I attended a presentation last night by Ed Moses, a Missouri undercover cop, that was advertised as a discussion of Medical Marijuana. The presentation was sponsored by ASAP (Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention.)
It was an interesting night. Moses' presentation contained some statistics I question. But, for the most part it was a discussion of marijuana as a "gateway" drug and what a bad idea it was to legalize Pot. Medical marijuana was lost in the discussion.
Some proponents for legalization in general were disruptive and disrespectful. That's too bad. The question before voters will be the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.
Moses did not keep to that topic, in fact he barely touched on it. And the cause of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes was damaged by the rude behavior of some of those proponents in attendence.
For those of us who believe medical marijuana should be legalized, it is disheartening when proponents behave in a manner that drives people to the other side. Those folks accomplished nothing last night. Those proponents who were respectful, including Bob Newland, were not served by the angry rants of the potheads in attendance.
And, until people begin to behave like adults trying to pass reasonable legislation, the medical marijuana vote will go down. Propagandists like Moses win when they remain calm as those who disagree with them loose their cool. If last night's display was a demonstration of what is to come in this campaign, it will be a futile fight and those who suffer in need of the product, will only continue to suffer.
1 comment:
The audience was at least 3-to-1 opposed to Moses--a lone ranger, willing to stand on the hilltop in the wind and fight evil, even though the city in which he came to fight it apparently doesn’t apprehend the evil in even a large enough measure to send more than 20 representatives to learn how to fight it with him.
Did “we” win? Well, I doubt any minds were changed. What we “legalizers” saw was just one more illustration that we already have won, but the folks with the guns and the power of the courts will keep on shooting us until they are mowed down by ballot. Like Japanese soldiers in Indonesian caves, the Ed Moseses will still be there twenty years after the war is over.
Sleep well, Rapid City, for Ed Moses is training your local cops tonight.
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