Pubdate: Wed, 22 Jun 2005
Source: Orange County Register, The (CA)
Copyright: 2005 The Orange County Register
Contact:  http://www.ocregister.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/321
Author: Diane Fallon
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain)
Cited: Gonzales v. Raich ( www.angeljustice.org/ )
Note: Diane Fallon is a freelance writer who lives in Irvine.

A COURT BENEATH CONTEMPT

Decision On Medical Marijuana Driven By Fear And Fraud, Not Compassion

When I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma a few years ago, my 
primary concern, other than wondering if I'd still be above ground in 
a year, was how sick I would get from the drugs. While this was 
something I would not know until the drugs actually flowed through my 
veins, I did know, without doubt, that I would smoke marijuana, if 
need be, to combat the bad side effects. Personally, I didn't give a 
hoot about anyone else's opinion, supreme or otherwise.

The recent ruling by the Supreme Court rejecting the right of 
patients to grow marijuana was truly astounding, although it should 
not have been considering how inconsistent this group has been in its 
decisions. I suspect, however, that most people, sick or not sick, 
feel exactly as I do - who cares? Who is anyone, whether it is a 
judge, senator, priest or doctor, to tell us what we can put in our 
bodies to help deal with sickness? And what kind of person thinks 
they have the moral authority to do so?

Recently we were all put through the spectacle of the Terri Schiavo 
case. Pundits lined up on both sides of the issue, but the right, who 
are, for the most part, the people who wage the war against the 
medical use of marijuana, kept insisting how inhumane it was for this 
woman to be starved to death, that she was being tortured and must be 
suffering terribly. Because Terri could not speak for herself, the 
assumption that she must be suffering was pure speculation, even 
though doctors insisted that starvation is a painless death. Even 
months after her death the ad nauseam campaign continues.

Let's move on to the more common scenario of thousands of Americans 
writhing in pain on a daily basis. These are living, breathing people 
who can clearly articulate what they need to ease their suffering. 
They don't ask anything of anyone, other than to leave them alone. 
How simple a request is that? Leave them alone. Surely lawmakers and 
enforcers have better things to do than kick down the doors of sick 
people. No one kicked down the door as Terri Schiavo was being 
starved to death in front of the entire world. In fact, the enforcers 
prevented people, including her own family, from breaking down the 
doors to save her.

This recent decision speaks volumes about the law as well. Most of us 
know, or should know, that the majority of laws have nothing to do 
with what's right or wrong but rather what's politically expedient. A 
law is only as good as the person who makes it, and if the person who 
makes it is a jackass, then, ergo, the law is a jackass as well.

Many laws are ridiculous, but the ones regarding how one chooses to 
use their own body are self-serving. A government that gives its seal 
of approval to euthanasia but outlaws the medicinal use of a drug 
that is grown by Mother Nature (aka God) has no moral authority.

The laws regarding marijuana were made by scared little men and 
women, whose concern was that someone, somewhere, at sometime was 
actually enjoying themselves. Horror of all horrors! But that is 
another column for another day. Unfortunately, these same people 
continue to rule the day while their fellow Americans thumb their 
noses in disgust.

Just as Dorothy found out that the Great Oz was just a scared man 
afraid of even a little dog, so too do we as a nation of individuals 
need to view our courts and government. They are mere mortals who are 
also afraid of the bogeyman, and in this case the bogeyman has a name 
- - marijuana. Let's pull back the curtain and expose their fear and 
fraud. Just as Dorothy did, people need to realize that that real 
power lies within, and nothing scares the bejesus out of the Great Oz 
more than that.

Living with a potentially life-threatening illness is really not so 
bad. I'm in complete charge of my health and I know that there are 
people who are a lot sicker than me. Take those six on the Supreme 
Court, for example. Please.
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MAP posted-by: Beth