Date: Mon, 09 Feb 2004
Subject: #285 Drug War Prosecutor Defames Reformers
DRUG WAR PROSECUTOR DEFAMES REFORMERS
*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************
DrugSense FOCUS Alert #285 Tue, 10 Feb 2004
Our last Focus Alert in January was targeted at Ocean County New
Jersey Special Prosecutor Terrance Farley and his column in the
Ashbury Park Press where he lambastes a retired circuit court judge
who called for an end to the drug war. See http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0284.html
SP Farley has also logged a fair number of column inches in another
New Jersey paper – The Ocean County Observer – during the past year
in which he criticizes drug policy reform efforts of any kind. And in
rebuttal, the OC Observer has provided a very fair amount of space to
letter writers who disagree with Farley’s support Prohibition.
On Feb 1, Farley let loose with his most venomous attack on drug
policy reform ideas with a column length letter in the Observer. In
this one, he notes the large amount of criticism his writings have
received. He attributes all such criticism to be from ‘dope smoking
legalizers’ and cites several organizations.
The voluminous response of rebuttals to Farley’s writings in
particular is a direct result of his mean spirited attacks on Cheryl
Miller in this newspaper for using cannabis as medicine and being
public about it – attacks going back over a year. See
http://www.mapinc.org/source/Ocean+County+Observer
Thanks to newshawk Gary Storck – and to Jim Miller for those letters
which the newspaper does not put on line, for providing us with the
letter below.
And, of course, to all the letter to the editor writers. This drug
warrior has been made to look as foolish and mean spirited as he is on
the pages of his home town newspaper because you wrote.
That’s what the Media Awareness Project is all about, in my opinion –
empowering activists so that we may win the hearts and minds of the
public through the press.
Oh, of course all of the PUB LTE writers are not “minions” of any
organization – not paid by anyone to write the letters to the editor
they write. Nor is their salary dependent upon feeding at the public
trough, unlike our SP.
Please write a letter to the Ocean County Observer telling them why
you disagree with Farley’s drug war views. If you match any of the
descriptions for people he claims, “…never write to criticize
me…”, please make note of that as well.
Letters should be 200 words or less for best chance of publication.
Please note that unlike major newspapers which print only very prompt
responses, this newspaper has printed letters sent in many days after
the item you are responding to was published.
Thanks for your effort and support.
It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do
**********************************************************************
PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter,
email messages, etc.)
Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent
letter list (sentlte@mapinc.org) if you are subscribed, or by
E-mailing a copy directly to MGreer@mapinc.org if you are not
subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others
can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.
This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging
our impact and effectiveness.
Subscribing to the Sent LTE list (sentlte@mapinc.org) will help you to
review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or
approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing
efforts.
To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm
and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form
**********************************************************************
CONTACT INFO
Source: The Ocean County Observer
Contact: observer@app.com
**********************************************************************
Pubdate: Sun, 01 Feb 2004
Source: Ocean County Observer (NJ)
Section: Page 10, Opinion page
Contact: observer@app.com
Website: http://www.injersey.com/observer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1212
Author: Terrence P. Farley
FARLEY RESPONDS TO HIS NATIONAL CRITICS ON DRUGS
For the regular readers of the Observer, it must be apparent that
either it has become a national publication or I have become the
target of the dope-smoking drug legalizers across the nation. They are
represented by groups like the National Organization to Reform
Marijuana Laws, the Drug Policy Alliance, the Ohio Marijuana Party
Political Action Committee and others with Web sites that spew out
garbage trying to change the minds and mores of our legislators and
the general public.
Quite frankly, I am pleased and somewhat flattered that these people
are so concerned about my articles and presentations that they have
their minions from places like Northhampton, Ma., Washington D.C.,
Green Bay, Wisc., Baton Rogue, La., Denton, Texas and other places
take the time to write to the Observer to attack me personally and the
facts and studies upon which I rely. One of the recent letters
indicated that I have spent my life putting people in jail, neglecting
to note that I was a fairly successful criminal defense lawyer for 20
years; they also indicate that I have taken my anti-drug stances
because I need to keep my job and make a living, neglecting to note
that I left a very lucrative partnership in the largest law firm in
the county at the height of my income-producing years, or that I paid
more in taxes while in private practice than I made as a prosecutor.
It should not surprise anyone that we don’t see these letters coming
from the families of drug-addicted individuals who have to live with
this problem or, worse, have lost a child to drugs. Nor do we hear
this type of diatribe from the addicts themselves. In fact, quite to
the contrary, we hear them extol the benefits of our actions such as
our Drug Court, how it helped them overcome the scourge of addiction
to again become productive family members, parents and members of
society; all I might add through the coercion of the criminal justice
system.
I only hope that those pro-legalization forces continue to direct
their venom at me while we work with school authorities, prevention
specialists, treatment providers and law enforcement officers in an
effort to rid our nation of our drug problems rather than making them
incredibly worse through legalization, as they propose.
Terrence P. Farley
First Assistant Prosecutor
Director, Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force
**********************************************************************
ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:
Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/
**********************************************************************
TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:
Please utilize the following URLs
http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm
http://www.drugsense.org/unsub.htm
We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter
writing activists.
**********************************************************************
Prepared by: Stephen Heath, Focus Alert Specialist – Law Enforcement