cannabisnews.com: With Eye on Future, Reno Recalls Her Historic Term With Eye on Future, Reno Recalls Her Historic Term Posted by FoM on May 11, 2001 at 17:42:43 PT By Anne Benjaminson, Daily Cal Staff Writer Source: Daily Californian While she may remain forever linked to Waco, Elian Gonzalez and Saturday Night Live, Janet Reno said yesterday she looks forward to a future that includes advocating for children's issues and against a "culture of violence." In a one-on-one interview in Berkeley yesterday, Reno said she fondly remembers her work as attorney general from 1993 to 2001, but considers the 1993 standoff at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, her greatest regret. "We will never know what the right answer was because we don't know whether (David) Koresh would have done the same thing two weeks later," she said. "If we had just been in on the negotiations from the outset, I think there would have been a different response. We've just got to learn what we could do to avoid these problems in the first place." Since leaving Washington, D.C., Reno returned to her home in Florida, where she kayaks, explores her property and visits her friends. She said she would like to teach and write, but spends most of her time speaking publicly about issues that interest her most. "I believe we can end the culture of violence if we start fighting in a new way that includes tough measures when appropriate and early intervention," she said. Her vision includes increasing training in violence prevention at all levels of education and developing job opportunities for young people. "A good job is one of the best forms of social work I know," Reno said. In coming to UC Berkeley—the center of the debate about affirmative action—Reno said she supports the policy, but wants to see it implemented for younger children. "We wait until it's too late to develop programs that should be focusing on kids who are brought into this world and have no say in their destiny," she said. "It should not be focused on higher education to the exclusion of the younger years." Standardized tests, she added, tend to be overemphasized. "We've got to make sure that people understand that test scores and grades are not the best way to judge a person," she said. "The big challenge is how we choose the best people and how we define the best people." Reno, who was appointed by former President Clinton, said she was troubled by his pardoning of financier Mark Rich—whose ex-wife is a major Clinton donor—just before leaving office. "The (pardons) concern me, whether or not I had another term (as attorney general)," she said. As for President Bush, Reno said he should try to be more bipartisan, noting that he did not receive the highest number of popular votes in the election. "I had hoped that he would recognize that he was a minority president and that he would be a little more bipartisan," Reno said. In the future, Reno said she will concern herself with crimes against the elderly and crimes over the Internet. "I'd like to make sure that we develop the capacity to properly respond to cybercrime," she said. "A man can sit in a kitchen in St. Petersburg, Russia, and steal from a man in Chicago." The war on drugs, she said, should focus more on rehabilitation and treatment, but if research proves marijuana has real medical value, she said she would not object to its legalization for medicinal use. "If there is a need for it, I think it should be available for medical use," she said. "Nothing presented to the powers that be in Washington indicated there was any such research—I urge that it be done." But for many young people, Reno will best be remembered for her appearance on "Saturday Night Live," during which she broke through a wall to bring to a halt "Janet Reno's Dance Party," a long-running skit. "My staff brought me a tape, and I was frankly appalled," she said of her initial reaction to the skit. "Then I started occasionally looking at it and beginning to get the giggles over some of the stuff—I realized what a spoof it was." She appeared on the show on her last day in office. "When I walked away from the Justice Department, I felt a big weight lifted off my shoulders," she said. "Then a very dark cloud descended—'You stupid idiot. You agreed to be on "Saturday Night Live."'" After the wall fell down when she tried to crash through it in a dress rehearsal, Reno said she feared her debut as a comedian had fallen flat as well. "I said, 'You're a flop as a comic,' and then I looked beneath the lights and you could see (the audience) say 'It really is her,'" she said. "It proved to me that you have to be able to laugh at yourself." As the first female attorney general, Reno prosecuted criminals and oversaw the FBI, but said even she sees cracks in her talents. "People say, 'You danced great on the show,'" she said. "I said, 'I can't dance!'"Source: The Daily Californian (CA)Author: Anne Benjaminson, Daily Cal Staff WriterPublished: Thursday, May 10, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Daily CalifornianContact: opinion dailycal.orgWebsite: http://www.dailycal.org/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by Imprint on May 12, 2001 at 15:18:13 PT: My two cents Reno,Like Clinton, Reno has given too little too late. While her remarks were refreshing it just doesn’t stand up to the impact it could have had while in office. WingSpan,I love the Beatles and I love Wings. In the parts I did see, this show just didn’t excite me. I liked the history aspect but didn’t care much for the fact the interviewer was his own kid. You just know that the hard questions wouldn’t be asked. Also, since she is so young she wouldn’t have the kind of insight that a seasoned reporter would have. I also felt his answer about pot was a little weak. I hoped for a much more frank answer like “what’s the big deal, pot never hurt me or anyone else”. Instead it was more like “We were young and we did what others did”. I think Paul McCartney is a brilliant songwriter and performer but all in all the show as a little fluffy for me; it was designed to sell more albums. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by swampie on May 12, 2001 at 01:19:34 PT WINGSPAN I am totally bummed-out!I fell asleep on the couch,and my wife went to bed and never informed me that the show was coming on.I guess that I should look at the tv guide more often.Hope that one of my friends taped it!I have followed Sir Pauls'career for a long time ane he sure has my respect.Quite wonderful people!So what if he/they smoke a bit of cannabis?That is probably why they are/were so open-minded about life!If only more people could enjoy a happy life instead of worrying about getting"screwed"by the system....About 1982,my first wife and I were in Baltimore,Md,to visit a friend,and while we were waiting for him to get off work,we went to a bar at the harbor,where there is a world trade center/lots of cultures/foods,etc.As were sitting in an English-style pub,a man sitting in the corner of the bar was talking to my wife from across the room,and when he saw a puzzled look on my face,he came over to introduce himself.He was worried that I would take him wrong about talking to her.His name was Christopher McDonald-Lawford,and he told us that he was the original singer fron the Hermans'Hermits.He wa carrying a 32 track tape with him of new material that he hoped would help him make a comeback.We ended up spending the day with him,and whenour friend showed up we went to a Greek festival.He paid for it all,even called his assistant to bring more money and some herb to enjoy.We even had T-shirts made with our pictures on it to take home.Ohio.The British people are so much more open-minded than Americans are..Kinda makes you wonder which side of the fence the grass is greener...LOL!By the way,he got really stoned and lost his tape in the back seat of a barmaids'car after we left to go home,and we lost contact with him shortly thereafter.(her boyfriend showed up and almost caught them)!AHHH!The good old days!!!I hope you enjoyed my 2-cents... Swampie [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 11, 2001 at 22:14:38 PT McCartney Special Did anyone see The McCartney special tonight on ABC? They did drugs as we all know and were the most normal of people. They were creative, happy, passionate and loving. They lived as they wanted and hurt no one. Aren't they examples of quality people? They sure are in my book. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by lookinside on May 11, 2001 at 22:08:50 PT: alligators... justice would be served if someone would start feeding theflorida gators near ms. reno's home a lawyer a day til theyconsider this the main source of protein...maybe a largegator could save us ms. reno's stream ofbullsh**...unfortunately the gators are probably too smartto eat that kinda trash... [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Rambler on May 11, 2001 at 20:37:03 PT gggggaachkk I gotta blow groceries too.She sounds alot like her boss Klinton,andher pal Barry.As soon as they are no longer in office,they suddenlybecome reformed.They recommend the things they had the power tochange for the years the were in office.The years they did absolutelynothing,or the opposite of what their new unofficial selves recommend.sickening.I have trouble envisioning her in a kayak. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on May 11, 2001 at 19:25:00 PT: She walks away, without a scratch While Esequiel Hernandez was shot by Marine snipers. While Alberto Sepulveda was gunned down, shot in the back while he was lying face-down on the floor as ordered by the nice policeman who killed him. And God alone knows how many died during her watch whose names are unknown to us due to cover-ups. The kind of cover-ups that are in operation to this day.While all over America, families were torn apart by the DrugWar...which she presided over.Her concern for the health and welfare of children is soooo touching, don't you agree?Pardon me while I barf... [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: