I live in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley, and there is a three-way race going for the District Attorney's office here in Ulster County. While this is nowhere near an issue of such import as Iraq, the Environment, the Economy, or all of those other Capital issues, an article on the front page of our local paper irritated me. Apparently, the Democratic candidate Jonathan Sennett does not treat marijuana with the horror it deserves!!
So, of course, I wrote a Letter to the Editor.
Now, I've smoked weed for thirty-six years; I've worked in the same place for twenty-years, have a wife, child, modest home, and am otherwise reasonably law-abiding. But I like a toke. Oh, I suppose I could give it up if I really needed to, but I'd miss it the way I'd miss a Gran Marnier and a cup of coffee after a nice dinner out.
But, the papers regularly remind me that I'm a criminal, especially during political silly season. A couple of months ago they arrested a seventy-one year old real hippie, Dennis Yusko for selling (or maybe not) marijuana; you always read about the Helicopters spotting someone's crop of Catskill Mountain Green. Yeah, and if I got caught, besides it being extremely expensive, I could lose my job for smokin' and eatin' chocolate chippers while watching "Heroes" on TV. So who are the real Terrorists, hmm?
Anyway, the Repubs, Conservative/Independent, and the Liebercrat Mayor decided to pile on. I won't be blockquoting because the link to the article is above, and many quotes are fed back in my letter. But I must say, I hadn't yet gone over the candidate's positions in any detail yet, but, I will be making a donation to Mr. Sennett's campaign. One needs to give credit where credit is due, after all!
Pass de Kutchie, mon...
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"So much of our current politics involves cherry-picked facts and distorting the implications of your opponent's statements in order to inflame your base. This is true on the local as well as the national stage. Let's take the Freeman's front-page article of October 17, "DA Candidate Sennett Takes Heat Over Marijuana Stance" as an example.
Kingston Mayor Sottile, who I gather does not support Assistant Public
Defender Sennett's election as District Attorney, is reported to have made the statement that "Here we have a candidate who says we have lost the war on drugs and gangs (which Sennett denies), and who wants to make marijuana legal." When did Mr. Sennett actually say we have lost the war on drugs and gangs? Please, Mr. Mayor, give us a place, date, and a time, or is this just an advantageous interpretation?
Secondly, there are apparently only two types of drugs: legal, i.e., good," and illegal, which are "bad" and must be fought tooth and nail, expending endless resources, because there is absolutely no difference between marijuana, crack, or crank. Let's not admit that there is a third class, with powerful lobbies, called social/recreational drugs, to which alcohol and tobacco both belong.
DA candidate Carnright criticizes Sennett by charging "I think his message is clear, intended or not, that he doesn't think marijuana is any worse
than tobacco. It is totally inappropriate for a DA to say that...You can't be the DA and send out that kind of message. The message, especially to kids, is (marijuana) is bad for you. Any other message is inappropriate."
Indeed, candidate Sennett did state, "The scientific evidence is pretty solid that marijuana is not more harmful than alcohol or tobacco." No, no, no, ignore any scientific comparisons of addictive properties or physically harmful effects. We can't allow facts to make us look soft on crime! If it's a law, it is always right and just!
Town of Ulster Police Chief Paul Watzka asks "How could a district attorney who supports legalization of marijuana prosecute a case involving marijuana?" The Freeman article already reports that Sennett said it is up to the state Legislature to amend laws regarding marijuana and that he would enforce whatever laws are on the books. Perhaps what Chief Watzka is concerned about is that, as District Attorney, Mr. Sennett would not assign a high enough priority to prosecution of marijuana, or punish
violators harshly enough to get the message across that, 'We make the rules, and you will obey, or pay, regardless of sense or proportion?' Murder, rape, heroin, marijuana... it's all the same.
Finally, the Mayor declares "We're trying to take drug dealers off the street. Making (marijuana) legal would only make things worse." Legalization would do that, how? Legal products can be regulated, and the regulations can be enforced. Any successes we have had in combating underage smoking and drinking, by well-publicized stings, DWI, and health awareness is because we determine who can produce it and distribute it. We can provide intelligent educational, preventative, and sobriety programs because they're public and above board, rather than insultingly mindless "Just Say No!" cliches. And, since marijuana revenues would NOT be going to the gangs, we can tax those products to support those efforts.
A brief application of The Google will reveal a vast number of people who are no worse for having experimented with marijuana - soldier, journalist, Congressman, Senator, Vice-President, Oscar, Emmy, and Nobel-prize winner Al Gore is just one. There are numerous current performer, who, love them or hate them, admit to regularly using 'the evil weed,' such as Bill Maher. Apparently, pot is not as wicked and deleterious as the righteous would have us believe!
But, if demonization and ignoring evidence (hey! isn't 'evidence' what a District Attorney is SUPPOSED to attend to?) advances the political agendas of Mssr. Carnwright, Bradley, Sottile, and their allies, well, politics these days is too often fought in the gutter, so why shouldn't they get down there, too?"