Pubdate: Thu, 22 Apr 1999
Source: Hartford Advocate (CT)
Copyright: 1999 New Mass. Media, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/
Author: Ken Krayeske

PICK AND ROLL A JOINT

Pot-carrying UConn basketball star Khalid El-Amin: hero or goat? Scoop sees
it both ways. The Drugs Don't Work clones must figure he's a goat and bad
example, while the drug reform policy crowd wants him to be a hero and urge
for legalization.

The Husky Media Horde calls him a dope, calls for an apology, and calls for
him to change his evil ways. Scoop calls for people to look at this
situation rationally—it's a darn shame El-Amin has to drive to Hartford and
risk arrest for DWB (driving while black) just to score some weed. El-Amin
lives on a perfectly good college campus, where hundreds of hippies, nerds
and jocks spark up—all day, every day. That's higher education, right?

So why haven't some hoop-loving mary-jane-tokers offered to provide El-Amin
with a stash?

Save him the embarassment of a petty bust from a police department looking
to deflect heat.

Scoop also sees a silver lining—the surest way to change an unjust law like
marijuana prohibition is to enforce it. Once people understand that
recreational spliff-smoking has no harmful effects on anyone—college
basketball stars, government officials and insurance adjusters—public
support will force politicians to change their anti-drug posturing.

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