our community and to take them off the streets (and) to make the proper arrest."But in Rachel Hoffman's case, she was not taken "off the streets," and police made no such arrest -- probably because, deep down, even they know that people like Rachel pose no imminent threat to the public. Instead, the officers on the scene secretly cut a deal with Rachel: They told her that they would not file charges if she agreed to go undercover.Rachel became the bait; the Tallahassee police force went trolling for sharks.In the weeks preceding Rachel's murder, police told her to remain tight-lipped about their backroom agreement -- and with good reason. The cops' on-the-spot deal with Rachel flagrantly violated Tallahassee Police Department protocol, which mandated that such an arrangement must first gain formal approval from the state prosecutor's office. Knowing that the office would likely not sign off on their deal -- Rachel was already enrolled in a drug court program from a prior pot possession charge, and cooperating with the TPD as a drug informant would be in violation of her probation -- the police simply decided to move forward with their informal arrangement and not tell anybody."(In) hindsight, would it have been a good idea to let the state attorney know? Yes," Jones feebly told "20/20." Damn right it would have been; Rachel Hoffman would still be alive.But don't expect Jones or any of the other officers who violated the department's code of conduct -- violations that resulted in the death of another human being -- to face repercussions for their actions. Obeying the rules is merely "a good idea" for those assigned with enforcing them. On the other hand, for people like Rachel, violating those rules can be a death sentence.Of course, to those of us who work in marijuana law reform, we witness firsthand every day the adverse consequences wrought by marijuana prohibition -- a policy that has led to the arrest of nearly 10 million young people since 1990. To us, the sad tale of Rachel Hoffman marks neither the beginning nor the end of our ongoing efforts to bring needed "reefer sanity" to America's criminal justice system. It is simply another chapter in the ongoing and tragic saga that is marijuana prohibition.Complete Title: The Killing of Rachel Hoffman and The Tragedy That Is Pot Prohibition.Paul Armentano is the deputy director for the NORML Foundation in Washington, D.C.Source: AlterNet (US)Author:  Paul Armentano, AlterNetPublished: July 29, 2008Copyright: 2008 Independent Media InstituteContact: letters alternet.org Website: http://www.alternet.org/URL: http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/93082NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #44 posted by FoM on July 31, 2008 at 13:10:16 PT
Related Article From NORML
The Tragic Death Of Rachel Hoffman -- And The Tragedy That Is Pot ProhibitionJuly 25, 2008 - Tallahassee, FL, USAhttp://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7669
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #43 posted by museman on July 30, 2008 at 12:25:49 PT
augustwest
You make an extremely important point;"If we cooperate with them we enable them to keep persecuting us."And that 'cooperation' goes a lot further than just the moment you are 'up against the wall' it also extends into your daily decisions, and what kinds of compromises from the status quo with your own personal liberties you are willing to allow.Standing up for your rights and liberties is all-important, and it is so true that if more of us who have found ourselves in the clutches of the man actually made the personal sacrifices necessary to stand against tyranny, then the light would have illuminated the truth a long time ago. But they create fear and loathing to such a degree, the idea of suffering through their imposition for years just for justice sake, makes most people easily 'cop a plea' like 'drug diversion' fines and probation, or in worse-case scenarios become informants and 'narcs.'The empowerment of the people is rising substantially however, and the light of truth is getting brighter, maybe more people will begin to realize the truth in standing up against the false authorities, and little by little their false power will be displaced by real responsible people, instead of pirhannas, sharks, snakes-in-the-grass, and monkeyshines.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #42 posted by Storm Crow on July 30, 2008 at 12:17:01 PT
And another tragedy....
Cass County drug bust turns deadlyhttp://www.wndu.com/localnews/headlines/26014809.htmlA routine marijuana check in Cass County, Michigan, turns deadly.Michigan State Police say 51-year-old Niles Wilson shot himself when he realized he had been caught growing nearly 130 marijuana plants on his property. (snipped)from the article..."I would note that there was some indication from family history that we've obtained since the investigation began that he did have some history of depression which may have contributed to the tragic results," says Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz. "This is just another sober example that marijuana brings nothing but tragedy."No, Mr. Fritz, prohibition brings nothing but tragedy!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #41 posted by augustwest on July 30, 2008 at 11:53:34 PT:
rachael hoffman
 I read an article somwhere and in it her boyfriend talked about everything that happened leading up to her death. From his and another of her friends comments it seemed to me she wasn't taking this serious enough. She apparently arranged for her friend to video tape the sting arrest going down and said she was gonna write a book about her experience as an informant. I guess by this horrific outcome maybe the next person the police approach won't play their dangerous game and lawyer up like your supposed to.
 It's also sad that minorities are killed all the time just for being suspected of snitching but you never watch those stories on 20/20 cause society and msm don't relate to black and brown folks. Imo rachael hoffmans acts were completly selfish as well as the acts of the TPD. Hopefully this will bring to light the tactics used by police turning people against each other and putting people in danger cause they're too lazy to do they're job. A job that is a human rights violation to begin with. 
 Her friends should write that book but please don't portray hoffman as a hero for not wanting to snitch on her friends. People who cooperate with police in drug investigations are not good people no matter who they snitch on it is still a betryal and IMO makes that person worse than the police. People snitch to keep from going to jail but if nobody snitched or copped plea bargains the system would be overwhelmed and they would have to let non violent drug offenders go. If we cooperate with them we enable them to keep persecuting us.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #40 posted by FoM on July 30, 2008 at 10:01:30 PT
fight_4_freedom 
Planet Green is new and it is part of the Discovery Channel lineup.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #39 posted by FoM on July 30, 2008 at 09:59:42 PT
Rifle-Toting DEA Agents Raid Marijuana Store
July 30, 2008http://www.ocregister.com/articles/adams-orange-agents-2109067-city-going
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #38 posted by Hope on July 30, 2008 at 09:22:12 PT
Like devils of some kind. Like terrorists.
"The DEA came into the facility with black masks and machine guns this morning, causing some property damage. DEA Agents confiscated patient files, medicine, plants, and money from the facility. They also tore the security cameras off the ceiling. There is a report that personal effects were taken from some of the detainees."
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #37 posted by Hope on July 30, 2008 at 09:20:01 PT
"black masks and machine guns"
Terroristic tactics.It's so disgusting... and it's happening here in this country, now and has been happening for some time now. Who, old enough to remember life before the creation of these government terrorists, would have believed these things would ever happen here... and more than that even... who would have believed that Americans would have allowed it to continue?
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #36 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 30, 2008 at 08:53:08 PT:
Dongenero 
I think you are right. They are the first ones we should be after. I think Mr. Conyers' open letter is a start. I mean, they are literally treating us like enemies in a war.Here's an update of the Orange County Raid as a current example.Update - 3:45 PM"Orange County ASA Members report that the DEA raid at Natures Wellness is over and all four people detained have been released.The DEA came into the facility with black masks and machine guns this morning, causing some property damage. DEA Agents confiscated patient files, medicine, plants, and money from the facility. They also tore the security cameras off the ceiling. There is a report that personal effects were taken from some of the detainees.Natures Wellness was raided by the DEA earlier this year. Look for an action alert from ASA Field Coordinator George Pappas later today."Yet they don't make any of this public. I haven't seen one news article about this raid. Now if they were doing something heroic or admirable, we'd hear all about it. So obviously, they are keeping this quiet for a reason. They know what they are doing is wrong.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #35 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 30, 2008 at 08:42:07 PT:
FoM
I don't believe that I have that channel, but I'm going to look into it. Is it new?I think that is one of the ways to go once it becomes affordable like you mentioned. We should use all that we were given to keep the world spinning.Thanks for the heads up!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #34 posted by dongenero on July 30, 2008 at 08:02:23 PT
what should people fight for
Maybe people should go after the DEA as much or more than going for legalization of cannabis. Such arrogance, abuse, corruption, and primarily unaccountability. This is government battling and oppressing its own people. This is a governmental bureaucracy that should really be dissolved. The DEA is un-American. The DEA is cut from the same cloth as all the governments our American principles have stood against and for which our citizens have fought and died to reject. The DEA is against the Freedom we stand for.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #33 posted by Hope on July 30, 2008 at 07:15:32 PT
Hoffman
I mean. I was thinking about some people I know with a similar name... and just didn't notice that I'd written the similar name.Sorry.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #32 posted by Hope on July 30, 2008 at 07:11:12 PT
Hoff
was bullied, frightened, threatened and abused. She
apparently had no good advice or counsel from someone outside those who wanted to use her like this.Like someone else said, they hooked a minnow then they used her to troll for sharks. She was done for either way once they had their hands on her... and the people that enticed her into doing it secretly sniggered and gloated among themselves at their coup. I have little doubt of that. Instead of investigators, the police involved in these types of so called investigations, born of prohibition of substances, have become masters of lying, intrigue, threatening, abusing, and using people. They have become that which they supposedly hated ... and worse.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #31 posted by FoM on July 30, 2008 at 06:25:51 PT
fight_4_freedom 
Last night we were watching Planet Green and they had a program called Living Off The Grid. If you get this channel it is worth seeing. I'm sure they will show it again. I would love to add solar and wind power and maybe someday it will be affordable for more people.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #30 posted by FoM on July 30, 2008 at 05:38:25 PT
Sinsemilla Jones 
You're welcome. I believe she was a victim of circumstance. Snitching is the worst thing in our circle that can be done so it can produce anger on other boards but remember no one walked in her shoes and no one knows what made her decide to do what she did. She made a terrible decision but death is not ok no matter what. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #29 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 30, 2008 at 02:13:30 PT
Thanks fight 4 freedom! Thanks FoM! Thanks Paul!
I don't think it would ever occur to anyone who posts here to blame Rachael. This might be the most empathetic board on the web.I expect to see a troll or 2 over there at ICMag, but that was just unfuckingbelievable. Thanks so much FoM for not putting up with that shit.Thanks Paul for fighting for cannabis users, even though a few of us might not deserve it.Here's something that was in the first article I read about this case that I went back and found -"In the case of Hoffman, her friends say she refused to inform on friends who smoked grass."http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5450550&page=1
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #28 posted by paul armentano on July 29, 2008 at 21:39:25 PT
Audio from the press conference
There will be excerpts from tomorrow's Capitol Hill press conference on Wednesday's NORML Daily Audio Stash. There will also be an interview with Barney Frank on the Stash Friday.
http://stash.norml.org/
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #27 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 20:55:24 PT:
Sinsemilla
I too am disgusted with many of the comments I just read about the article that I just posted. Some people just have no respect, compassion, or understanding whatsoever. Reading about some of these tragedies and hearing some of these despicable comments has re-lit the fire in me. Feels like it's Letter-to-the-Editor time.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #26 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 20:47:18 PT:
Paul
Is there any specific place that I can either watch or listen to this press conference? I have tomorrow off and would love to tune in.Thanks! It's really exciting to see the news about this bill after seeing all those recent tragic stories.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #25 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 20:43:58 PT:
I agree FoM
I just hope we can come up with some solutions to our climate crisis pretty soon here. Since we now know what we know about global warming, we have no excuse to ignore the issue any longer. It's amazing to see how many people don't even bother to recycle on my block alone. Last week on trash day there was maybe 3 recycling bins out by the road on both sides of the streets, and that's including mine. And I have just as much to recycle as I have to throw in the trash can when I'm done sorting it out. Yet in my sister's neighborhood, it'd be hard to find one house that didn't recycle.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #24 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 29, 2008 at 20:32:19 PT
Assholes at ICMag blame Rachael!
".....The rat got exterminated, its the name of the game....I feel that it should be the fate of anyone who cooperates with LEO in such a way....if she wouldn't have narc'd, she would still be alive....you cant get lower than a rat....nobody forced her to become a rat.....snitches get stiches
and end up in ditches....Fuck that Ho...."http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=90675
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #23 posted by FoM on July 29, 2008 at 20:26:20 PT
fight_4_freedom 
It was an experience for sure. I think we have seen more natural disasters and mostly because our climate is changing. I think we will see more coastline flooding. I suspect they knew all along what could happen. Alaska has oil but too much snow. If the snow melts it will be easier to get to and drill for oil. It seems like it's all about economics and not much about the people's lives being changed by a warming climate.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #22 posted by paul armentano on July 29, 2008 at 20:24:44 PT
FYI: Capitol Hill press conference TOMORROW! 
NORML Press Advisory: US Lawmakers To Hold Capitol Hill Press Conference Tomorrow To Urge Ending Federal Marijuana ProhibitionTue, 29 Jul 2008 21:10:07 By: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Share This Article    WHAT: Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) and other House members will convene a press conference on Wednesday, June 30, in support of legislation to remove federal penalties for personal marijuana use, and take questions from the media.HR 5843, An Act To Remove Federal Penalties for the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults, seeks eliminate federal penalties for possession of up to 100 grams of marijuana, and for the not-for-profit transfer of up to one ounce of marijuana.Representatives from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) will also participate in this press conference.WHEN: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 10:00amWHERE: Room 2220 Rayburn House Office BuildingCONTACT: R. Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel, at (202) 483-5500.
http://www.norml.org
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #21 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 20:23:09 PT:
Another Sad Story of a Drug Bust Gone Bad
A routine marijuana check in Cass County, Michigan, turns deadly.Michigan State Police say 51-year-old Niles Wilson shot himself when he realized he had been caught growing nearly 130 marijuana plants on his property.Police estimate the value of his marijuana crop at roughly $195,000.Several police agencies spent the day Monday investigating the area near Wilson's home on Jefferson Center Road.Surrounding streets were blocked off for hours.All of the day's events were a shock for police, but especially for Wilson's neighbors.It started out with state police helicopters running a hemp operation. When they thought they discovered some fields near Wilson's home, they knocked on the door, but they never got to speak to Wilson.It was a scene very few neighborhoods experience -- more than 130 marijuana plants dragged out of a home by police.http://www.wndu.com/localnews/headlines/26014809.html#
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #20 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 20:17:01 PT:
Wow
So you were basically there right after it happened. That must have been an unfortunate scene. But at least it didn't happen while you were out there.I still can't imagine the devastation. Mother nature can be wicked at times. Is it just me, or does it seem like there has been a lot more natural disasters over the past few years than usual?
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #19 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 18:57:30 PT:
Please do our fellow activist a favor and
vote for him in this poll. He is running for state representative here in MI. It will only take a second.http://www.politicalgateway.com/cand.php?id=758 That's his political agenda. Here's a snip from itMy platform is simple:
I would introduce legislation for the support of industrial hemp in Michigan.Work with the communities to find ways to create jobs and help business stay in business. (after all who knows better what the needs are then the business and people of the communities).In order to truly Represent my constituents I would like to set up a web based poll that explains each issue that comes to a vote in the house, they can vote online on the issue, do the same in the newspapers with a cut out that they can vote for or against the issue and mail it in to my office.
The way the community votes will be the way I vote.Never vote to raise taxes unless my constituents approve it.Never vote to give myself a raise.Some of my beliefs:There is too much government interference in our lives.We need to uphold the constitution of the United States.Budget cuts should start at the top, the governor, senators, and the house of representatives should take a cut in pay before even considering budget cuts to schools, or raising taxes.http://www.alpenanow.com please vote for him here. Just scroll down on that first page and you'll see the poll.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #18 posted by FoM on July 29, 2008 at 18:53:56 PT
fight_4_freedom 
I was living here but when my son got really sick I had to fly out to be with him. The earthquake happened about a week before I had to go to LA. Trying to get to where they lived from the airport took a lot of weaving thru side streets. The one hospital was destroyed and the confusion there was unbelievable. Cedars Sinai where he finally was cared for had floor separation and the multi level parking garage was unstable and couldn't be used. Everything was in disarray. I'll never forget it. I talked to a man who worked on the Star Trek series that was a friend of my sons and we talked about aftershocks and that's about all. It was on everyones mind.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #17 posted by museman on July 29, 2008 at 18:46:18 PT
law enforcement accountability
If such a thing ever existed for more than a brief political moment, the 'war' would have been over long ago.If you are a poor man, and your dog bites somebody, your dog gets trained, disciplined, or taken away and euthenized.If you are a rich man, and your dog bites somebody, they obviously deserved it.Poor men don't have cops, rich men do. Dogs and cops, similar mindset amongst most of 'em -none-. All bark and adrenaline with an all too often attending explosion of violence and destruction. Service to the status quo that gives them their powerWay too many cops are into sexual bondage and S&M. Young women are abused, raped, and used as 'bait' in their schemes to apprehend their illegal counterparts.The practice of paying informants -particularly low-life scum types to grant 'testimonial evidence' for the basis of 'probable cause' and obtaining 'no-knock' warrants is another insidious practice that needs to see the light of day.On many crimes the statute of limitations has been suspended, the list of crimes crosses generations, and the criminals in the guise of 'peace officers' have themselves gotten away with every crime, real and imagined ever to cross a D.A.s desk. So according to just 'law' alone there is a lot to be accounted for. If you throw in ethics and human rights, the crimes are monstrous in proportion.I can still remember one cop who took advantage of a fiance of mine, -over a speeding ticket. I nearly went to L.A. to hunt him down. These kinds of things have been going on for a long time. Its good to see the light beginning to shine in the shadows
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #16 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 18:46:02 PT:
ASA E-mail I just received
Dear ASA Supporter, The DEA’s attempts to undermine California ’s medical cannabis laws are getting even worse.  Today, Orange County ASA members reported a paramilitary-style raid at Nature’s Wellness, a medical cannabis collective operating within California state law. Balking at the laws of California ’s voters and state legislature, machine gun-wielding DEA agents broke down doors, damaged property, and seized confidential patient information in their continued abuse of authority in oppressing the democratic rights of Californians.  This needs to stop! Contact your Congressperson and tell them they must stand up for the rights of law-abiding California citizens to be free of violence and threats by federal agents!California voters approved proposition 215 in 1996, allowing seriously ill patients to use cannabis with a doctor’s recommendation. In 2004, the state legislature enacted SB 420, clarifying and affirming the law, and all subsequent courts have ruled that California ’s law can rightfully exist. Despite this, DEA chooses to ignore our democratic values and to arrest Californians who’ve done nothing but follow our state law. The abuse by DEA is malicious, but Congress can stop it! Click on this link to you’re your lawmaker, then call their office and have them ask House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) to hold oversight hearings to call DEA to account! During the raid, ASA activated our Emergency Response text alert system, alerting protesters to the scene who showed the DEA that we stand together in opposing their abuse!  Sign up for the text alert system and then become an ASA member!Thank you for all of your support! Sincerely, George Pappas	
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #15 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 18:44:07 PT:
Wow, I didn't realize that was such a 
powerful earthquake. I'm sure that's something that you can remember like it was yesterday.Were you living out that way?
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #14 posted by afterburner on July 29, 2008 at 18:17:11 PT
4 words
"cruel and unusual punishment"
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #13 posted by FoM on July 29, 2008 at 17:13:11 PT
fight_4_freedom 
I'm glad they are ok. I was out in West Hollywood right after North Ridge in 94. The aftershocks just kept on coming. When I got home when I stepped into my house I stopped and said to my husband the room is not moving. It was still. I had become accustomed to the slight movements that were going on all the time when I was there.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by FoM on July 29, 2008 at 17:09:53 PT
Progress
I see progress. Senator Webb talks about our prison population and how things must change. Senator Dodd in a debate stood up for decriminalization of marijuana. We've had many years with the Republicans in control and nothing has changed. We all know to well the assault on Prop 215. 
And Barney Frank is coming to the rescue. Govenor Richardson stood up for medical marijuana in his state. Change might happen in the coming years. At least it will be better then what we have now.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 16:57:15 PT:
FoM: My sister had to run out of the house with 
both of her kids when she felt the movement. She said it only lasted 10 seconds or so. But it still scared her to death with that being her first earthquake experience. But from what I've heard there hasn't been any major injuries of deaths from it so that is a plus.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 16:53:31 PT:
"This isn't a concept we're fighting for; 
it's peoples lives".....You hit the nail on the head with that one. I wish other people could just see that though.Like you said Hope, so many people will make the argument that the only reason we fight is for the right to get high. And they couldn't be more wrong.I really feel every single individual who was involved in this sting gone bad should be held accountable for their actions. They have not only took the life of an innocent young woman, but they have destroyed the lives of everybody that was close to her. They should all be punished to the fullest extent.May God Bless Rachel and her family.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by Hope on July 29, 2008 at 16:37:43 PT
Exactly, Paul.
"This isn't a concept we're fighting for; it's peoples lives..."The fury I feel at those who say we who fight against these unjust and ridiculous laws "just want to smoke dope legally... blah, blah, blah". It's a hell of a lot more than that. A whole hell of a lot more than that.
 
How can anyone be so ignorant as not to see what is happening in the name of these laws?We have to stop the killing and stop the injustice and destruction of lives caused by wrong, unjust, and truly idiotic laws.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by paul armentano on July 29, 2008 at 15:58:45 PT
Sam Adams, Storm Crow, etc.
Thanks for the feedback. This was a really tough story to write. Seriously, I was depressed all day Friday in advance of the 20/20 story because it brought this sad saga up all over again. And believe me, from communicating with one of Rachel's good friends I can tell you with certainty that there are even more details about the cops abhorrent behavior in this case that have not become public that would just make you even sicker. Or at least reinforce many of the stereotypes we already know about police behavior.The other thing about this case, and its coverage, that irks me is that Police Chief Dennis Jones is taking all the heat. Trust me, he deserves much of it, but there are numerous TPD officials culpable for Rachel's death that have remained faceless and nameless throughout this saga -- starting with the two officers who came to her house and cut their back-room, improper deal with her. (I'm aware of the name of one of the officers, but I elected not to print it.) Of course, there's also the TPD supervisors who set up and signed off on the sickening attempted 'sting,' that got her killed -- as well as the cops who were supposed to have been tailing her, but later claim to have "lost" Rachel down a back-woods road. Yes, there are many, many names that should be held accountable that, to date, have yet to even be made public. But does this surprise you?Sam Adams wrote: "This is what drives me crazy. The Democrats love to complain about what's happening in Iraq. But the government is making war on people right here in our own towns too! We shouldn't be surprised at Iraq, they're just like a sick vaudeville act, taking their show on the road to bigger audiences and budget."This drives me crazy too. We'll read news articles and columns and blogs screaming about, say, the troubling conditions prisoners face it Gitmo -- all the while these same people turn a blind eye to the conditions in prison right here in America! It's time to stop talking about these abuses as if they are abstractions; they're reality. This isn't a concept we're fighting for; it's peoples lives...
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by fight_4_freedom on July 29, 2008 at 15:27:24 PT:
Just got an e-mail alert from Safe Access
A dispensary in Orange County is currently being raided. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by Sam Adams on July 29, 2008 at 13:23:08 PT
another great column
again I have to admire the way Mr. Paul remains patient and methodical in his writings, and persuasive, even on subjects that make your blood boil!  And he brought up the LEO accountability issue, which is a taboo subject in the USA.I'm glad to see some people at ABC and 20/20 still care too. As for the cops - what did people expect? You take a bunch of guys with high school education, put them above the law, give them fancy guns and cars, and send them out to do an impossible task - stop drug use - and what do you expect to happen!This is a good time to point that not a single Democrat or Republican running for president thought this was worthwhile to mention on the campaign trail.  This is what drives me crazy. The Democrats love to complain about what's happening in Iraq. But the government is making war on people right here in our own towns too! We shouldn't be surprised at Iraq, they're just like a sick vaudeville act, taking their show on the road to bigger audiences and budgets.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by HempWorld on July 29, 2008 at 12:35:10 PT
Karma ...
Commentator Robert Novak 
Diagnosed With Brain Tumor
Associated Press
July 28, 2008 6:57 p.m.BOSTON -- Conservative political commentator Robert Novak announced Monday he has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, less than a week after he struck a pedestrian with his Corvette and drove away.Mr. Novak, 77 years old, fell ill on Cape Cod this weekend while visiting his daughter and was rushed to Brigham and Women's Hospital, where he said he was diagnosed Sunday with the tumor. 
Getty Images 
Columnist Robert Novak during a taping of 'Meet the Press' in February. 
"I will be suspending my journalistic work for an indefinite but, God willing, not too lengthy period," Mr. Novak, editor of the Evans-Novak Political Reports, said in the statement released by his publisher, Eagle Publishing.Mr. Novak has been a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades. His assistant, Kathleen Connolly, told the newspaper that doctors hadn't yet done a biopsy to determine if the tumor was malignant.She said Mr. Novak was alert and talking in the hospital's intensive care unit. Mr. Novak's office refused further comment to the Associated Press, other than to confirm the comments on the newspaper Web site.Hospital spokesman Kevin Myron confirmed Mr. Novak was a patient, but said Mr. Novak requested that no further information be released.Last week, Mr. Novak was given a $50 citation after he struck a homeless man with his black Corvette in downtown Washington. Mr. Novak kept going until he was stopped by a bicyclist, who said the man was splayed on Mr. Novak's windshield.Mr. Novak is best-known as the longtime co-host of CNN's "Crossfire," where he bumped heads with liberal co-hosts from 1980 to 2005, when he left to join Fox News as an occasional contributor.Mr. Novak was criticized after he was the first to publicly reveal the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame in a 2003 column. His column came out eight days after Ms. Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson, said the Bush administration had twisted prewar intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat.Copyright © 2008 Associated Press
Cannabis Cures Many Forms Of Cancer! On A Mission From God!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 29, 2008 at 11:52:37 PT
OT: Earthquake in Los Angeles Area
It was a 5.8. I hope everyone is ok.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by observer on July 29, 2008 at 11:25:04 PT
Robert Novak, Medicinal Cannabis
Novak hit by tumour diagnosis
BOSTON: Conservative political commentator Robert Novak announced yesterday he has been diagnosed with a brain tumour, less than a week after he struck a ... http://news.google.com/?q=Robert+Novak Robert Novak on the subject of medical marijuana, November 29, 2004:
NOVAK: Mr. Fox, let's be really candid about this. And I'm going to read you a quote over a year ago Dr. Robert L. DuPont, former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. He said -- quote -- "Medical marijuana is a hoax. It's a Trojan horse for the legalization movement" -- end quote....[snip]NOVAK: No medical association has endorsed it, correct?FOX: The California Medical Association, the New York State Medical Society.NOVAK: No national medical association has endorsed it.[snip]NOVAK: Mr. Fox, can I ask you if you in favor of national legalization of marijuana for all purposes?FOX: Well, I could answer that, but what you're trying to do, like most people opposed to medical marijuana do, is divert the issue.NOVAK: You won't answer it?FOX: Oh, sure. I think marijuana should be regulated, just like alcohol is. Right now, it's a situation...[snip]NOVAK: Let me read you a quote from a guy named Tom Constantine. He was President Clinton's director of drug enforcement, a New York state, former New York state cop, said Proposition 215 in California, Proposition 200 in Arizona, were drafted, financed and supported by legalization proponents such as yourself, using the compassionate pain argument as a guise for their drug legalization agenda.Isn't it clear what's happening here? You don't have to have -- unless you just fell off the marijuana truck, you would not miss that, would you? [snip]NOVAK: No. I'm just a dispassionate reporter. [snip]NOVAK: I think it's baffling that we're talking about a medicine that you smoke. I think smoking is really bad for you. Why can't we just have a straight debate on whether marijuana is harmful and should continue to be outlawed without this smokescreen of medicine? I can't believe that you really seriously think that this is the way to administer a pain medicine, through smoking it. (APPLAUSE)
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0411/29/cf.01.htmlhttp://www.google.com/search?q=Novak+%22brain+tumor%22+marijuana+|+cannabis
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on July 29, 2008 at 09:45:13 PT
Tallahassee Police Chief Dennis Jones
I think the last person on TV that I cussed so much at and damned to hell so many times was Dick Cheney.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by Storm Crow on July 29, 2008 at 09:39:37 PT
Paul....
Thank you.
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment