I have been very impressed with Rep. Barney Frank as of late due to his passionate defense of personal freedoms.
Originally this admiration stemmed from his introduction of H.R. 2267: Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, which would tackle an issue very near and dear to my heart, but just today, Rep. Frank has introduced a bill that would federally decriminalize possession and transfer of personal amounts of marijuana.
This legislation, titled H.R.2943: The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009, would decriminalize the possession of up to 3.5oz of marijuana and allow the transfer (not-for-profit) of up to 1oz without federal penalty.
I don't personally smoke marijuana, but I have no problem whatsoever with people doing things within the privacy of their own homes that have no negative effect on anyone other than the user (and even the negative effect of marijuana is very debatable).
I've also seen what the failed "War on Drugs" has turned our country into: a society bought and paid for by the prison industry. We have more prisoners behind bars than any other country on Earth, even authoritarian China. Too many of these people are locked up for non-violent drug-related offenses. The money we could save by forgoing the pointless detention of marijuana-users could be a boon to the cause of universal healthcare.
So far Frank's bill has four cosponsors:
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2]
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22]
Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14]
Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-46]
There is no doubt that this will be a hard sell to Congress, whose members have taken millions and millions from private prison operators. Corrections Corporation of America is just one example:
However, what are we if we're not fighters for individual freedom and liberty. We may not have the clout of the prison industry and casino industry with their high powered lobbyists, but there are millions of Americans that safely and responsibly enjoy smoking marijuana and millions of Americans that safely and responsibly enjoy playing poker on the internet. Together, we can be powerful advocates for change. So, please, if you support the rights of Americans to be free from government interference while in their homes, call your member of Congress and ask them to support Frank's H.Rs 2943 and 2267.