Pubdate: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 Source: Free Press, The (Houston, TX) Copyright: 2005 The Free Press, Houston Contact: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3222 Note: This newspaper does not have a website. Author: Dean Becker Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion) FEAR... MAKES THE DRUG WAR POSSIBLE Fear... could make this drug war... last forever! Without the superstition, demonization and the public's blind acceptance of our venerable witch doctor's pronouncements, drug prohibition would easily be seen as the utter failure... of all time. Our shaman, our keepers of the public morals... in this case, the Attorney General, the Drug Czar, the administrator of the DEA, these are the chief shaman, our witch doctors if you will. "Give one of these Mexican beet workers a few puffs... from a marijuana cigarette, and he'll think he's just been elected president of Mexico... and set out to kill all his enemies." ... That's an actual quote from the legislative "proceedings" just before the first marijuana law was passed in the state of Wyoming.... What we have been doing in the US, for the last 100 years or so, is vilifying certain of our brethren, because they do drugs. Somewhat like the US civil war, which pitted brother against brother, father against son, so too does the drug war; pit us against one another over ideologies. Fear, is relative. It's based on our experience, our training, our upbringing and just plain old propaganda. During WWII, in Germany, Jews and Gypsies, were considered by the Third Reich as "unconditionally exterminable." Propaganda like this swayed the German population to support the Reich and unified the people in their hatred of Jews and other groups. They were led to believe that Jews were to blame for the war and for the German peoples other sufferings and grievances Let's think about that... led to believe. We have also been led to believe that drug users are "unconditionally exterminable." We have been taught that users are damned, literally damned and if we can't break them from their habits, then death would be the best we can hope for them. And why would we come to believe this? Why are users exterminable? Fear, derived from endless propaganda... flowing from the supposed bastion of truth, the US government, the US media and the multinational corporations that love the drug war, that make billions of dollars because of drug prohibition. Fear is relative; it's mostly about ourselves, our family, our loved ones, and the future. Would fear overwhelm you if you learned your child had been doing drugs? One of my three sons was on a years long binge, doing this terrible drug nearly every day, neglecting his family, losing his job... destroying his life. Imagine my great relief to discover that he had stopped using this most terrible drug of them all... alcohol... and switched, to doing nothing but marijuana. Many doctors are now daring to say that for many alcoholics, marijuana is a Godsend. Notable, here in Harris county, there's Dr. Terry Rustin. Dr. Rustin has spent years helping addicts at the county's psychiatric hospital. They're so overwhelmed they turn away up to 40 substance abusers a day because there's no room. Dr. Rustin says that marijuana addicts far fewer of its users than certainly cocaine and even alcohol, and often with less serious consequences. Dr. Rustin told CBS news: "There are a lot of people who would be better off if they used marijuana than if they used alcohol." My father was an alcoholic; he was the driver when he and 3 of his buddies died in a car wreck. I am an alcoholic, for a dozen years I had countless accidents, tickets and arrests. On May 8th 1985 I quit drinking, preferring to smoke the occasional joint if I want to catch a buzz. I have not had a ticket, an accident or been arrested since. So, it's "cutting time". Who do you trust, the illustrious drug czar or more than one hundred prestigious medical organizations that agree with Dr. Rustin? "God made marijuana, man made beer, who do you trust?" Contact your Texas legislators at: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/ Ed Rosenthal, America's Guru of Ganja is coming to Houston for the 4:20 Fest on Saturday, April 23 at the Last Concert Cafe. The 4:20 Fest will feature eight great bands including Slapshifter, Mikado, Grooving Ground, Guy Schwartz & The New Jack Hippies, Sean Reefer & The Resin Valley Boys, The Hightailers and Mark May & The Agitators. ( Starts 4:20 PM. ) Note: On Friday, April 22 at 1PM, Ed Rosenthal and a coalition of organizations will be at the Harris County Courthouse to call for an end to the war on medicinal marijuana users. Call Dean Becker at 281-752-9198 to learn more.