-------------------------------------------------------------------
Midsummer Night's March For Civil And Property Rights ('Seattle Times'
Columnist Michelle Malkin Publicizes A Seattle Demonstration And Rally
Tonight In Support Of Oscar's II And Other Businesses To Be Shut Down
By The City Under A 'Drug Abatement' Law It Uses Against Black-Owned
Businesses, Holding Them To A Higher Standard Than Other Businesses
Or The City Itself)
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 16:06:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: turmoil (turmoil@hemp.net)
To: hemp-talk@hemp.net
Subject: HT: Seattle Times Editorial
Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net
Copyright 1998 The Seattle Times Company
Posted at 06:43 a.m. PDT; Tuesday, July 14, 1998
Michelle Malkin / Times staff columnist
Midsummer night's march for civil and property rights
TONIGHT, they march.
Black. White. Young. Old. From East Madison to Pine. Down Pine to
Broadway. Past Oscar's, the family-owned tavern on bankruptcy's brink.
Past Deano's, where cops hand out cocaine to drug-addicted informants
instead of getting them off the street.
Leading the marchers will be a diverse group of small-business owners who
have never asked the government for anything. They ask only one thing
tonight: to be heard.
Like Central District tavern owners Oscar McCoy and Dean Falls, many of
the entrepreneurs who will march believe they were subject to selective
and arbitrary enforcement of the law. Meriland Dillard, former owner of
Neko's, wants to call attention to the city's disturbing double standards
in closing his nightclub two years ago. "We had no violence, no liquor
violations, no nothing, but they closed us down before they closed the
dope house across the street. The drug dealers are still in business
there. But we're bankrupt because we catered to the `wrong crowd.' "
The first elected official willing to respond publicly to these
beleaguered business owners hails from outside Seattle city limits. State
Sen. Pam Roach (R-Auburn) is coming to town to listen to the marchers and
their broad coalition of supporters at a hearing of the Senate Law and
Justice Committee. The public forum is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at
Seattle Central Community College in Room 110.
The Senate panel's focus will be the state's decade-old drug-abatement
statute. Passed at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, the measure
enables local governments to ask the court to condemn property in
high-crime areas. It was intended to make it easier for law enforcement to
clear out crack houses and meth labs. But the procedure has been used to
shut down hip-hop clubs and taverns where the city has failed to control
narcotics activity.
By allowing municipalities to build abatement files through aggressive
undercover drug stings, like those conducted at Oscar's and Deano's, the
law essentially encourages state-sanctioned criminal conduct in order to
take away property from lawful business owners without compensating them.
"It's really important that the individual rights of all citizens are
protected and I think this meeting is going to allow citizens to give
their perspective," Roach says. "We want to have strong laws to prevent
drug trafficking and crime. All of our citizens want that, regardless of
color. But do you do it by imposing onerous regulations on certain
businesses and not others?" Roach's agenda is to fix the process, not to
point fingers at rank-and-file police following orders from above. She
says, if necessary, she will offer corrective legislation next session.
It's too late, of course, for Oscar and Barbara McCoy. After pouring two
decades of their lives into their soul-food restaurant and dance club, the
McCoys may soon be forced to walk away with nothing. After testifying
against drug dealers, opening their business to federal drug agents, and
garnering praise from the Police Department, the McCoys were sued
successfully in superior court by City Attorney Mark Sidran "to protect
the safety, health, and welfare of the public."
The McCoys have not been charged with criminal wrongdoing, but if the
state Court of Appeals does not grant a stay of abatement, they will be
stripped of their business and the remainder of their lease. Unlike
Florida's drug-nuisance abatement law, which was challenged successfully
by an apartment owner whose property was closed for a year, Washington
state's statute does not provide for compensation of innocent owners. The
U.S. Supreme Court let stand rulings by Florida's lower courts that the
original abatement law amounted to an illegal taking.
But Oscar's is a "menace," city lawyers fume, and the injury to the
community far outweighs the McCoys' loss. Only the blind can believe that
crushing Oscar's has eliminated narcotics activity on 21st and East
Madison. Drug deals continue at phone booths across the street from
Oscar's - in the middle of the day. Yuppies roll up their windows at the
stoplight on the way to upscale Madison Park. And through Oscar's large
picture windows - the same ones federal drug agents peered through during
stakeouts - you can watch patrol cars pass by languidly while shady
characters disperse.
Chris Clifford, a friend of the McCoys and owner of a Seattle club
embroiled in a separate federal civil-rights case with the city, points
out, "Under the current law, the city holds private property owners to
higher standards than itself. They rail about the harm that Oscar's
perpetuates. But, my god, what about the harm the city perpetuates when it
tolerates the nuisances on the streets outside Oscar's every day? If the
government can't keep the streets reasonably drug-free, how can we expect
any good business in America to do the same?"
Until now, there has been zero political leadership in Seattle on the club
owners' complaints. Sen. Roach, a fiery advocate for other victims of
government abuse, may prove to be the leader with the courage needed not
only to listen - but to act on a fundamental matter of civil rights and
property rights. Marchers will gather at Oscar's II on 2051 E. Madison
tonight between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. before the Senate hearing.
Michelle Malkin's column appears Tuesday on editorial pages of The Times.
Her e-mail address is: malkin1@ix.netcom.com.
Copyright 1998 The Seattle Times Company
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Suspect In Fatal Police Chase Up For Murder
(According To 'The San Francisco Chronicle,' Michael Negron,
Whose 17-Year-Old Girl Friend Was Killed By Police As The Two
Made A Get-Away From Police In San Francisco Last May
Who Were Seeking To Arrest Him For Selling Cocaine,
Turned Himself In Monday Accompanied By His Lawyer,
Who Said Negron Was 'Petrified' Of Police But Encouraged
To Come Forward When A Witness To The Girl's Killing
Filed A Complaint Saying Police Lied And Were Wrong To Shoot
Because They Were Never Threatened)
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 21:00:01 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US CA: Suspect In Fatal Police Chase Up For Murder
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 1998
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Section: A13
Contact: chronletters@sfgate.com
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Author: Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer
SUSPECT IN FATAL POLICE CHASE UP FOR MURDER
Case basis -- crime leading to a homicide
A man who had been sought for two months in a controversial police shooting
that killed a 17- year-old girl turned himself in yesterday to face murder
charges.
Michael Negron, 23, of San Francisco, was accompanied by his attorney,
Stuart Hanlon, as he gave himself up at the Hall of Justice. He was
scheduled to be arraigned today on charges of murder, carjacking,
hit-and-run and assault .
Police said Negron was behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang that drove at two
officers May 13 as they tried to make a drug arrest at the Oakwood
Apartments near Lake Merced. The officers opened fire, killing a passenger
in the car, Sheila Detoy of San Francisco.
After speeding away, Negron allegedly crashed the Mustang head-on into
another motorist on Sloat Boulevard. He and the man whom police had been
seeking, Raymondo Cox, then allegedly hijacked a car and fled, leaving Detoy
for dead.
Cox was caught the next day after a car-and-foot chase by police. A Daly
City police officer stopped Negron during the pursuit, but Negron escaped by
driving over the officer's motorcycle, authorities said.
Negron will be charged in Detoy's death based on the ``provocative act
theory,'' which allows for murder charges to be brought if a crime leads to
a homicide.
Hanlon said he met his client for the first time last week and that Negron
was ``petrified'' of police. After talking to his family, Negron agreed to
surrender at 11 a.m. yesterday. He is also facing a felony narcotics warrant
and two misdemeanor warrants for burglary and reckless driving.
Negron, Cox and Detoy were all unarmed and fled from the apartment complex
only because they didn't know the men closing in on them were police, Hanlon
said.
He blamed one of the two officers who fired at the car, Gregory Breslin, for
Detoy's death.
``I think the murder charge is against the wrong person,'' Hanlon said. ``A
policeman, Mr. Breslin, killed this girl. My client is a scapegoat -- the
police are trying to use him to cover up for a cop.''
One of the issues in the shooting was the circumstances that led Breslin to
fire.
Lieutenant David Robinson, head of the Police Department's homicide detail,
has said Negron made eye contact with Breslin as he gunned the Mustang's
engine and that the officer feared he would be pinned against a wall.
Another narcotics officer, Michael Moran, opened fire from behind the car to
protect Breslin, Robinson said.
Hanlon said his client came forward after an eyewitness publicly questioned
aspects of the police account. The witness, 25-year-old Winde Toney, has
filed a grievance with the Office of Citizen Complaints, saying the officers
were in no danger when they opened fire.
``The police are making up stories for this rogue cop,'' Hanlon said.
He said Negron was shot in the back during the incident, but would not
reveal details of medical treatment.
Homicide Inspector Michael Johnson said Negron claimed to have treated the
wound himself. He said the wound was examined by Dr. Boyd Stephens, the
city's chief medical examiner, but it was unclear whether the wound was a
back or front wound to the shoulder.
1998 San Francisco Chronicle
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Confidential Papers Expose Deals Of Cigarette Makers
('The San Francisco Chronicle' Says Confidential Documents
Released In Connection With A Lawsuit Against Tobacco Companies
By The State Of Minnesota Show That US Cigarette-Makers Seduced
And Trumped The California Medical Association In A Battle
To Block Tobacco Taxes 11 Years Ago)
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 09:47:49 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US CA: Confidential Papers
Expose Deals of Cigarette Makers
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Contact: chronletters@sfgate.com
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 1998
Author: Sabin Russell, Chronicle Staff Writer
CONFIDENTIAL PAPERS EXPOSE DEALS OF CIGARETTE-MAKERS
Variety of tactics used to neutralize state medical group
Confidential documents have disclosed that U.S. cigarette-makers seduced
and trumped the California Medical Association in a battle to block tobacco
taxes 11 years ago.
The documents, released in connection with a lawsuit against tobacco
companies by the state of Minnesota, offer insight into the
behind-the-scenes deal-making of Sacramento politics, and show just how
serious a threat American cigarette-makers saw in California's tobacco
control program a decade ago.
One memorandum by tobacco industry lobbyist A-K Associates Inc. describes
how the group helped scuttle a 1987 attempt to put a tobacco tax measure on
the ballot, even using personal relationships with legislative aides to spy
on the opposing camp.
``This document is just incredible. It confirms all our worst suspicions,''
said Cynthia Hallett, associate director of the Berkeley-based anti-smoking
group Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights.
The memos were uncovered by Edith Balbach, an assistant to University of
California at San Francisco Professor Stanton Glantz, who sent her to
peruse thousands of documents released under a settlement between
cigarette-makers and Minnesota.
Memos show that tobacco lobbyists were in daily contact with the state's
largest doctors' organization and believed they neutralized the CMA by
sidestepping its elected leaders and by threatening to support
``anti-medicine initiatives.''
The lobbyists claim to have met ``personally'' with 13 key leaders of the
CMA, including its then executive director Bob Eisner. ``We turned our
attention almost full time to dissuading CMA from joining the fray,''
according to the memo.
In what appears to have been a deft move of inside politicking, A-K
Associates said it ``arranged'' to have the CMA's governing council to
clear any requests for political contributions with its Finance Committee.
``This effectively took the tobacco initiative issue out of the hands of
the current CMA leadership and placed it in the hands of the ``old guard,''
the memo explained.
The maneuver ``placed a huge roadblock in front of people like Dr.
(Frederick) Armstrong, the current CMA president, who is an avowed
anti-tobacco crusader,'' the memo said.
It was a strategy that A-K Associates called ``immensely successful'' at
the time, after the doctors group decided to ``tokenize'' its support for a
tobacco tax initiative with $25,000, instead of the $1 million it allegedly
had initially pledged.
``Our initial goal was to contain the California Medical Association, who
had already pledged $1 million to qualify the initiative,'' the memo
explained. ``With this kind of resources, there is no way the initiative
could be kept off the ballot.''
The memo also describes a ``game plan'' to keep the CMA out of the
initiative fight. ``This included possible counter anti-medicine
initiatives and legislation, as well as the use of A-K's considerable
contacts within organized medicine.''
Steve Thompson, chief lobbyist for the California Medical Association, said
he has no idea how accurate the memo is because he did not join the group
until 1992. ``I don't know how much of this is just (tobacco) lobbyists
feathering their nests. I do know that the CMA never pledged $1 million.''
Tom Konovaloff, president of A-K Associates, said it is his firms policy to
never comment ``about clients past or present.'' He said he has not
represented tobacco interests in Sacramento for several years.
One year after the A-K memo was written, California voters passed
Proposition 99 that added 25 cents to a pack of cigarettes to raise money
for anti-smoking and other health campaigns.
Subsequent documents suggest that the tobacco industry worked with the
doctors' lobby on campaigns to divert money from anti-smoking programs to
medical-care programs for the poor after voters passed the initiative a
decade ago.
Tobacco Institute president Samuel Chilcote, Jr., in an April 1990 memo,
noted that representatives of county governments and ``physician groups''
had expressed interest in ``working with us so that they may receive monies
that are currently earmarked to the media `education' campaign.''
``These avenues,'' the Tobacco Institute president wrote, ``continue to be
explored with the California State Association of Counties and the
California Medical Association.''
1998 San Francisco Chronicle Page A13
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Marijuana Petition Falls Short in Two Counties - Appeals Possible
(According To 'The Las Vegas Review-Journal,' The Nevada
Secretary Of State's Office Said Monday The Medical Marijuana Initiative
Sponsored By Nevadans For Medical Rights Fell Seven Signatures Short
In Lyon County And 36 Short In Nye County)
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 09:50:14 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US NV: Marijuana Petition Falls Short in Two Counties; Appeals Possible
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Contact: letters@lvrj.com Fax: 702-383-4676
Website: http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/
Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 1998
Author: Sean Whaley Donrey - Capital Bureau
MARIJUANA PETITION FALLS SHORT IN TWO COUNTIES; APPEALS POSSIBLE
CARSON CITY -- It appeared less likely Monday that Nevadans would get the
chance to vote on a medical marijuana initiative after the secretary of
state's office reported that the measure did not qualify in two counties.
Petitions to qualify the measure for the ballot, circulated by Americans
for Medical Rights, fell seven signatures short in Lyon County and 36 short
in Nye County. The group was successful in 11 other counties, but needed
enough signatures of registered voters in all 13 counties to put the
measure on the November ballot.
The group can appeal to Secretary of State Dean Heller to review the
results in Nye and Lyon counties. If an appeal is unsuccessful with Heller,
the group could challenge the count in district court.
Dan Hart, a spokesman for the group, said an appeal to Heller is likely,
though the group has yet to be officially notified of the results.
"We want to take a look at how many signatures were disallowed and make a
determination from there what the next step will be," he said. "If, in
fact, we did not reach the threshold, an appeal to the secretary of state
is likely.
"The petitions were found valid in 11 counties after an initial review by
county clerks. But in Lyon County, a sample of signatures checked by the
clerk was below the number needed to qualify.
Lyon County reported Monday that a count of all 1,418 signatures showed 975
from registered voters, seven below the required number of 982. In Nye
County, Heller ordered a check of 207 signatures rejected by the county
clerk for a variety of reasons, including questionable dates.
A check of the disputed signatures failed to produce the 926 signatures of
registered voters needed, however, with only 890 valid signatures out of a
total of 1,228.
The medical marijuana proposal would allow a patient to use, upon the
advice of a physician, marijuana for "treatment or alleviation" of cancer,
glaucoma, AIDS, persistent nausea, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and other
medical problems.
The proposal is one of several being pushed in states across the nation.
The proposals have drawn opposition from people concerned that the ballot
questions are a step toward legalization of marijuana.
Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell said the proposal could have
posed problems for law enforcement because of the likelihood that forged or
questionable prescriptions would be used in an effort to obtain the drug
for nonmedical purposes.
But law enforcement faces such a situation now with improper use of other
types of prescription drugs, and the agency would be able to deal with a
similar problem with marijuana, he said.
"I don't know anything about the medicinal value of marijuana," Bell said.
Larry Matheis, executive director of the Nevada State Medical Association,
said that regardless of whether the initiative makes it on the ballot,
Americans for Medical Rights should seek support for Food and Drug
Administration approved studies to determine if there really is any
evidence that marijuana is a useful drug.
"So far the evidence is anecdotal," he said. "If the initiative fails, we
should still proceed along these lines so the next time the issue comes up,
since the issue is not going away, there will be a better consensus."
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Survey - Teen Marijuana Use Leveling Off ('The Bloomington Herald Times'
Says The Indiana Prevention Resource Center At Indiana University
Has Released Its 1997 Report On Drug Use Rates Among Hoosier Youth -
Although Tobacco And Alcohol Use By Hoosier Teens Declined, The Rate
Of Cannabis Use Did Not Change Significantly - However, Surveyors Asked
About Cigars For The First Time And Found That Twelve Percent
Of Eighth Graders And A Quarter Of High School Seniors Smoke A Cigar
At Least Once A Month)
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 17:47:26 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US IN: Survey: Teen marijuana use leveling off
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Bill D'Amico
Source: Bloomington Herald Times (IN)
Contact: letters@heraldt.com
Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 1998
Author: Mike Wright, HT staff writer
SURVEY: TEEN MARIJUANA USE LEVELING OFF
Tobacco use down among hoosier youth, but still above national average.
Although tobacco and alcohol use by Hoosier teens declined in the last
year, marijuana use has stabilized at nearly double what it was in 1992,
according to an Indiana University study.
In 1997, the Indiana Prevention Resource Center survey reported a slight
decrease in marijuana use in grades 6 through 11 -- the first decline after
four years of rapid increases that had doubled the prevalence rates over
that period.
The 1998 survey showed slight increases in marijuana use in some grades and
decreases in others. Overall, the changes were so slight they were not
considered statistically significant.
"It's good that it stopped going up dramatically but we haven't really made
any progress in the other direction," said William J. Bailey, project
director, of the marijuana rate.
The eighth annual survey of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use by Indiana
children and adolescents was conducted in 137 schools throughout the state.
the data, collected in schools in 41 communities, yielded 44,232 usable
surveys.
Besides the marijuana results, other key findings included:
Cigarette smoking continued to decrease in nearly every grade and every
measure of prevalence (daily, monthly, annual and lifetime use). Decreases
were most pronounced in grades 6 through 10.
Use of smokeless tobacco products also declined, across all grades and for
all measures of prevalence.
But the rates of cigar and pipe smoking, measured for the first time in the
survey, were called "alarming." Almost one in 10 Hoosier sixth-graders have
smoked a cigar at least once. Twelve percent of Indiana eighth graders and a
quarter of high school seniors smoke cigars at least once a month.
And, though tobacco use is down, it is still above the national average.
Most measures of alcohol use decreased in 1998, but binge drinking rates
increased slightly.
Inhalant use -- the deliberate inhalation of gases or vapors for their
intoxicating effect -- dropped significantly over the last year at all
grade levels and measures. The 1998 rates were about one-fifth to
one-fourth lower than last year's.
A new category in the survey showed non medical monthly use of Ritalin, a
treatment for attention deficit disorder at about 2.5 percent for high
school students. About 7 percent of high schoolers have used Ritalin
nonmedically at least once.
According to Bailey, prescription tablets, which produce mild stimulant
effects when taken as directed and at usual prescription doses, can create
powerful stimulant effects and serious health risks when crushed and then
snorted like cocaine, or injected like heroin.
Another addition to the survey was methcathinone, commonly called "cat".
The survey showed about 2.5 percent of Hoosier high school students have
tried methcathinone, and about 1 percent use it monthly or more frequently.
The survey's authors said the results were cause for "cautious optimism."
Bailey said the tobacco data were the most promising.
"The tobacco news is probably very good," he said. "The initiation of
tobacco use tends to be a very good predictor of other illicit drugs later
in life. For every kid who decides not to smoke, it makes it easier to make
the decision not to use alcohol and other drugs."
The growing popularity of cigars, however, left room for concern.
"We've sent a clear educational message that cigarette smoking is harmful
and society doesn't approve of it," Bailey said. "And the same for
smokeless tobacco. But there seems to be this glamorization of cigar smoking.
"The Chicago Bulls light up in the locker room after winning the NBA
championship; baseball players do it after the All-Star game. It looks like
a cool, glamorous, adult thing to do
"To a kid trying to be cool, glamorous and adult, it fits in with something
they want to try. We haven't been getting effective in getting messages out
about cigars."
The same might be said, lately, about marijuana. Bailey noted that from
1981 through 1992, there was steady progress in reducing the prevalence of
marijuana use -- coinciding with government and private sector programs and
attention.
"Then, everything seemed to drop right off the radar screen," he said.
"People got distracted, things looked good, we had the Gulf War. President
Clinton's remark that he tried it but didn't inhale kind of set people up
to be able to ignore the problem.
"When you're dealing with school-aged kids, you're dealing with generations
about four years lone. When you ignore things four years, it gets to the
point where kids in high school really didn't get the message."
Kids in the 1990s, Bailey said got anti-drug messages in the 1980s. But in
the early '90s, there has been a resurgence of heroin and marijuana chic,
glamorized by certain segment of society, he said.
"That combines to leave kids with a mixed message," he said. "When kids
have a clear message, they tend to do they right thing. The message is, we
have to stay on top of this."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Activism - A Vigil (A List Subscriber Passes Along Excerpts From A Thesis
Examining The Marketing Strategy Of The Rockefeller Drug Law Vigil,
A Weekly Drug Policy Protest Carried Out By Families And Friends
Of Prisoners Incarcerated Under New York's Rockefeller Mandatory Minimum
Drug Laws - An Outstanding Example Of A Well-Constructed And Thought Out
Activist Project)
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 22:48:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: turmoil (turmoil@hemp.net)
To: hemp-talk@hemp.net
Subject: HT: fwd: Activism/ a vigil (long but a *must read* IMHO) (fwd)
Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 01:26:27 EDT
From: A H Clements (cheechwz@mindspring.com)
To: Multiple recipients of list (november-l@november.org)
Subject: fwd: Activism/ a vigil (long but a *must read* IMHO)
[forwarded from the Drug Policy Forum of Texas discussion list
http://www.mapinc.org/dpft/ via Jerry Epstein (JerryEp138@AOL.COM) -
ashley]
***
All - this is a very long post and examines elements of success in a public
vigil; what lessons it may hold for DPFT remains to be seen - Jerry
Introduction and Strategy
The Rockefeller Drug Law Vigil has a marketing thrust that was aptly
described by Jon Bunge, a graduate student in The New School, as part of
his Master's Thesis. The Thesis described the project as an outstanding
example of a well-constructed and thought out activist project. What
follows is a detailed quotation from his thesis:
A. Overview of the Strategy
"The basic outlines of the vigil strategy are as follows. A weekly
demonstration is held at Rockefeller Center (5th Avenue at 50th Street in
Manhattan) Fridays at 12 noon. The first vigil on May 8, 1998 was held on
the 25th anniversary of the date on which Governor Rockefeller signed the
drug laws. The Vigil is held in a quiet and dignified manner, with the
participants holding poster-boards telling the story of a person
incarcerated under the drug laws. Each poster includes the imprisoned
person's name, a photograph, and a short biography telling of the person's
offense, sentence, and other relevant information. Family members and
friends of those incarcerated are being recruited to participate in the
vigil; family holds the posters of their family member if they wish to do
so. For members of the public passing by who are interested in getting
further information, there is a general flyer available (Appendix A), a
more detailed information sheet (Appendix B), and a prisoner information
sheet for those people who know a person imprisoned under the drug laws
(Appendix C). The William Moses Kunstler Fund For Racial Justice is keeping
a database of people incarcerated under the drug laws; from these records,
more people can be chosen for the posters."
"I will now analyze the components of the Vigil strategy in greater detail
from a marketing perspective. Most elements of the strategy have a parallel
in the protest of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who were also
demonstrating in remembrance of people who had "disappeared" from the
everyday life of society. I will make a note of where there are
similarities between the two campaigns."
B. The Intended Message of the Vigil
"The all-important question for the vigil is how to get its target
audiences to listen to its message. The target audience is defined below.
Getting attention for the message is essential because such attention has
the potential of raising public awareness of the issue, which in turn could
put pressure on state government leaders, who have the power to change the
laws. A marketing perspective would hold that in order to get public
attention most effectively, the intended message of the vigil must be kept
simple and understandable. Because we live in an age of information
overload, and the attention span of the public is limited, the vigil's
message must not be too complicated. Also, the difficult nature of the
topics addressed by the vigil-prisons, drugs, addiction, injustice, and so
forth-must be acknowledged; these are issues that many, or even most,
members of the public would prefer not to engage."
"Given these realities, Tom Haines says that the simplest statement of the
vigil's message is this: "help us inform the public of the damage these
laws are doing to families." This statement is notable for focusing on the
family, and draws on the fact that, as stated above, incarceration rates
for women in the state, most of whom have children, are rising much faster
than men. By focusing on the family, the vigil is appealing to mainstream
(even fairly conservative) " family values" that held by a vast majority of
our population. This is also more of an emotional argument than an
intellectual one, which makes it more accessible to the majority of the
public."
"For those in the vigil's audience who have a greater attention span and
want more detail about the issue, the vigil's message can be stated as
follows:"
"a. The cost of the Rockefeller drug laws is far too high-in human terms,
for people incarcerated for overly long periods, and in financial terms,
since taxpayers must pay great amounts for building and managing prisons."
"b. Violent offenders are released from prison early due to the fact that
non-violent offenders serving inflexible mandatory sentences occupy so ma
ny beds."
"c. The sentences under these laws are way out of proportion to the crimes
involved, often the sentences are greater that for murder."
"There is a great deal of racism in the application of the laws, given that
the majority of those who use drugs are white but the overwhelming majority of
those incarcerated under these laws are black or Hispanic."
"This message has several components, and thus has more complexity, but it
is still concisely stated and accessible. The information material given
out at the vigil helps explain these elements of the message, and backs up
the arguments with relevant statistics. In the interest of making the
message more comprehensible to members of the public who may not be
educated on the issue, the vigil organizers have come up with a pithy
saying that could be included in a sound bite on a local newscast: "too
much time for non-violent crime." This saying appears on both the vigil
banner and flyer."
"It is interesting to consider whether the success of the argentine mothers
had partly to do with the simplicity and clarity of their message, which
was basically this: "our children have been taken away and we want to know
what happened to them." This is a message the public could easily
understand and relate in human terms."
"It is also interesting to note that on the vigil flyer, two other related
issues are mentioned as part of the message: "Increase funding for
substance abuse treatment programs" and Expand community-based correctional
programs". These point s are directly related to the points above, because
if these particular reforms were instituted, there would be much less
prison overcrowding and thus the financial cost building new prisons would
not be so high. Also, many argue that treatment is what some of these
offenders really need, rather than incarceration, and thus that treatment
is a much more humane option. But by raising these two issues also, the
organizers have increased the complexity of the message and the demand on
the public's attention. It may be that some members of the vigil's
audience, these two additional issues add too much complexity. I believe it
must be quite difficult for the many participants of a campaign like this
one, all of whom probably have slightly different emphases, to agree on
what the essential message should be and then keep that message over time."
The Use of Posters to Convey the Message
"To humanize the issues involving the Rockefeller drug laws, and to make
the issues more accessible to the public, the vigil organizers have chosen
the strategy of poster-boards. As stated above, each poster-board contains
the name of the prisoner, a photograph, and a short paragraph telling the
person's offense, sentence and other sympathetic information, such as if
the person has children or other family. This strategy draws on features of
the Argentine mothers' campaign; in their protests, the mothers often wore
photographs of their missing child or children around their necks, or
simply held the photograph. The mothers also wore white headscarves with
the name of the children and dates they disappeared embroidered into the
material. The vigil strategy also draws on an effort of a group called
"Human Rights 95." This group has a traveling photo exhibit (and a web
site) which contains information in the same format as that used by the
Rockefeller Drug Law Vigil. Each entry contains the person's name, a
photograph (often with family members), and biographical information about
the person's offense, sentence, and how he or she has been affected by the
incarceration.. By telling individual stories, the poster-boards make the
issue much more accessible to the public. Instead of focusing on statistics
and legal information, the dramatic details of a person's story are
presented. These details have a much greater chance of attracting public
interest."
"Given this strategy, it becomes very important for the vigil organizers to
decide whose stories are told on the posters. Randy Credico states the
selection criteria is as follows:"
"a. The incarcerated must be in a New York State prison (since the laws in
question are state laws);"
"b. The person must have been convicted of a drug offense under the
Rockefeller drug laws; and"
"c. The person's offense must have been nonviolent."
"A person who was a mule, rather than a high level dealer, is more
sympathetic to the public; similarly, a person imprisoned merely for drug
possession, rather than a sale, presents a stronger public relations case.
Tom Haines believes that the cases to be highlighted are the ones in which
there is the most egregious mismatch between the offense and the sentence.
These dramatic cases, such as the case of Angela Thompson above, make the
strongest argument for changing the laws. The moral strength of the vigil's
cause is thus made as starkly as possible."
D. Who are the Target Audiences of the Vigil?
"A marketing analysis the audience, or audiences, of any given campaign
because the success of the campaign usually depends to a great extent on
whether the needs and the wants of the intended audience are met. Is the
message designed with the larger "public" in mind? What are in fact the
needs and wants of that public? Tom Haines believes that the vigil is
targeting three principal audiences: the press, the general public and the
families of those imprisoned. Within the press and the general public, the
"opinion leaders" of these two groups are especially to be targeted. Dr.
Haines is clear on the point that the vigil is not aimed at state
government leaders, whom he believes follow public opinion rather than lead
it. State leaders are interested in getting re-elected. To support his
argument, he cites Prohibition in the earlier part of this century; he
believes that influential members of the public clearly led the effort to
repeal the Prohibition laws, not the government leaders."
"The press is obviously extremely important to the vigil, because it is the
primary means by which information about the vigil is conveyed to the
public. The needs of the press are for good information with supporting
data. The information can grab public attention and generate taxpayers. A
clear message can be easily communicated to viewers or readers: the visual
component will grab public interest. It appears as though the vigil
organizers can meet all of these requirements. The poster boards, with
their compelling individual stories, offer the press information that has a
high potential of generating public interest. The vigil also has strong
visual appeal with its poster boards. The turnout at the last vigil was
about 50 people at the Rockefeller Center setting. The vigil has a much
greater visual appeal than most other organizing strategies, such as direct
mail, etc. The press also has a need for a contact person if further
information is desired. This person is Randy Credico, the leader of the
vigil effort for the Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice."
"Easily results in reaching out to the press have been very positive.
Several news reports have appeared in various press outlets, such as Sheryl
McCarthy's feature in Newsday and Charles Grodin's devotion of two one-hour
shows to the subject on CNBC. The choice of the Rockefeller Center location
is wise given its proximity to NBC and other media."
"The press was extremely important to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. The
press in Argentina was so tightly controlled by the military, the mothers
reached out to international news organizations, with great success. The
coverage generated a great deal of attention for the Mothers, putting
pressure on the government. For example, Jimmy Carter sent a special
representative to Argentina to speak to the government regarding its
repressive tactics."
"Some of the needs and wants of the press are the same as those of the
general public: a clear message that is not overly complex, as well as
information that is compelling, such as the stories presented on the poster
boards. The public has other needs and wants in relation to these drug
laws: to believe that they will be protected from criminals; to believe
that their tax dollars are being spent wisely; and to believe that their
system of justice is basically fair. It is evident that the vigil
organizers are responding to all of these needs, indeed using them to
advantage. In regard to the need to feel safe from criminals, the vigil
emphasizes that the prisoners for whom they are advocating are all
non-violent. Further, in making the argument that the violent criminals may
be released early due to prison overcrowding, the vigil holds that the drug
laws, meant to protect society from violence, are in fact a danger to public
safety."
"In regard to the public's need to believe that their tax dollars are being
spent wisely, the vigil is arguing that the drug laws are squandering
public resources because so many prisons have to be built and maintained to
incarcerate people for such long periods. This argument, of course, is
designed to motivate members of the public to advocate for repealing or
reforming the laws. Better to spend the state's resources on parks,
libraries, schools, and other public amenities."
"The public's need to believe that justice in America is fair. The
organizers are try t convey the message that in the case of these laws, our
justice system is unfair, that mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses
are way out of line when compared with the sentences for more serious
crimes, such as rape or murder. If the organizers can succeed in making the
argument that the laws are an affront to our sense of justice and to the
rule of law that governs our society, then some members of the public will
be motivated to advocate for stopping the repression."
"Family members of prisoners become more determined to take political
action and feel there is greater hope in doing so because they are
together. The vigil is an excellent way to give voice to a people who
usually do not have a voice in the public debate. It also gives them
access to the press. Individual cases are put on the air in television and
radio and written up in the press. By gathering as a group, the vigil takes
advantages of the power in numbers. Family members are not alone in their
situation, but they are collectively come together and recruit others to
address and to oppose the repression."
E. Family Members are a Key Part of the Strategy
"As stated above, the vigil organizers are aiming to get many family
members of people incarcerated under the laws involved in the protest.
There are many advantages of this strategy. First, the family member will
bring a high level of personal commitment to the vigil, which is extremely
important if the vigil is to sustain itself as a weekly protest. The
organizers know that these laws will not be changed or repealed overnight;
they realize that they are probably in for a long haul. The experience of
the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo is instructive here. The mothers began
their weekly protest in 1987, the year after the military government had
taken control, and continued their gathering up to and well beyond the fall
of the repressive government in 1993. Therefore, the process of social
change took many years, but the mothers could sustain their protest and see
the movement grow because they had such a strong personal stake in seeing
change in their nation. It seems reasonable to assume that the family
members of the drug law prisoners would also have a high level of
commitment, which will help to carry the vigil through the inevitable low
points and setbacks of any social change campaign."
"Another major advantage of including family members is that they give the
vigil a less ideological character, which I believe improves the vigil's
chances of gaining the public's sympathy. With the Argentine mothers, this
was especially notable: here were protesters who were first and foremost
mothers simply wanting information about their disappeared children. They
were clearly not political professionals or ideologues with a certain ax to
grind; they were not of the right or the left; they were mothers, and thus
could be trusted by the public in a way that other protesters could not.
With the drug law vigil, the fact that many of the protesters are family
members conveys a similar sense that the participant are not necessarily
ideologically motivated, but that primarily they are concerned about a
brother or sister, son or daughter, mother or father."
"A possible advantage of this strategy is that the public might think that
family members cannot be fully objective about the drug laws, and would
want freedom for their loved ones regardless of what the crime was. If the
public were to take this view, then they would possibly discount the
argument of the family member as being more emotional than rational. I
believe, however, that this potential disadvantage is outweighed by the
positive aspects of getting family members involved."
F. The Importance of the Vigil's Location
"As stated above, the vigil's location is in close proximity to major media
outlets. By being in Rockefeller Center, the vigil is also close to other
powerful people in society, whose offices are in the midtown area. These
people are opinion leaders whose voices hold much importance in our
culture. As Randy Credico notes, the vigil would receive much less
attention if it was being held in Harlem. This is not of course a pleasant
fact to acknowledge, but it is nevertheless true. The site's name also
recalls the Governor who was responsible for the drug laws, which is quite
an ingenious piece of strategy. The Rockefeller site is also advantageous
because 5th Avenue draws many tourists as well as residents of New York
state. While it is true that changing the drug laws must eventually happen
in the New York state government, some national or international attention
to the issue would certainly not hurt the effort, and perhaps the city and
state media would follow suit with additional stories."
"The location of the protest was also extremely important to the Argentine
mothers. They chose the Plaza de Mayo because it is a very public space,
and it is directly in front of the Government Palace. The proximity to the
government buildings where the decisions were presumably made to carry out
the government's repression was a powerful choice in that the mothers
showed their courage. The mothers also tried to gain maximum public
attention in their choice of their weekly meeting time. Originally, the
mothers met on Saturdays, but they found that the Plaza was not crowded
with people on the weekend. Thus they moved their gathering to Thursday
afternoons at 3:30, when the plaza was much more populated with working
people and people doing weekend business."
G. The Vigils Are Held Weekly
"The weekly schedule of the drug law vigil recalls the Mothers' decision of
how often to protest. The great advantage to this strategy is that the
protest continues over time. This gives the public time to become better
educated on the issue and spread the word to friends. It also gives the
media more opportunity to turn its attention to the vigil. A one-time event
is quickly forgotten. Key decision-makers feel less pressure to make it to
the event and when news is slow it becomes an easy target. Any media
attention garnered by a one-time event quickly dissipated the
information-overload age. The weekly demonstration raises consciousness
about the impact of the repressive drug laws building momentum to provoke
change. Just as weekly protests gave the Argentine Mothers an ongoing
outlet for their anger and grief, so too do the family members of those
incarcerated have a ready channel by which to express their feelings and
activism. As time goes on the presence of a resource for activity builds
a larger and larger political force."
H. The Vigil Will be Conducted in a Quiet Manner
"The organizers of the Rockefeller Drug Law Vigil have also drawn on the
example of the Mothers of the Disappeared in designing their protests to
be quiet and "dignified." While the Argentine Mothers did on occasion organize
marches during which they chanted slogans, for the most part their weekly
demonstrations consisted of marching very quietly in a circle around the
central monument in the plaza. The low key lent a certain spiritual tone
to the witnessing, a more appealing image to the general public. By marching
quietly, the mothers presented themselves differently from the typical
vocal and pushy protester. Loud chanting also suggests the protester has
taken a hard-line position and will not negotiate. The silent protest also
accents the grief rather than aggressiveness."
Ashley H Clements
1416 Brookvalley lane Atlanta, GA 30324
cheechwz@mindspring.com
(404) 636-6426
ICQ 9481495
www.mindspring.com/~cheechwz
www.mapinc.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Say 'No' Gets A Good Boost From Government (A Staff Editorial
In The Everett, Washington, 'Herald' Says 'Every Member Of Congress
Ought To Stand Right In Line With Their Leaders' In Support Of The Federal
Government's New Anti-'Drug' Advertising Blitz, Blaming An Increase
In Marijuana Use By Teens On Advertisements From The Partnership
For A Drug-Free America Being Relegated To The Early Morning Hours
In 1991)
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 21:26:38 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US WA: Editorial: Just Say
'No' Gets A Good Boost From Government
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John Smith
Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 1998
Source: Herald, The (WA)
Contact: letters@heraldnet.com
Website: http://www.heraldnet.com/
JUST SAY 'NO' GETS A GOOD BOOST FROM GOVERNMENT
"This is your brain." Crack, sizzle. "This is your brain on drugs." The
familiar commercial quickly turned into a cliché, but the saying still holds
true. So true, the public service announcements are coming back to a TV near
you. The revival of anti-drug commercials is a positive way to continue the
war on drugs.
It took a well thought out, innovative plan for both President Bill Clinton
and Speaker Newt Gingrich to attach their names to the effort. It's the
worthy cause of convincing kids not to do drugs. To back up their support,
they're pushing for a huge $1 billion commitment from Congress for an
anti-drug campaign blitz over the next five years. Every member of Congress
ought to stand right in line with their leaders and support this project.
Currently, $195 million a year is spent on anti-drug campaigns.
If it balks, all Congress has to lose is the future of this country: youth.
The familiar anti-drug commercials haven't completely disappeared from TV,
but they have slipped to early morning hours instead of prime time. Not only
will these new commercials air when people are actually watching TV, the new
announcements will also send a harsher message. Clinton said the commercials
will "knock America upside the head."
The old commercials show an egg frying in a pan to depict your brain on
drugs. The new version hits harder with an egg being smashed by a pan on a
countertop. Then the pan is thrown across the room crashing into a dish rack
and wall clock. The destruction represents your family, your friends and
your money when you're on heroin.
A series of commercials is surely not the only answer to winning the war on
drugs. But there is some proof that it helps. The old anti-drug commercials
were moved to early morning hours in 1991, when TV competition by cable and
satellites increased. Since then, teen drug use more than doubled. Sure,
there were probably many factors to that drug explosion. But, it makes sense
that one factor is that kids just didn't hear often enough that drugs hurt
them and everyone they love. They didn't have the hard-hitting messages they
needed. The ads' revival could change that.
Media outlets will be asked to match the federal advertising money, doubling
the number of commercials that will be shown. That's the least they should
do. The goal is to hit parents and kids at least four times a week with
these commercials. That's more than Nike or Sprint have spent on any
single-product TV ad campaign.
If Nike can succeed in convincing millions of Americans to buy Air Jordan's
through TV commercials, then Americans ought to succeed in convincing young
people not to do drugs through TV ads.
Since January, 12 cities have viewed the anti-drug ads as a beta-test. In
those cities, there has been a 300 percent increase in calls to the national
anti-drug information phone number which is displayed with the commercial.
That proves people are searching for information and help. The whole country
can benefit from that resource.
In 1997, half of all high school seniors and about one-third of
eighth-graders admitted to using drugs in a national survey. That's a crisis
this country shouldn't accept. In order to battle this epidemic, the ad
campaign will have to be paired with serious discussions at home between
parents and kids, anti-drug school curricula and available drug treatment.
The ads are a great way to help stimulate a true anti-drug society and keep
kids safe.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
DEA Audit Reveals Poor Accounting Practices ('The Associated Press'
Says That After Two Major Cases Of Embezzlement Just This Year By Employees
Of The Drug Enforcement Administration, A Private Accounting Firm
Has Conducted An Audit Under New Government Accountability Laws
And Says The Drug Warriors' Record Keeping Was So Screwed Up
It Could Not Even Form An Opinion As To Whether The Agency's Books
Were Accurate)
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 20:57:49 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US: WIRE: Dea Audit Reveals Poor Accounting Practices
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: lstevens@fgi.net (Larry & Mindy Stevens)
Source: Associated Press
Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 1998
Note: Headline by MAP Editor
DEA AUDIT REVEALS POOR ACCOUNTING PRACTICES
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Drug Enforcement Agency, stung twice this year by
revelations that its own workers stole millions of dollars, has kept a
sloppy checkbook, according to an audit that may explain how it got scammed.
The audit concludes the main U.S. drug fighter hasn't been able to
``accurately and completely account'' for the property it owns, the money
that drug traffickers give undercover agents during sting operations or the
seized drugs it has on hand.
In fact, the DEA's accounting was so poor in 1997 that the private
accounting firm that conducted the audit under new government
accountability laws said it could not form an opinion as to whether the
agency's books are accurate.
``We were unable to satisfy ourselves as to the fair presentation of these
balances and transactions,'' Peat Marwick reported after looking at DEA's
1997 books.
The audit cited DEA for several ``material weaknesses,'' the most severe
criticism in professional accounting. Some of the concerns had been brought
to the agency's attention in previous years.
The agency agreed with the findings. The Justice Department, which overseas
DEA, said Tuesday that while it hasn't seen the final audit it is aware of
the concerns and believes they have been adequately addressed with a new
accounting system DEA is implementing this year.
``The department is committed to addressing the problems that have been
raised,'' said Chris Watney, a Justice Department spokeswoman. ``The
department acknowledges there were concerns about DEA's antiquated
financial system, and a new more modern system is being implemented now
that addresses those concerns. The attorney general had made it a high
priority to see those changes through.''
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to quiz Attorney General Janet
Reno about the problem at a hearing Wednesday. While the language in the
audit is dry and technical, the consequences of the shoddy bookkeeping took
real human form in March when two separate criminal cases were brought
against DEA workers who stole more than $6 million between them in schemes
that went undetected for years.
In one, a just-retired DEA budget analyst was charged in a 74-count
indictment with stealing $6 million between 1990 and 1997, spending it on
an extravagant lifestyle for himself and his family.
The indictment accused David S. Bowman, 57, of Arlington, Va., of using the
money to buy and renovate several homes, lease and purchase automobiles
including a Lincoln Mark VIII, send his family on European vacations and
buy jewelry, collector coins and art work.
The indictment accused Bowman, a 22-year agency veteran, of submitting
hundreds of false payment vouchers in the name of a sham company, prompting
the DEA to send checks to a post office box he controlled. The alleged
fraud was only discovered by happenstance when a colleague became suspicious.
The audit of DEA's books didn't specifically address the criminal cases but
disclosed that the agency's accounting practices were ripe for abuse.
``The DEA has not maintained a system to accurately and completely account
for property and equipment,'' the audit said, claiming the agency doesn't
always get invoices for purchases and in 1997 couldn't document more than
$5 million in purchases. Just a few days after Bowman was indicted, a
second DEA employee pleaded guilty in a different scheme to conspiring with
a colleague to order and steal nearly $500,000 in electronic equipment over
five years.
The court records said Michael D. Hendrix, 53, a DEA telecommunications
specialist, and an unnamed colleague submitted 37 purchase orders for
electronic equipment that included a 50-inch television set, videocassette
recorders, stereos and computers. The two kept the equipment for their own
use or sold it.
The audit also noted that the DEA has no way of reporting exactly how much
in seized drugs it has in inventory at the end of the year because the
computer system the agency uses can't generate a historical report.
The DEA told the auditors it doesn't have the resources to perform ``a
physical inventory count at year end on each exhibit of evidence for which
there are tens of thousands.''
And the audit found that the agency ``does not have a system and related
controls in place to ensure that all trafficker-directed funds activities
are recorded in the general ledger.'' That is money DEA undercover agents
receive from drug traffickers during sting operations.
The DEA has agreed to ask its local offices to report those totals
quarterly so they can be counted in the ledger.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dutch Rebuke US Drugs Adviser ('Reuters' Says The Netherlands'
Central Planning Bureau Rebuked The United States Drug Czar Tuesday
For Getting His Facts Wrong About Dutch Drug-Related Crime,
And The Dutch Health Ministry Cast Doubt On Whether General Barry McCaffrey's
Visit Could Still Serve To Create An Open Exchange On Drugs Policy)
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 13:11:20 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Netherland: Wire: Dutch Rebuke U.S. Drugs Adviser
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny@hotmail.com)
Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 1998
Source: Reuters
Auhtor: By Christine Lucassen
DUTCH REBUKE U.S. DRUGS ADVISER
AMSTERDAM, July 14 (Reuters) - The Netherlands rebuked a top U.S. drugs
policy adviser on Tuesday for getting his facts wrong about Dutch
drug-related crime but said General Barry McCaffrey was welcome to learn
from the Dutch experience.
McCaffrey, speaking in Stockholm during a European fact-finding mission,
said on Monday the per capita murder rate in the Netherlands was double
that in the United States and blamed the liberal Dutch attitude towards
soft drugs.
In Amsterdam, Europe's drugs capital according to McCaffrey, coffee shops
peddling marijuana are almost as common as bars selling beer. Nevertheless,
the Dutch say addiction to hard drugs like heroin is less common than in
other countries.
``The murder rate in Holland is double that in the United States, McCaffrey
told Swedish reporters.
The overall crime rate in Holland is probably 40 percent higher than the
United States. That's drugs.''
According to the White House adviser, there were 17.58 murders for every
100,000 inhabitants in the Netherlands in 1995, compared with 8.22 murders
per 100,000 people in the United States.
The Dutch government's Central Planning Bureau poured scorn on McCaffrey's
figures.
Official data put the Dutch murder rate at 1.8 per 100,000 people in 1996,
up from 1.5 at the start of the decade.
``The figure (McCaffrey is using) is not right. He is adding in attempted
murders,'' a planning bureau spokesman told Reuters.
McCaffrey, who is due to visit the Netherlands on Thursday, contends that
Amsterdam is Europe's biggest drugs market and has described the Dutch
drugs policy as a ``disaster.''
He said the Netherlands is an export centre for synthetic drugs like
Ecstasy to Britain and the United States.
``(McCaffrey's) statements show...that he is not coming totally unbiased,''
Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Birgitta Tazelaar told Reuters.
``We hope he is coming here to learn from the Dutch drugs policy and one
can only learn if open-minded, she said. We don't want to deprive him of
the opportunity to inform himself.''
On his visit, McCaffrey plans to steer clear of the notorious coffee shops
but will visit an outpatients clinic for drug addicts.
He will also take in the latest in Dutch drug experiments -- a Health
Ministry centre where hardcore addicts are given free heroin with the aim
of reducing drug-related crime.
``We hope his opinions will then come more into line with the facts the way
we see them here,'' Tazelaar said. ``We would rather enter a discussion
than turn our back on dialogue.''
The Health Ministry cast doubt on whether McCaffrey's visit could still
serve to create an open exchange on drugs policy.
The Netherlands, often considered a front-runner in the area of drugs
tolerance, argues there should be a strict separation between hard and soft
drugs policy.
It tolerates the small-scale production and sale of soft drugs but actively
discourages the abuse of hard drugs.
The Dutch government clashed with McCaffrey last week over comments he made
in an interview with Cable Network News (CNN) television. McCaffrey called
Dutch drugs policy a ``disaster.''
``I must say that I find the timing of your remarks -- six days before your
planned visit to the Netherlands with a view to gaining first-hand
knowledge about Dutch drugs policy and its results -- rather astonishing,''
Joris Vos, Dutch ambassador to the United States, said in a letter to
McCaffrey.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pot-Smoking Cleric Joins Tory Race ('The Toronto Star' Notes Reverend
Brother Michael Baldasaro, Minister Of The Church Of The Universe,
Has Declared Himself A Candidate For Canada's Federal Progressive
Conservative Party Leadership)
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 20:55:46 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Canada: Pot-Smoking Cleric Joins Tory Race
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Dave Haans
Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 1998
Source: Toronto Star (Canada)
Section: A6
Contact: lettertoed@thestar.com
Website: http://www.thestar.com/
Author: William Walker, Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau Chief
POT-SMOKING CLERIC JOINS TORY RACE
Cambridge man latest to join list of leadership hopefuls
OTTAWA - He wants to give every Canadian child an acre of land at age 1,
wipe out marijuana laws and pardon all those convicted under them, including
himself.
Reverend Brother Michael Baldasaro, minister of the Church of the Universe,
has declared himself a candidate for the federal Progressive Conservative
party leadership.
He has scheduled a news conference Thursday inside the Parliament buildings.
``Bless you brother, thanks for calling,'' Baldasaro said in a telephone
interview from church headquarters in Cambridge.
He said there are about 80,000 ``mostly low-key'' members of the church in
Ontario. ``They don't talk about the church much, because the police just
come and bust them.''
Joining Baldasaro in the increasingly wacky race to replace Jean Charest are
businessman John Long, who issued a news release yesterday attacking the
``Toronto and Ottawa Bank Loving Press,'' an operations supervisor at a
Saskatoon courier company whose name is Brad Cabana, freelance technical
writer Scott Paterson, and anti-free trade crusader David Orchard.
To date, the only candidates with widespread media coverage have been former
prime minister Joe Clark, who is attempting a political comeback at age 59,
and Hugh Segal, 46, one-time chief of staff to prime minister Brian Mulroney.
Also running are Montreal lawyer Michael Fortier and former Manitoba cabinet
minister Brian Pallister.
Long is so frustrated at the lack of attention that he filed a complaint to
the Ontario Press Council.
``They prefer to call John a nobody, a little known essentric (sic) and a
long shot, rather than publish policies and structural changes which John
advocates to solve the serious problems facing Canadians,'' he wrote in
yesterday's statement.
Baldasaro, 49, who has run unsuccessfully for mayor of Hamilton and Guelph,
also has an action plan for Canada.
It includes returning all properties seized by police in the war against
marijuana. The minister said he smokes pot.
``Goodness, yes, for medicinal and spiritual reasons. We believe the tree of
life is for healing the nation,'' he said, adding that he's been in and out
of jail on marijuana busts since 1984.
His other policies include removing sexist references in the national
anthem, extinguishing all references to the monarchy, reducing government
pensions ``to what the least of us live on,'' and giving all Canadian
mothers $10,000 when their children turn one.
``We're a non-denominational church. We have two rules: don't hurt yourself
and don't hurt anyone else.''
The Conservative party will conduct a one-member, one-vote system of
electing its new leader on Oct. 24. If a run-off vote is required, it will
be held Nov. 14.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Why The General Practitioner May Offer You Cannabis (Britain's 'Independent'
Says There Will Be An International Conference In France From July 23 To 25
On The Medical Utility Of Cannabinoids And Why Marijuana Is Emerging
As Such A Panacea, And Quotes Dr Geoffrey Guy Of GW Pharmaceuticals,
Recently Granted The First British Home Office Licence To Grow And Research
Cannabis, Saying He Believes Scientists Have Only Just Begun To Tap
Its Possible Uses, Predicting That 'The Next Condition That Is Going
To Benefit Is Epileptic Seizures')
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 23:32:55 +0000
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UK: OPED: Why The GP May Offer You Cannabis
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Martin Cooke (mjc1947@cyberclub.iol.ie)
Source: Independent, The (UK)
Contact: letters@independent.co.uk
Website: http://www.independent.co.uk/
Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 1998
Author: JEROME BURNE
WHY THE GP MAY OFFER YOU CANNABIS
Sufferers of MS have long campaigned for the drug to be legal for
medicinal uses. Their goal may be in sight.
Once we only smoked it to get high; now it looks set to be a valued
addition to the medicine cabinet. The announcement last week that
marijuana might reduce stroke damage and protect against Alzheimer's
is just the latest in a string of beneficial effects, recently
uncovered by researchers. And there is undoubtedly more to come.
Marijuana contains a rich cocktail of chemicals whose functions are
only just being unravelled. Already research into its mechanisms has
led to the discovery of a neurotransmitter system in the brain that
was totally unexpected.
"What we have found so far suggests that cannabis could form the basis
for an entirely new approach to pain," says Professor Howard Field of
the University of California, San Francisco. In Britain Dr Geoffrey
Guy, recently granted the first Home Office licence to grow and
research cannabis, also believes that we have only just begun to tap
its possible uses. "The next condition that is going to benefit is
epileptic seizures," he predicts.
Until recently it was impossible to get funding to study cannabis
unless you wanted to show how dangerous it was. But about 18 months
ago, there was a sea change in the American research establishment's
attitude, after the residents of California and Arizona voted to
legalise marijuana for medical purposes.
The prestigious Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of
Sciences performed a U-turn and began an investigation into the claims
that marijuana was beneficial for a remarkable range of disorders,
including glaucoma, pain, muscle spasm in Multiple Sclerosis and loss
of appetite in AIDS patients. As a result cannabinoids - the chemicals
in the plant that affect particular cells in the brain - have become a
hot topic. In two weeks' time (July 23 to 25) an international
conference in France on cannabinoids will be discussing why marijuana
is emerging as such a panacea.
Meanwhile, in this country the BMA has thrown its considerable weight
behind a campaign for the medical use of marijuana. This has
encouraged the Home Office to grant Dr Guy his licence to grow
marijuana for the purpose of research at a secret location in southern
England and to run clinical trials. What he's discovered so far should
change your way of looking at the humble joint for ever.
"Marijuana contains about 400 active chemicals," says Dr Guy, founder
of GW Pharmaceuticals. "The conventional drug company approach to
medicinal plants is to extract a single active ingredient, which in
this case is generally assumed to be one known as THC, but this is
very short-sighted."
In evidence he recently presented to the House of Lords Committee on
cannabis Dr Guy explained that THC - "the one that gets you high" -
was just one of 60 cannabinoids that can affect receptors in the
brain. "In addition to them, the plant's essential oils have a range
of valuable properties - anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and
anti-inflammatory." Despite all this potent activity, cannabis has the
startlingly unusual property of being incredibly safe. The difference
between a therapeutic dose and a deadly one is 40,000. By comparison,
the figure for aspirin is 25, while morphine is 50.
For now, Dr Guy is looking at the cannabinoids, particularly CBD, the
one found to protect the brain after a stroke by mopping up dangerous
free radicals. He believes it will also be useful in treating
epileptic seizures. "It's only in the past year that we have been able
to separate it from its close relative CBC, so now we can begin to
study it properly."
But one of the most dramatic medicinal effects of cannabis is the way
it stops the pain of muscle spasms that come with MS, against which
conventional opiate-based painkillers are useless. Literally a few
puffs on a joint can bring relief. "This is startling in
pharmacological terms," says Dr Guy. "No other painkillers work that
fast or at such low doses." The latest American research into where
cannabinoids work in the brain is beginning to unravel what's going
on.
For over 20 years we've known that the brain has its own pain-control
system that uses natural chemicals called endorphins. Morphine is a
painkiller because it taps into that system. There are other systems,
such as the one based on serotonin, controlling mood. Now it turns out
there is a system that cannabinoids can manipulate.
"We now know there are two sorts of cannabinoid receptor - CB1 and
CB2", says Professor Steven Childers of Wake Forest University school
of medicine in Winston Salem, New Connecticut. "CB1 is found all over
the brain while CB2 is found in the body, especially in the immune
system. No one would ever have predicted that receptors for marijuana
would exist in such high quantities."
What's revealing is where these receptors are found in the brain.
"Motor systems are packed with them," Childers continues. "This may
partly explain why cannabis is said to help with the muscle spasms of
Multiple Sclerosis."
But it is pain control that is creating the most excitement. And all
this may have a decisive effect on the wider drug culture.
Increasingly, proper trials are showing that whole plant extracts are
as effective, with fewer side effects than the synthesised "active
ingredient". If Dr Guy's trials come up with the results, that could
lead to a big change in the sort of pills we are prescribed. And
that's really heavy, man.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Weekly Action Report On Drug Policies, Year 4, Number 19
(Summary Of International Drug Policy News, From CORA In Italy)
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 11:58:05 EDT
Errors-To: manager@drcnet.org
Reply-To: cora.belgique@agora.stm.it
Originator: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: drctalk@drcnet.org
From: cora.belgique@agora.stm.it
To: Multiple recipients of list (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: CORAFax 19 (EN)
***
ANTIPROHIBITIONIST OF THE ENTIRE WORLD ....
Year 4 No. 19, July 9 1998
***
Weekly Action Report on Drug Policies
Edited by the CORA - Radical Antiprohibitionist Coordination,
federated to
- TRP-Transnational Radical Party (NGO, consultive
status, I)
- The Global Coalition for Alternatives to the Drug War
***
director: Vincenzo Donvito All rights reserved
***
http://www.agora.stm.it/coranet
mailto:cora.news@agora.stm.it
***
NEWS FROM THE CORA
***
CORA / ITALY / THE CALABRIAN CASE
The Region of Calabria has paid 6 billion in 7 years Lire for
curing 17.318 citizens who unfortunately died. At the same time cures
are being denied to thousands of "living" drug addicts who are
registered in the Public Service for Aid to Drug Addicts (SERT) . This
fact has been denounced to the Courts of Crotone, Lamezia Terme and
Cosenza.
***
TRP / ITALY / GENOVA
A press conference has been held to promote the Denounces against the
SERT.
***
TRP/ EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT / REPORT OF THE OEDT
The 1997 report of the European Observatory On Drugs And Drug
Addiction is under discussion. Olivier Depuis, deputy of the European
Parliament and Secretary of the Transnational Radical Party, has
presented many antiprohibitionist amendments.
***
TRP/ MOSCOW / DEMONSTRATION
During the first anniversary celebration of the magazine "Moskovsky
Komsomolets" radical activists have demonstrated with a banner that
said "Legalize drugs".
***
CORA / ITALY / OVERDOSE DEATHS
This is what Carmelo Palma has declare regarding the condition of the
SERTs: " (...) At this stage - that is without reforming the law,
without the right to effective cures and without putting the State
services in condition to work "legally" - to ask for more funding
means only hypocritically throwing money out the window".
***
CORA / ITALY / SOMETHING IS MOVING IN THE MARCHE REGION
Paolo Forli', of the CORA, has had an answer from the Police
Headquarters of S. Benedetto del Tronto, to whom he had denounced the
malfunctioning of the SERT. He was told that the SERT in question is
not equipped with the necessary personnel, as instead is specified by
law.
***
CORA / OVATION FOR ARLACCHI IN TEHERAN
For Carmelo Palma, " Pino Arlacchi does not believe in justice, he
believes in order. He is opposed to legalization because he thinks,
ideologically, that individual behavior must be controlled through
repression". (L'Opinione, July 4, 1998)
***
NEWS FROM THE WORLD
***
000130 08/07/98
E.U. / FRANCE
DRUG ADDICT
LE MONDE
In the war against drugs the National State Audit Court has found
certain malfunctioning of the State's services 'on the central as on
the local level', identifying problems of coordination between
different subjects. It has also said that 'Le Patriarche' is an
ambiguous structure.
***
000131 07/07/98
E.U. / ITALY
DRUG ADDICT
IL MESSAGGERO
Statistics of deceases for drugs in 1997: Rome is on top of the list
(131 dead). Following are Naples (83), Turin (79), Milan (78) and
Bologna (47). These figures have been made public by Angelo Bonelli,
President of the Drug Commission of the Lazio Region.
***
000128 07/07/98
AMERICA / PARAGUAY
DRUG MAFIA
LA REPUBBLICA
It is believed that Ciudad del Este, drug market city of Paraguay,
attracts a volume of business that amounts to 12 billion $. Cocaine
and arms traffic has been imported there by the Chinese organized
crime. The war against the mafia involves also Brasilian and
Argentine Police Forces.
***
000129 08/07/98
AMERICA / USA
HEALTH
SUEDDEUTSCHE Z.
The THC that is present in Marijuana is an antioxidant, which has
positive effects on cerebral apoplexy, Parkinson's disease and
Alzheimer's disease. This is what Professor Aidan Hampson says in an
article on 'National Academy of Sciences'.
***
000120 02/07/98
E.U. / FRANCE / PARIS
INITIATIVE
LE MONDE
The creation of a first aid center for drug addicts has been for
months dividing the citizens of the 10th arrondissement. Two
associations, one for and one against the center, are still fighting
against each other with signed petitions . It seems although that a
mediator is arriving.
***
000121 03/07/98
E.U. / GERMANY / SAARBRUECHEN
INITIATIVE
FRANKFURTER
All judiciary and political forces have come to an agreement on the
institution of a center for controlled distribution of heroin in
Saarbrue.
***
000122 05/07/98
E.U. / SPAIN
INITIATIVE
EL PAIS
A group of Spanish experts is observing and following the program of
controlled distribution of heroin that is being carried out in
Holland. The program could be also experimented in Grenada next
Autumn.
***
000123 05/07/98
E.U. / SPAIN
INITIATIVE
EL PAIS
Among the 630 signatures that appear on the manifesto for the
depenalization of drugs that has been presented to the United Nations
there are also those of 30 Spanish Magistrates. This is although not a
novelty: in fact as early as 1991 sixty judges had expressed
antiprohibitionist opinions.
***
000126 06/07/98
E.U. / HOLLAND
INITIATIVE
LIBERATION
In its program of controlled distribution of heroin Holland is working
in cooperation with Switzerland, but has at the same time introduced
two novelties: the use of heroin to be smoked instead of injected and
the comparison of the effects of methadone and heroin, or of the
combination of both.
***
000127 06/07/98
E.U. / SPAIN
INITIATIVE
EL PAIS
Controlled distribution of heroin, as prospected by the Andalusian
Junta, does not convince the General Secretary of Social Affairs,
Amalia Gomez. She thinks that Methadone and psychological and social
rehabilitation are better solutions.
***
000124 02/07/98
E.U. / ITALY
ORGANIZATION
IL GIORNALE
The positive effects of Marijuana: this is one of the titles that the
Ministry of Education has chosen for the written test in the exam for
the experimental diploma in languages.
***
000125 03/07/98
ASIA / IRAN
WAR ON DRUGS
CORRIERE DELLA SERA / IL MESSAGGERO / IL SOLE 24 ORE / LA STAMPA /
NEUE ZUERCHERR Z. / THE ECONOMIST / / A great celebration with
bonfire has taken place at the presence of Khatami and Arlacchi. In
the fight against drugs Theheran has chosen to burn 51 tons of opium.
***
000132 07/07/98
AMERICA / BOLIVIA
WAR ON DRUGS
LE MONDE
Coca producers of the Chapre region have been for the past thee months
opposing the Government forces that are trying to destroy 38,000
hectars of illegal cultivation. This has caused twelve deaths and
hundreds of wounded and imprisoned.
***
CLIPPINGS
***
MEXICO - Mexico's Bishops have criticized the Government which is
fighting a war without limits against drugs: "The situation is getting
out of hand", they say.
***
SWITZERLAND - The Partito Popolare has recognized the full success of
controlled distribution of heroin.
***
PORTUGAL - Almelda Santos, President of the Parliament, hopes in a
future legalization of drugs and in their controlled distribution.
***
ITALY- The Parliament has accepted the proposal of a law that
introduces incompatibility between imprisonment and AIDS disease.
***
CORA
-COORDINATION RADICALE ANTIPROHIBITIONNISTE
-ANTIPROHIBITIONIST RADICAL COORDINATION
-COORDINAMENTO RADICALE ANTIPROIBIZIONISTA
Federated with the Transnational Radical Party NGO
with category I consultative status at the UN
mailto:cora.news@agora.it
http://www.agora.stm.it/coranet
mailto:cora.belgique@agora.it
-------------------------------------------------------------------
[End]
to 1998 Daily News index for July 9-15