Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002
Subject: #250 Doonesbury Comic Strip Carries Message Newspapers Avoid
DrugSense FOCUS Alert #250 Monday Jan 28, 2002
Doonesbury Comic Strip Carries Message Newspapers Avoid
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PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
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On Sunday Jan 27, the well known comic strip DOONESBURY, penned by
Garry Trudeau delivered to readers a message that is not usually
delivered by major media. In the limited space a Sunday comic panel
affords, the strip drew a direct comparison between the dangers of
tobacco and marijuana. Using the well known satirical icons of Mr.
Butts (representing tobacco) and Mr. Jay (marijuana), a short
conversation ensues. Butts remarks that once again he was responsible
for over 400,000 American deaths last year. Mr. Jay admits he killed
no one, but did allow that he was responsible for over 700,000 arrests
by police. With their conversation taking place at a gathering of the
‘Sin Lobby’, Jay confesses feeling like a fraud.
If you have not seen the comic strip, it is online
at
http://www.mapinc.org/image/db012702/
Note that newspapers are not required to print the first two panels –
some did – some did not – based on their own layout needs.
Please consider writing a letter thanking newspaper editors for
carrying Doonesbury and asking them to please give this subject more
attention than just satirical comic messages.
Doonesbury has a history of providing pro-reform messages. For
example,
Doonesbury BEFORE the passage of Prop. 215 http://www.kubby.com/Cartoons/cartoons-doonesbury1.html
Doonesbury AFTER the passage of Prop. 215 http://www.kubby.com/Cartoons/cartoons-doonesbury2.html
Doonesbury AFTER Ashcroft ordered raids against cannabis buyers clubs
http://www.kubby.com/Cartoons/cartoons-doonesbury3.html
In 1997 Garry Trudeau received The Edward M. Brecher Award for
Achievement in the Field of Journalism from the Drug Policy Foundation
for the Prop. 215 comic strips.
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This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is one very effective way of gauging our
impact and effectiveness.
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Here is a list of newspapers for which we have been able to confirm
that the Doonesbury strip was printed:
Anchorage Daily News (AK) letters@adn.com
Appleton Post-Crescent (WI) pcletters@appleton.gannett.com
Arizona Daily Star (AZ) letters@azstarnet.com
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (AR) voices@ardemgaz.com
Auburn Journal (CA) ajournal@foothill.net
Bakersfield Californian (CA) opinion@bakersfield.com
Baltimore Sun (MD) letters@baltsun.com
Blade, The (OH) letters@theblade.com
Boston Globe (MA) letter@globe.com
Capital Times, The (WI) tctvoice@madison.com
Charlotte Sun Herald (FL) hackworth@sun-herald.com
Chicago Tribune (IL) ctc-TribLetter@Tribune.com
Contra Costa Times (CA) dhatfield@cctimes.com
Courier News, The (NJ) cnletter@c-n.com
Daily Mining Gazette, The (MI) bheisel@mininggazette.com
Daily News Journal (TN) pirtle@dnj.com
Dallas Morning News (TX) letterstoeditor@dallasnews.com
Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL) letters@news-jrnl.com
Des Moines Register (IA) letters@news.dmreg.com
Detroit News / Free Press (MI) [combined Sunday edition]
letters@detnews.com letters@freepress.com
Elkhart Truth (IN) peoplesforum@etruth.com
Florida Times-Union (FL) jaxstaff@jacksonville.com
Foster’s Sunday Citizen (NH) letters@fosters.com
Free Lance-Star (VA) letters@freelancestar.com
Grand Rapids Press (MI) pulse@ccmail.gr-press.com
Green Bay Press-Gazette (WI) forum@greenbaypressgazette.com
Hendersonville Times-News (NC) tnletters@ioa.com
Honolulu Advertiser (HI) letters@honoluluadvertiser.com
Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI) letters@starbulletin.com
Houston Chronicle (TX) viewpoints@chron.com
Indianapolis Star (IN) stareditor@starnews.com
Inquirer (PA) Inquirer.Letters@phillynews.com
Kansas City Star (MO) letters@kcstar.com
Lansing State Journal (MI) dmelot@lsj.com
Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV) letters@lvrj.com
Lincoln Journal Star (NE) oped@journalstar.com
Los Angeles Times (CA) letters@latimes.com
Marin Independent Journal (CA) opinion@marinij.com
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) jsedit@onwis.com
Norman Transcript (OK) editor@normantranscript.com
Oakland Tribune (CA) eangtrib@newschoice.com
Olympian, The (WA) moakland@theolympian.com
Orange County Register (CA) letters@ocregister.com
Oregonian, The (OR) letters@news.oregonian.com
Orlando Sentinel (FL) insight@orlandosentinel.com
Plain Dealer, The (OH) letters@plaind.com
Post and Courier, The (SC) letters@postandcourier.com
Press Democrat, The (CA) letters@pressdemo.com
Press-Enterprise (CA) letters@pe.com
Register Citizen (CT) editor@registercitizen.com
Register-Guard, The (OR) rgletters@guardnet.com
Reno Gazette-Journal (NV) rgjmail@nevadanet.com
Reporter-Herald, The (CO) news@reporter-herald.com
Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) letters@timesdispatch.com
Sacramento Bee (CA) opinion@sacbee.com
Salt Lake Tribune (UT) letters@sltrib.com
San Francisco Chronicle (CA) letters@sfchronicle.com
Santa Fe New Mexican (NM) letters@kcstar.com
Seattle Times (WA) opinion@seattletimes.com
South Bend Tribune (IN) vop@sbtinfo.com
Spokesman-Review (WA) editor@spokesman.com
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) letters@post-dispatch.com
St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN) letters@pioneerpress.com
St. Petersburg Times (FL) letters@sptimes.com
State Journal-Register (IL) letters@sj-r.com
State, The (SC) stateeditor@thestate.com
Tacoma News Tribune (WA) letters@tribnet.com
Tampa Tribune (FL) letters@sptimes.com
Tri-City Herald (WA) letters@tri-cityherald.com
Tulsa World (OK) letters@tulsaworld.com
Washington Post (DC) letters@washpost.com
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (IA) tflattery@wcfcourier.com
Wichita Eagle (KS) weedit@wichitaeagle.com
NOTE: Please address each newspaper one at a time using the To: field of
your email program. Be sure to use the newspaper name somewhere in each
message. Newspaper editors expect that you are addressing them only – they
are quick to hit the delete key if they think you are sending something to
multiple publications.
The above list is probably not even a majority of the Sunday papers
which printed the Doonesbury cartoon. If you know of other newspapers
that did, you may find their email address here:
http://www.mapinc.org/resource/email.htm
Do you know of newspapers that do not carry the daily or Sunday
Doonesbury? Consider sending them a note asking them to carry it. You
can be sure Doonesbury will carry our message in the future!
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Extra Credit:
Sunday the Baltimore Sun also printed an OPED by a couple of shills
for the prohibitionist lobby which is at
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n141/a02.html
If you have the time, a Letter to the Editor defending both Zonker and
cannabis truth would be nice.
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SAMPLE LETTER (SENT)
To the editor
I write to thank G. B. Trudeau and editors of your newspaper for the
excellent Doonesbury strip of Jan. 27.
Arresting hundreds of thousands of Americans for marijuana, a drug
that doesn’t kill anyone, represents a wasteful and cruel absurdity.
Understanding the damage caused by marijuana prohibition, I would
never endorse the prohibition of tobacco. But as Doonesbury pointed
out, our tolerance of potentially lethal tobacco makes marijuana
prohibition seem even crazier.
While the cartoon was an excellent example of political commentary
mixed with black humor, the situation it describes is truly tragic.
Even sadder is the fact that the situation rarely gets attention in
any newspaper – outside of the funny pages.
Stephen Young contact info
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IMPORTANT Always include your address and telephone number Please
note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it at
least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of
the same letter and so that the original author receives credit for
his/her work.
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ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
efforts
Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/
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Prepared by Stephen Heath and Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialists – with