cannabisnews.com: Peter and Todd - A Note From Mom





Peter and Todd - A Note From Mom
Posted by FoM on November 07, 1999 at 13:05:00 PT
By Ann McCormick
Source: Grow Medicine
Dear Friends, When Todd was arrested I couldn't help but think how this was the 2nd time this young man had had to fight an overwhelming enemy for his very life. When cancer was the villain, marijuana leveled the playing field and gave his body the opportunity to fight the disease. 
It was the first domino to fall. It quelled the nausea, eased the pain, increased his appetite. As he ate, he became stronger, more active. He wanted to go outside and play! As he played, he became more fit. His muscles grew, circulation improved. The color returned to his cheeks. The doctors and modern technology saved his life. Marijuana preserved his health. At 26, he was attacked again. This time by OUR government. What was the first thing his accusers denied him? The very substance that had saved him the first time. As pain, nausea, loss of appetite wore down his body and clouded his mind, the government let loose with all the evil ploys, dirty tricks and demonic headgames our tax dollars can provide. Just as athletes go into training to prepare for the big game, defendants must feel strong, healthy and clear minded to help their lawyers prepare their defense. In the summer of '97, Todd was. Todd had, through years of tedious trial and error, developed an holistic lifestyle that maintained his strength and appetite, controlled his pain and provided a sense of overall health, well-being and clarity. Marijuana was one spoke of that wheel, as were a vegan diet, breathing and stretching exercises, the martial arts.. He adhered to a regiment that kept him healthy, was environmentally kind and did not harm any living thing. After enduring 27 solid months of the most oppressive stress one can imagine, and of having his entire health regimen turned upside down, they are now binding and gagging him at what was supposed to be the Moment of TRUTH. Not only did he have to submit to drug testing several times a week, they threw him in jail for 16 days in April, '98 for taking a licensed physician's legally prescribed, Marinol. He was also prohibited from using ANY HEMP DERIVATIVES. From shampoo, to his much loved Hempeh Burgers. At that point I really felt his entire lifestyle was under attack. He was being crucified for being an environmentally responsible vegetarian. Apparently, I had failed to instill in my child the callous indifference of a disposable, junk-food society. My government must see me as a very poor example of American motherhood. But my government has ways of dealing with people like me. Those of us who never seem to get with the program. The 2/3 of the population that consistently votes pro-choice, pro-medical marijuana, - and thwarted the coup to impeach a president just for 'being a guy..'. I am guilty - I wore tie-dyes and bell bottoms - opposed the war and the draft - I expected equal pay for equal work - I loved rock 'n roll. I even wore flowers in my hair from time to time. As a young mother I baked bread and grew berries and veggies and herbs in the back yard. I was one of those 'damn hippies' - those irreverent baby boomers. Our mothers worried about their sons being whisked off to a strange land, for nebulous reasons, to be put in the line of fire and shipped home at some later date possibly altered, parts missing, or maybe even in a box. What about now? As mothers, what do we fear? As a generation, we made ourselves heard. We ended the war, the draft. We made people aware of what we were doing to the environment. We refused to leave our brothers and sisters behind and demanded equality and fairness for all. Equal rights, opportunities - equal voice. We sure did shake things up. Well, guess what? Remember those folks over 30 we warned each other not to trust? They're over 60 now - and they're pissed off. Not all of them - just the ones who maneuvered themselves into policy making positions of power, influence and tyranny. It's payback time and they're coming for the children. My government wants to take my first-born child, lock him in a cage for a minimum of 10 years and possibly for life for GARDENING. This is not a scenario I could ever have imagined as I crouched under my little school desk waiting for the bombs to drop. (and wondering how this flimsy little desk was going to save me from annihilation) I hesitate to comment on Judge King's ruling. It is so egregiously outrageous it speaks for itself. There is nothing I could add about the absurdity of this case that every reasonable person has not thought themselves as it has all unfolded. Our tax dollars are doing this, folks! Please keep that front and center in your minds. WE are funding the War on Drugs, or should I say, the War on US. The War on our children. I think of Thoreau, who went to prison rather than pay taxes to a government who would use it to wage war against Native Americans. During his stay, Ralph Waldo Emerson paid him a visit. Upon seeing his friend behind bars, Emerson gasped, "Henry! Whatever are you doing in there?" Thoreau paused and with a sigh, answered, "No, Ralph. What are YOU doing OUT THERE?" I am proud to be Todd McCormick's mother. I admire his determination, and conviction, his compassion, his courage. My little boy has become a great man. At the same time, I look sadly at those who would try to destroy him and take away his freedom, his future, his very life. I can only wonder how their mothers' hearts must ache. Sincerely Ann McCormick 41 Greenfield Street Pawtucket, RI 02861 401-724-8628 amccormick home.com May be used or distributed freely - in whole or in part for efforts involved in the case of Todd McCormick, Peter McWilliams, Renee Boje and their codefendants. Related Articles & Web Sites:PeterTrialhttp://www.petertrial.com/ Todd McCormick's Grow Medicinehttp://growmedicine.com/Renee Boje's Legal Defense Fundhttp://thecompassionclub.org/reneeLA Drug Case Bars Medical Marijuana Defense - 11/07/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3585.shtmlExtradition Hearing Adjourned for Woman - 11/03/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3549.shtml 
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Comment #2 posted by Cristy on June 11, 2000 at 14:32:57 PT:
Greetings
Hello!I am a mother of a 16 month old son. Much like you I grow veggies, herbs and flowers to accent his room. I was appalled to read your letter. As an avid marijuana smoker myself, I was hurt to find out that OUR government was attempting to deny this young man of his right to live healthfully and freely. If this was the situation of my son, I would be doing exactly what youa re doing now, my friend. I am a young mother, but I am intent on telling my son the truth about our government. I want him to grow up knowing that if he ever was plagued with cancer glacoma or any other disease that is made more comfortable by using marijuana, it was there for him to use. More power to you, sister. I admire your preserverence.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on November 08, 1999 at 14:00:33 PT:
Pass This On... To Your Mother 
Pass this on... to your Mother, your grandmother, the mother of your children, your friend's mom, the lady next door.... With tongue-in-cheek, they dismiss us as 'soccer moms'. The only time they think of us is at election time..It's about time we remind Washington that it takes a iron fist to rule the roost. Start flexing your muscles, we've got some unfinished business with Uncle Sam.MOTHERS OF THE WORLD UNITEA CALL TO ACTIONJoin the CompassionateMoms mail list and help us organize mothers of Medical Marijuana Patients, Prisoners Of the War on Drugs, and others whose families have been torn apart in the name of 'Protecting the Children'Go to: http://members.home.net/amccormick/ scroll down and type your email address into the ListBot box and click 'subscribe'Feel free to jump right in and post - Ladies, we need to talk.....Things need to change and some heads need to roll. We're just the people to do it.(And while we're at it... Who do we see about these $600 hammers and thousand dollar toilet seats? These clowns don't have a clue about budgeting. We need to get this house in order.)Sooooo ....Let's get this act together and take it on the road!Ann McCormick
Grow Medicine
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