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Most of you know that I a) use marijuana from time to time and like it and b) that I am one of Orange County’s biggest supporters for drug policy reform (the sanitized, feel good term for legalizing drugs that keeps the rabid statists from the left and right at bay.)
I’ll admit it. I’m not as well known as a certain 60-something retired OC Superior Court Judge who has gone toe to toe with Bill O’Reilly. But I do know something about taking rips from a bong and the extensive damage that this failed War on Drugs has done to this country.
This past election season, my main political interests centered around making sure Proposition 19 was passed and that LA County’s Drug Warrior Steve Cooley did not become Attorney General. One out of two isn’t bad. I don’t care for the incoming AG, Kamala Harris, because she still buys into the whole 1950s reefer madness propaganda as do a number of members of the state Democratic Party (i.e. Boxer, Feinstein, Brown), with a few notable exceptions of course (Tom Ammiano and Mark Leno come to mind.)
Why the OC Democratic Party invited aspergillus conspiracy theorist Alexandra Datig to try to convince the party to take a “neutral stance” on Prop 19 (code for a continuing the Drug War) just baffles me. Or as I like to point out to many a registered Democrat that I have made passing acquaintances with this past election season who have tried to convince me to register with their party, please show me where it states in your party’s platform that you support legalizing marijuana and ending the War on Drugs. As far as I know, only three political parties in this state have specific language in their platforms regarding supporting legalization of marijuana and ending the War on Drugs: the Peace and Freedom Party (since 1967), the Libertarian Party (since 1971) and the Green Party (since 1990).
I do know Democrats and Republicans in this county who have the same sentiments that I do on this issue. The Lincoln Club, a group that would never be mistaken for the Sierra Club voted not to endorse Prop 19 by only a 8-6 margin this past fall. To the credit of certain segments of both political parties, the local Democratic Party, the OC Chapter of Campaign for Liberty and the state Republican Liberty Caucus endorsed Prop 19.
Which begs the next question to these “independent minded” people who stray from the party’s groupthink:Ā Why not secede from the Democratic and Republican Parties and join a party that has your best interests in mind? I did many years ago since I could not in good conscience affiliate myself with a party that: a) continues to endorse candidates who support this wrongheaded drug policy b) supports candidates that endorse more restrictions on gun ownership and allowing people to defend themselves against physical danger and harm (reference to a previous piece that I wrote on the Pink Pistols that needs to be profiled…hint, hint š and c) continues to support waging pre-emptive unconstitutional wars overseas and legislation that has stripped us of our civil liberties (FISA and the Patriot Act come to mind)
That’s another conversation for another time where Duane Roberts and I can get under the skins of our editor and other Democratic and Republican party loyalists, apologists and myopic people like the Northwood Night Stalker who continue to believe in the fantasy that President Obama is playing 3-D chess and has a Nixonian secret plan to make us all come together, hold hands and sing a 21st century rendition of “We are the World” with Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber on lead vocals. Or people like the hypocritical Red County blogger/ county government leech Matthew J. “Jerbal” Cunningham who believe that draconian curtailing of Constitutional civil liberties, using torture and waterboarding of foreign insurgents as an interrogation tactic and waging pre-emptive wars are the hallmarks of “limited government, ‘ “freedom” and “fiscal conservatism.”
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Our editor sent me a link regarding a Montana jury pool that decided not to convict someone who was charged with marijuana possession. Here’s the link. I provide, you read and discuss: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/montana_jury_pool_stages_mutiny_over_pot_possessio.php
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