Pubdate: Tue, 15 Mar 2005
Source: Maneater, The (Columbia, MO Edu)
Copyright: 2005 The Maneater
Contact:  http://www.themaneater.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1283
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

PROP. 2 PASSED, IT'S TIME TO LET IT STAND

While we're on the topic of constitutionality and democracy, we'd like to 
remind the Columbia Police Officers Association that once an ordinance is 
voted on and passed by an overwhelming majority of the population, it is 
the law of the land. Or, at least the law of Columbia.

The ordinance created by Proposition 2 limits the punishment for possessing 
small amounts of marijuana to a fine in municipal courts and does not strip 
students of financial aid on their first offense. All the CPOA has to do is 
get 2 percent of registered voters to sign a petition putting Proposition 
2's reversal on the ballot. But 61 percent of voters passed the ordinance, 
which is a pretty clear testament as to why it should stand. Although 
getting the issue back on the ballot is theoretically democratic, the CPOA 
is entirely too late in trying to push its agenda.

Democracy is all about the clash of ideas, active petitions, referendums 
and protests from all sides of the debate. Like the groups that actively 
campaigned and lobbied to get Proposition 2 on the ballot and passed in 
November, the CPOA had ample time to push for the ordinance's defeat. But 
once it has the stamp of approval from the majority of Columbia's voting 
population, and given that there really hasn't been a dramatic increase in 
violent crime as a result of the decreased punishment for possession of 
small amounts of marijuana, there isn't a logical reason to overturn it.
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MAP posted-by: Beth