- Reactions
to
- Mt
Rushmore State Chapter of NORML
- Postcard
Campaign
- (First
Card sent Sept 13, 1999)
- (Second
Card sent Sept 20)
- (Third
Card sent Sept 27)
- (Fourth
Card sent Oct 4)
- (Fifth
Card sent Oct 11)
- (Sixth
Card sent Oct 18)
-
-
- We received this letter in reaction to
MRSN's announcement of its postcard campaign.
9/8/97
- Hi Bob, Great job!!!
-
- The current government standing on hemp
makes me afraid to stand up. In this land of
"Freedom" freedom of speech, freedom of
beliefs, freedom of unwarranted search and
seizure I am afraid to stand up and agree out
loud.
-
- As a legitimate business man, I can lose
so much. I employ 5 people and pay my taxes
without hassle. I am a moral and fair person
that believes hemp should be legalized. I
agree with your summaries and information on
the website and want to be counted with those
who don't think hemp is as bad as the
government wants to make it out to be. I
believe the only danger associated with hemp
is the same danger associated with
cigarettes.
-
- How can I stand up but still be
anonymous? I feel caught in a catch-22. I
also feel that many other folks are in my
same exact situation. We're afraid to be
branded by current media hype, afraid we'll
be "marked" by the local law enforcement for
future "watching" and then even stopped for
any petty little thing they can dream up.
Being searched (guilty or not) is very
revolting.
-
- Anyway, if you can find a way to be
counted and still anonymous, I'm interested.
Not only is the war on drugs wrong, it makes
regular citizens afraid to exercise their
normal constitutional rights to stand up and
speak, because it goes against current laws.
And then the Media makes us guilty by
association.
- Anyway, THANK YOU for your efforts!
-
- Sender wishes to remain anonymous
-
-
Our Reply
-
- Dear
[Anonymous]
-
- You are doing
something. You've made it easier for us to do
what we need to do. Your sentiments are
similar to those of a huge portion (maybe a
majority) of ordinary people. A large portion
of these folks have been marginalized by
being given criminal records or by
justifiable fear of having one. A more
subversive fear is that of being thought of
as "associating with criminal types" (tougher
and tougher to avoid these
days).
-
- Each week's
postcard
mailing will
cost about $100 in time, cardstock and
postage. Were I to receive a Franklin in an
envelope with no return address, we guess
we'd have to put it to good use,
anonymously.
-
- The dialogue
created by this campaign may make it easier
for more people to see who the good guys are
and to stand with them.
-
- Thanks a lot for
your comments.
-
- Mt Rushmore
State Chapter -- NORML
-
(9/11/99:
MRSC:NORML received a $100 bill in the mail,
no return address.)
|
- This letter received 9/18/99
You have forgotten that the war on drugs
does something positive: The NUMBERS
GAME.
-
- It keeps the prison population up, gives
losers jobs as guards, probation and parole
officers, and cops, increases the jail and
prison budget, turns part-time state's atty's
into full time. It also undercuts our economy
by using slave labor (25 cents per hour). It
then helps our economy be employing all of
the above, plus puts more people in expensive
treatment programs, increases the number of
counselors, etc.
-
- It also creates a whole new segment of
working poor by labeling kids as felons,
ensuring they are unemployable.
-
- As a defense attorney, I realize that
with my own 21 year old son being in this
group "convicted felon" that I perfer
"convicted felons" to the total losers who
can get no respect in their own right, so
they get hired on as guards, etc to have
power over prisoners who can't talk back.
These people are as bad as child abusers
because they prey on the powerless.
-
- Thanks for letting me speak my mind.
-
- /anonymous by request/
|
- 9/28/99
Hi Bob
-
- I have a little story about the Mt
Rushmore Chapter NORML shirts. A friend of
mine wore his shirt to school and the faculty
made him turn it inside out. The very next
day I wore my shirt and NONE of the faculty
said a word to me, even though the principal,
vice principal, and councilers had
conversations with me and looked directly at
it. This just goes to show that more people
need to be educated about it. The faculty
knows me well enough to know that I am
educated about the situation and that my
friend wasn't. I feel that it is important
for even young people to know what hemp can
do to help the wonderful state of South
Dakota. I have been and will continue to
educate my friends and fellow students.
Again, thanks for keeping me informed.
-
- Jon
|
- 9/30/99
-
- Dear Bob,
-
- And here it is-- one single beneficial
accomplishment of the so-called "war on
drugs"--- that single benefit being that as a
direct result of the drug war, Bob Newland
suddenly reduced his intake of large
quantities of poison and replaced said
quantities with long hours of ornery, far
reaching missives about issues which
illustrate governmental abuse and misuse of
power. That's an accomplishment not many
people who've known Bob would have the gall
to attempt on their own or even to suggest.
Because nobody wants Bob on their case, don't
you know.
-
- I want my $1000 sent right away in small
bills if you don't mind.
-
- Lizard
|
- There is one beneficial accomplishment:
The Great Drug Persecution is causing a
growing number of Americans to study the
Declaration of Independence, the Bill of
Rights, the
- Constitution and the Fourteenth
Amendment. A few of us are even getting into
the U.S.C. and the U.C.C.
-
- Although I do not charge for the
propagation of the awful truth, I could sure
use that $1000. So far, my passion for
liberty and justice has cost me about $30,000
in money that I earned as an automobile
repairman.
-
- If you wish to propagate the WHOLE truth,
you must have the courage to offend powerful
faction.
-
- Bastiatlaw@aol.com
- Editor: SelfSovereign Publications
|
- October 11, 1999
(in response to postcard
#6)
Hi Bob, I think this is the best postcard
you've sent out so far... good job!
-
- On another note... my son got busted last
week for hemp... sully county, just outside
of Pierre...
- all said and done, it cost him
$461...
- $133 for having zigzag papers, $200
fines, $80 court costs... and the rest for
going 72 in a 65 mph zone... and 30 days
suspended
-
- Basically he has decided that he will not
drive with it in his posession... That was
the only thing he really learned from the
whole situation...
-
- I'm thinking of writing an email to
Janklow from a little different point of
view... asking for his help...
-
- I want him to "help" me keep my daughter
away from hemp... give me valid reasons why
she should not, because just my saying so
does not stop her... I can't tell her "Don't
smoke hemp because it'll cause hole in your
brain tissue like booze, like meth, like coke
or heroin" if I tell her those things, she'll
know I'm lying, our SD kids are a LOT smarter
than that....
-
- Our school system teaches them to
"question everything and learn", simply
saying it's "bad" is bogus, they know better.
They see and hear all the important people
and celebrities standing up and saying there
is nothing wrong with it and it needs to be
decriminalized... and of course, teenagers
are head strong and think they already know
all the answers... they also tend to believe
they are un-stoppable, and they would never
get caught just
- expermenting...
-
- I need something concrete and factual to
show her... but I can't find anything...
certainly since you (Janklow) are championing
the "zero tolerance" then you must know
something I don't know... what is it? please
help me!! etc.....
|
- December 22, 1999
Hi Bob, I love your postcard campaign to
end the repressive and counter-productive
policy of marijuana prohibition!
-
- I am secretary of the Connecticut
Cannabis Policy Forum (CCPF)
<www.ccpf.org>. Our group hopes to end
marijuana prohibition in Connecticut. In the
next 4-8 weeks, we'll be discussing what our
spring work should be.
-
- I hope you'll give your blessing for us
to take your series of postcards and press
releases, adapt them for Connecticut, and use
them here. Bob, you'll lose credit for some
of your excellent quotes and info compilation
--since political campaigns should always
have a homegrown aura! But my guess is you
are commited to the cause out of principle
rather than personal glory, and therefore
would welcome our amplification of your
message...
-
- Can we consider a spring CCPF postcard
campaign that steals much of your work?
Please respond to me by email
<bigwillsmith@yahoo.com>. I will
forward this request letter and your response
to the rest of the Board members of CCPF.
-
- Thanks for your GREAT work and for
considering our request. --Will Smith.
-
- BOB'S REPLY: Go for it!!!
|
- We still
need your help.
- Join
Mt Rushmore State Chapter of
NORML.
- You'll get a cool
t-shirt, while helping us finance this important
campaign.
|