To The Editor; Managing Editor Jim Reagen editorials have criticized anyone who dares to back the reform of the draconian Rockefeller drug laws. The reasons Mr. Reagen use for resisting change are plausible but data and research from various agencies put a different light on the issue. The scope of drug law reform is so large that it would be impossible to supply the managing editor with all the pertinent information in this letter but, I chose some interesting facts that I would hope give Mr. Reagen and Mr. Kelly a different perspective on the issue. One last thing I would like to mention to Mr. Reagen is that it's not only Democrats that are seeking drug law reform; there are Republicans, Libertarians and Independent Party members in the advocacy for change. [continues 308 words]
To The Editor; Once again Editor Reagan is using the Ogdensburg Journal to exert his sanctimonious wisdom on the public. This time his target is Assemblywoman Addie Jenne Russell for her vote to reform the Rockefeller drug laws. Our current drug laws have been a dismal failure since their inception 35 years ago. Obviously these extremely punitive laws have not been the deterrent lawmakers intended them to be as drugs are more readily available, purity has vastly improved, and black-markets have flourished since Governor Rockefeller enacted these laws, all the while drug arrest and incarceration rates have skyrocketed. The Editor states that District Attorney's oppose drug law reform as it would make it harder to investigate and prosecute drug cases. The position district Attorneys have taken is understandable, the Rockefeller drug laws have given prosecutors a powerful tool to coerce defendants into accepting plea bargains of a lesser sentence or provide information on other citizens. Prosecutors often use these harsh laws to intimidate defendants into forgoing their Constitutional right to a jury trial for fear that if they are found guilty a very lengthy sentence will be handed down, often longer than a murderer, child molester, or rapist would receive. [continues 62 words]
Dear Editor; In the last two weeks Kevin Doran, Lawrence Sequin, and Stan White have submitted letters to the editor on issues that are having a substantial impact on our privacy and liberties. These gentlemen realize that our Government is using fear of terrorism and illicit drug use as a means to usurp our rights. I wonder how Thomas Jefferson or John Adams would react to the humiliation of having their person or belongings sniffed by a drug dog at a Border Patrol check point or having to produce a National ID card at Independence Hall. [continues 70 words]
On Jan. 31, we were shocked at the news of a horrific knife assault on a Massena man. The alleged assailant was on probation for other violent assaults when he committed another crime so heinous it chills the body and mind. With the increase of law-enforcement personnel in Northern New York one would think violent criminals would be removed from our streets for a very long time or permanently. The FBI Uniform Crime Report of September 2007 gives insight as to where the focus of law-enforcement actually is. [continues 125 words]
To The Editor: In part I agree with the editorial "Crack Epidemic Can't Be Ignored.", we do have a serious crack cocaine problem in this city, county, and country including the crime associated with it. As a drug law reformer I take issue with the editor's presumptuous label "recreational drug use lobby". Over the years the editors of the Ogdensburg Journal have penned some very acrimonious editorials against people who dare to question the wisdom of our government's war on drugs. Many of us have often tried to explain to the editors our position to no avail. I would like to make it perfectly clear to the editors that drug law reformers do not advocate drug use, and that nobody I know of wants to see their children involved with illicit or legal drugs including alcohol. [continues 264 words]
To The Editor: I fully agree with Editor Charles Kelly's claim there is a drug problem in St. Lawrence County and the country for that fact. Mr. Kelly has asked community leaders to come together to address the problem but what do they do? Do they demand more of a drug policy which has been a failure since its inception nearly 40 years ago? Harsher laws and longer sentences have not worked when you stop to look at what our society has become. [continues 220 words]
I would like to express my disappointment in Congressman John McHugh's vote against The Hinchey-Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment to the Science-State-Justice-Commerce Appropriations bill. That amendment sought to prevent the federal government from wasting taxpayer money undermining state medical marijuana laws. More than 20% of the U.S. population lives in a state where patients have legal access to medical marijuana, including residents of Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Yet, medical use of marijuana is the only public health issue wherein the key stakeholders have not only been ignored, but actively face prosecution and imprisonment. The medical benefits of marijuana for cancer, AIDS, MS and other patients are well established. The Institute of Medicine has determined that nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety "all can be mitigated by marijuana." [continues 204 words]
To The Editor: I would like to express my disappointment in Congressman John McHugh's vote against The Hinchey-Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment to the Science-State-Justice-Commerce Appropriations bill. That amendment sought to prevent the federal government from wasting taxpayer money undermining state medical marijuana laws. More than 20% of the U.S. population lives in a state where patients have legal access to medical marijuana, including residents of Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Yet, medical use of marijuana is the only public health issue wherein the key stakeholders have not only been ignored, but actively face prosecution and imprisonment. The medical benefits of marijuana for cancer, AIDS, MS and other patients are well established. The Institute of Medicine has determined that nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety "all can be mitigated by marijuana." The esteemed medical journal, The Lancet Neurology, reports that marijuana's active components "inhibit pain in virtually every experimental pain paradigm. [continues 183 words]
To The Editor: I feel Monday's editorial "Dangerous Weekend" was inappropriate to associate drug law reform groups to the terrible incident that involved area teenagers and the prescription drug Fentanyl. If the Editor could open his mind he would find that people who advocate drug law reform are as much against teenage drug use as any other parent, as matter of fact I applaud the sheriffs deputies for their diligent work tracking down the patches and youths that were abusing them. [continues 168 words]
The Editor was quite correct in his assessment of the current drug law enforcement situation in NNY. In his editorial "Use Reasonable Force" he makes two excellent points. One, that multi agencies are used to do the job that state police or sheriffs could easily handle and two, that law enforcement officers are using heavy handed tactics enforcing drug laws. As a resident of St. Lawrence County I am aware of the escalating use of federal law-enforcement officers (border patrol, and US customs) in what should be local law enforcement jurisdiction. Not only is this type of enforcement heavy handed, it is down right expensive to taxpayers. [continues 136 words]
To The Editor: Chief Border Patrol Agent Stanley V. Spencers' letter to the editor certainly was a detailed description of the border patrols mission in NNY. In light of the continuous checkpoints we endure in the course of our daily lives in St. Lawrence County his carte blanche approach to enforcing laws is no surprise. Mr. Spencer's statement that agents can conduct warrantless searches on vehicles within 100 air miles of the border is somewhat contrary to the information that I have reviewed on the matter. In November 2002, St. Lawrence County Court Judge Eugene Nicandri dismissed marijuana possession charges against two Syracuse men after a brief suppression hearing. According to the 11/24/02 Watertown Daily Times article. "Judge Drops Marijuana Charges, says Agent had no Cause to Search Car." Judge Nicandri ruled that Border Patrol Agent Gonzales had no reason to stop or search the blue Cadillac that contained the drug, and he coerced the occupants into opening the trunk. The reason Agent Gonzales gave for stopping the vehicle was the occupants "failed to make eye contact." Further information revealed that agents at checkpoints do not need probable cause or a traffic violation to stop and question drivers. Federal law say drivers are obligated to answer questions about citizenship. However, agents are not allowed to search cars without the permission of the driver or without probable cause. The bark of a drug dog is reason for probable cause. [continues 282 words]
To The Editor: Editor Charles Kelly has certainly shown his authoritarian nature in his editorial "Road Checks Important". The Editor apparently feels the border patrol checkpoints are necessary to end the war on marijuana. Worst of all, he wants us to smile and thank agents who violate our 4th Amendment right when they subject us to these intrusive road blocks. If the Editor would stop and research the issue of border patrol checkpoints it is possible he might see the whole picture. First, the stated purpose of roadblocks is usually legalized excuses to stop and scrutinize motorists for which there would otherwise be no reason to do so. These excuses include sobriety checks, license and registration verification, possession of insurance, proof of citizenship and seatbelt usage. [continues 499 words]
To The Editor: After reading The Journal article "Agencies Trying to put a Dent in Drug Traffic" (July 22) and, "Law Enforcement Hot on the Drug Smugglers Trail" (July 25) it appears the Border Patrol is trying to justify huge increases in manpower, intrusive road blocks, and river patrols in Northern New York. Interviews with Border Patrol agents suggest the interdiction of smuggled marijuana is futile but profitable for law-enforcement as well as organized crime. Agent Dick Ashlaw admits he doesn't know what percent of the total drugs being trafficked is intercepted. [continues 295 words]
In response to "Get Back to Agenda", it seems the writer is disturbed that Mayor Jeff Graham questioned the enforcement of marijuana laws. In a free and open society everyone has the inalienable right to voice their opinion on government or laws. Personally, I respect the Mayor for discussing this issue. As massive budget deficits at the Federal, State, and local levels are becoming a huge burden on all taxpayers, perhaps it's time we reassess the way our tax dollars are being spent, including the arresting and jailing of marijuana users. [continues 107 words]
To The Editor: The letter "Cold Medicine" that Ms. Nina Denny wrote resonates what is happening across the country. Unfortunately Ms. Denny and her fiancee are innocent victims of the misguided war on drugs by simply trying to provide enough cold medicine for their entire family. The scrutiny they received not only can happen at Wal-Mart but at other major chain stores such as Walgreen's, Dominick's, Jewel-Osco, CVS and Hy-Vee. The three package limit of products containing pseudeophedrine is often a voluntary measure put in place by the large retailers at the recommendation of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). I could find no federal statues that actually regulate the sale of cold medicine but, several states like Arkansas, California, Iowa, Missouri, Oregon, Washington, and North Carolina, have enacted laws limiting the sales of cold medicines containing pseudeophedrine. [continues 203 words]
To The Editor: The Dec. 10 Watertown Daily Times article "Marijuana Found in Lisbon had Little Potency, Police Say" exposes the futility of the war on drugs in terms of wasted man power and equipment on a plant with no psychoactive value. At first glance the Sept. 10 Prey road incident in which 75,000 to 80,000 marijuana plants were found seemed to be a huge bust. However, most area residents saw through the newspaper hype and knew the plants were the infamous Lisbon wild pot. [continues 158 words]
To The Editor: When I read The Journal article "$30 to $80 Million in Pot" I was astonished at the numbers given (75,000 to 80,000 marijuana plants). Through telephone calls from Lisbon area residents it became evident that the pot was the infamous wild hemp that grows in a certain section in the Town of Lisbon. This growth of hemp has flourished for many years. One resident told me that a hemp rope factory once existed in that area, which explains the plants escape into the wild. In the 09/12/03 WDT article "Lack of Care Cut Crops Pot-ential" Sheriff Gary Jarvis said he could not determine if the plants had been sown where they were found or growing wild. Michael Hunter, Field Crop Extension Agent, with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Jefferson County said it looked like marijuana but really wasn't t. Steve Vandermark, Horticultural and Natural Resources Educator, with Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County said it was some sort of native hemp. [continues 250 words]
To The Editor: On Monday 9/08/03 I witnessed a great gathering of true patriots at Mondays St. Lawrence County Legislature meeting. What drew these people from all walks of life was a resolution which seeks changes in the USA Patriot Act to protect civil liberties. It was refreshing to see so many people concerned about the assault on the Bill of Rights by the Federal Government. Unfortunately, the progressive debate was hindered by mean-spirited remarks by Legislators Richard Wilson, Charles Romigh, and Shawn Gray. In particular Legislator Wilson comments were the most offensive. At one time insinuating that the group was an army of well meaning "useful idiots" marshaled by opponents of the Patriot Act by quoting Lenin. [continues 184 words]
To The Editor: Apparently Editor Charles Kelly has an obsession with putting people who use marijuana in jail. In Kelly comments "Will Drugs Be Tolerated?" (11/10/02) the editor complains that the DA and the courts are not prosecuting marijuana law violators harsh enough. It seems a record 6.6 million people in the U.S. penal system is not enough for Mr. Kelly. Recently we had one of the cities' more prominent businessman receive a light sentence for a very serious and near deadly crime and as I recall, the editor did not criticize the district attorney or court judge for being too lenient. I think it is ludicrous that all to often non -violent drug offenders are taking jail space that should be reserved for violent criminals. Lee Monnet, Ogdensburg NY [end]
I don't share St. Lawrence County Sheriff Jarvis' optimism that "it's getting harder to buy drugs in St. Lawrence County". There are no statistics to support this claim. Actually it's very hard to monitor illicit drug sales and use because of the punitive nature of our drug policies. Currently we have a policy of prohibition. Prohibition creates a black-market that inflates drug prices to ridiculous levels. Unfortunately these prices are the motivation for many people to become involved in the drug trade. [continues 253 words]
