Rev.Steven B.Thompson,Chapter Director
Benzie County NORML
(231) 882-4496
http://www.minorml.org
(Former Executive Director of Michigan NORML
from May,2007 to November,2011)

Help end Cannabis Prohibition at http://www.repealtoday.org

WE DO NOT MANUFACTURE A DRUG…WE GROW A PLANT!!

If we assume that even 15% of the patients should not qualify, we are still left with over 130,000 Michiganders whose lives have been improved by favoring this treatment. Because of their choice of medicine, their interpretation of the new law, and their application to the program, should these sick and disabled patients now be subjected to police break-ins, should they have to spend their life savings defending themselves in court, should they lose their children to CPS, and should they be put in prison? Mr. Schuette says, YES!

We have seen politicians who will attempt to destroy their opposition so that they might succeed. One way to achieve this is to have the police do the work for you. Laws enacted to criminalize some behavior within political groups have historically been used for this very purpose, most famously by Richard Nixon. Demonizing opponents in the eyes of the people is also a very effective tool. Our AG has been employing both of these tactics.

Looking back, Senator Joseph McCarthy gained a great deal of power in the early 50’s as he ruthlessly accused political opponents and personal enemies alike of un-American behavior. Thousands of lives were ruined during those dark days. Many went to prison as a result of his accusations. Others were blackballed and were unable to find work.

Robert Faber wrote a terrific piece recently for AnnArbor.com in which he states that McCarthy’s reign ‘was an embarrassment to our constitution, to our traditions and to the high moral code we like to believe is inherently ours’. He goes on to say ‘We shall always have our fools and ideologues in positions of power, but our system of laws and logic, of checks and balances, is designed to guard against the abuses of ..power, to protect the weakest from the more powerful… If the elected of our democracy, for reasons of greed or power or cowardice, fail in that task, that is the more troubling threat. It was McCarthy’s colleagues who let us down, by failing in their obligation to uphold the spirit and intent and integrity of our democratic system.’

Have you noticed that in his press conferences our AG, flanked by Michigan State Police officers, will ignore the 130,000 and will demonize all cannabis patients as abusers of the medical cannabis law? He uses his pulpit to falsely proclaim that we are a threat to children and a danger on our highways. He has also ‘officially opined’ some rather unreasonable legal positions which have resulted in the arrest of even more patients and caregivers. If you are unaware of his plan, along with Judge O’Connell of the COA, to effectively overturn the MMMAct, you have not been paying attention. AG Schuette has publicly stated that he wants to privatize and fill up our prisons with today’s patients and unfortunately for many, he is well on his way.

Please recall that qualified patients are either seriously ill or disabled. We should not have to spend our precious remaining time fighting to stay out of prison! How many more lives will we allow to be ruined by obsession and political ambition? When will someone stand up publicly to today’s bully as lawyer Joseph Welch did in 1954 and ask, ‘At long last, sir, have you no sense of decency?’