Marijuana Law Reform Is a Civil Rights Issue

[JackTheGrower]

Marijuana Law Reform Is a Civil Rights Issue.

Read what the President of the NAACP has to say on supporting Prop. 19

Alice Huffman

President of the California NAACP

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," said the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1967 when he spoke out against the Vietnam War. At the time, he was roundly criticized by friend and foe alike for speaking out on an issue considered outside the purview of civil rights' leaders. Dr. King understood better than most at the time the true cost of war -- in lives lost, in futures squandered, in dreams deferred and in misspent resources. Eventually, a majority of Americans came to agree with him about the war in Vietnam but he did not live long enough to see the shift in public opinion. His moral courage lay in speaking out in the face of disagreement, caring more about his integrity than popularity.

As leaders of the California NAACP, it is our mission to eradicate injustice and continue the fight for civil rights and social justice wherever and whenever we can. We are therefore compelled to speak out against another war, the so called "war on drugs." To be clear, this is not a war on the drug lords and violent cartels, this is a war that disproportionately affects young men and women and the latest tool for imposing Jim Crow justice on poor African-American

Full article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alice-huffman/marijuana-law-reform-is-a_b_637001.html

--------------------------

Ernst

 

[SmilinBob]

Hopefully prop 19 passes and other states use California as a role model to less populated prisons, more tax dollars, etc etc.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Oh i believe the tide has turned Nation and maybe World wide. maybe 19 passes maybe it doesn't but we will have won the war although the cease fire will take more years..

We have an ageing conservative ( on this issue ) population. As they pass away we get a new majority. I am guessing we need to keep our chin up if we lose but that will be the worst of it.

As a side note my local area is finding a lot more grows this year.. That means that are a lot more grows this year! I see change!

 

[JackTheGrower]

NAACP leader under fire for backing pot initiative

NAACP leader under fire for backing pot initiative

This looks to be the focal point of Church and State on Cannabis.

While the move by the NAACP is historic and the NAACP has announced unconditional support we are seeing the Church's reaction.

I live in a city where there are more churches per person than any other place in the world. I see this Religious anti-cannabis mode of thought rooted as firmly as the Flag waving on the Fourth of July.

In a way I am in a Ground Zero Zone too.

Have a read of the reaction and hate coming from the Religious sector.

Remember Blacks are disproportionately arrested and convicted of Cannabis crime and by removing the Crime for Cannabis a lot of Black Americans will be spared arrest and criminal records.
I understand that Black Americans are not the majority of Cannabis consumers they are just victimized by our legal system.

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July 7, 2010 | 11:55 am

More than 20 African American religious and community leaders called Wednesday for California NAACP President Alice Huffman to resign after she endorsed a November ballot measure to legalize marijuana in the state.

Bishop Ron Allen and other members of the International Faith-Based Coalition said Proposition 19 would hurt the African American community and questioned why Huffman would back the measure.

"Why would the state NAACP advocate for blacks to stay high," Allen said at a Capitol press conference. "It’s going to cause crime to go up. There will be more drug babies."

Huffman recently explained her endorsement by saying that African Americans are disproportionately affected by the enforcement of marijuana laws. A higher percentage of blacks are sent to jail then are believed to use the drug, she said. Huffman did not return calls Wednesday seeking comment.

Please see the website for a full story and comments on this subject http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/cal...er-under-fire-for-backing-pot-initiative.html


The War on Drugs has served the Hateful and even Black people of power want to see Black Americans go to prison for Cannabis from what I can tell

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[JackTheGrower]

My comment that May not be allowed.

My comment that May not be allowed.

You know many of us do get away with posting some "hot topic" posts here.

I wish to thank The Site for the freedom that we do have.. Not that I won't ever stop wanting it all. LOL

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Here is what I posted and it looks like they will not allow it... We shall see..

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PolitiCal
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NAACP leader under fire for backing pot initiative
July 7, 2010 | 11:55 am

More than 20 African American religious and community leaders called Wednesday for California NAACP President Alice Huffman to resign after she endorsed a November ballot measure to legalize marijuana in the state.

Bishop Ron Allen and other members of the International Faith-Based Coalition said Proposition 19 would hurt the African American community and questioned why Huffman would back the measure.

"Why would the state NAACP advocate for blacks to stay high," Allen said at a Capitol press conference. "It’s going to cause crime to go up. There will be more drug babies."

Huffman recently explained her endorsement by saying that African Americans are disproportionately affected by the enforcement of marijuana laws. A higher percentage of blacks are sent to jail then are believed to use the drug, she said. Huffman did not return calls Wednesday seeking comment.

-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento
Twitter: @latpoliticsca
Facebook: latimes
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We see the Hate.

A no vote on prop. 19 is a Yes vote for the current market system for Cannabis where Black Americans go to prison far more than Whites while Black Americans are not the majority of Consumers of Cannabis from what I understand.

Let us look at California and the current cannabis market. Yes we have one.

We have crime because sales, for the most part, must be done "underground." We have growers, middlemen and retailers working to supply the demand and Cannabis is popular in California.
So we have a market system.

Voting NO on prop. 19 is a YES vote for that market system. It will stay underground and Cannabis is now more mainstream than the days of Nixion when he started the war on drugs.

So what will a Yes vote for prop 19 do?
First the Crime of Cannabis will go away for the most part. The ones to benefit first will be the most currently victimized by our hateful and racist drug laws ( See Crack Cocaine prison sentences for an example ) and certainly Black Americans will receive the lions share of Cannabis Law Social Reform.
Second: We will now bring Cannabis business into the public view where we can do what good citizens do and that is ; Be Responsible.
That we can buy the Cannabis in some store rather than depend on teenagers to find us a dealer ( think about that ) means we reduce the money flowing through illegal drug businesses. We reduce the profit motive to have our children deal drugs. Think about this: When was the last High School Whiskey Dealing ring busted?
Third: We can focus on improving the economic reality for many who choose some escape with substance abuse with the money we save from putting people in prison for Cannabis! By that I mean don't we need jobs and not more prisons? Jobs build lives and prisons destroy lives when it comes to this simple plant Cannabis. Going to prison if far worse than the actual consumption of cannabis.

Cannabis has been a part of Mankind's experience in life for 10,000 years. Did we Americans think Prohibition would work in breaking up a beneficial relationship between the Human who likes to imbibe substance and a natural plant that is safer than aspirin? We tried it with alcohol and it failed. It created what? Gangsters and killings.. Oh wait look at Mexico and the USA.. Notice anything similar to alcohol prohibition today in the world?

So, People of God, you do know we did not get Kicked out of the Garden of Eden for Cannabis, right? It was for eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge.
Also People of God.. Just what do you think Moses's Burning Bush really was? A hallucination or just great Cannabis? Either way God doesn't mind a good vision and neither do I.

A No vote is a Vote for the Mess the Drug wars have created and that Keep some people in power at the expense of the very liberty of others.

I can understand that some see the Devil in many things such as Rock and Roll music and that they are acting on that perception. I'll ask them this.. If they are so worried about the effects of substance on the public why de we allow Bars to have Parking Lots?

So my "Good People" face the reality of the injustice the war on drugs has had on the USA. Face the fact that we cannot Legislate Morality once and for all times. Realize it is an "Addiction" to always cast stones too.


Vote your mind but vote and get two people to get two people to vote. We must exercise Democracy while we still have it.

Posted by: Ernst Berg | 07/07/2010 at 01:19 PM

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