• Focus Alerts

    NY Times Focuses On Reform Efforts But Misses The Point

    Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000
    Subject: NY Times Focuses On Reform Efforts But Misses The Point

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 152 January 3, 2000

    NY Times Focuses On Reform Efforts But Misses The Point

    MAKE WRITING AT LEAST ONE LETTER A WEEK A NEW YEARS RESOLUTION!

    TO SUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL SEE
    http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

    TO UNSUBSCRIBE SEE http://www.drugsense.org/unsub.htm

    ——-
    PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
    ——-

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 152 January 3, 2000

    As more and more people accept the fact that the drug war has been a
    counterproductive failure, a few news reporters still seem baffled at
    the notion. Some leaders of the drug policy reform movement were
    featured in an article in the New York Times yesterday, and those
    interviewed for the story articulated their points well.
    Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the real reasons for challenging
    bad policy, reporter Christopher Wren attempted to assist anti-drug
    zealots in their efforts to portray the reform movement as a sneaky
    conspiracy.

    Lindesmith Center Director Ethan Nadelmann gave a fine definition of
    the people who work at drug policy reform: “The core is the people who
    to my mind get it, the people who connect the dots … We believe that
    the war on drugs is a fundamental evil in our society.” But in the
    very next paragraph, reporter Wren characterizes reformers’ efforts
    as, “The crusade to make drugs socially respectable…”

    Please write a letter to the Times in order to let Wren and editors
    know that given the horrible results of the war on drugs, there should
    be no questions about the reasons people want to end prohibition. If
    we keep up our efforts at education, maybe Wren will be able to
    connect the dots by himself some day.

    Thanks for your effort and support.

    WRITE A LETTER TODAY

    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,
    Phone, fax etc.)

    Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the sent
    letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
    E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] Your letter will then
    be forwarded to the list with so others can learn from your efforts
    and be motivated to follow suit

    This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
    impact and effectiveness.

    **************************************************************************

    CONTACT INFO

    Source: New York Times (NY)
    Contact: [email protected]
    ——-

    EXTRA CREDIT-

    A shorter version of this Christopher Wren OPED appeared on Sunday, 2 Jan,
    in the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (FL). Please consider sending them a
    LTE also, but remember that the last eight paragraphs as shown below did
    not appear in the Florida newspaper. See:
    http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00.n005.a05.html

    Contact: [email protected]
    Feedback: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/services/letters_editor.htm

    ***************************************************************************

    Pubdate: Sun, 02 Jan 2000
    Source: New York Times (NY)
    Copyright: 2000 The New York Times Company
    Contact: [email protected]
    Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
    Forum: http://www10.nytimes.com/comment/
    Author: Christopher S. Wren
    Cited: Lindesmith Center: http://www.lindesmith.org/
    NORML: http://www.norml.org/
    Families in Action: http://www.emory.edu/NFIA/ Drug Policy Foundation:
    http://www.dpf.org/ American Civil Liberties Union: http://www.aclu.org/
    McCaffrey’s Testimony: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n636.a02.html
    Bookmark: Link to items about George Soros:
    http://www.mapinc.org/soros.htm

    SMALL BUT FORCEFUL COALITION WORKS TO COUNTER U.S. WAR ON DRUGS

    When voters in Maine went to the polls in November and endorsed the
    use of marijuana as a medicine, it was more than a victory for cancer
    patients and others who say marijuana will help relieve their pain.

    For a small coalition of libertarians, liberals, humanitarians and
    hedonists, the vote was another step forward in a low-profile but
    sophisticated crusade to end the nation’s criminal laws against
    marijuana and other psychoactive drugs.

    Using polls, focus groups and advertising, the coalition has selected
    and promoted causes that might arouse sympathy among Americans, like
    giving clean syringes to heroin users to prevent the spread of AIDS,
    or softening tough penalties for drug use. The most successful has
    been medicinal marijuana, which has been endorsed by the District of
    Columbia and seven states.

    What brought together the disparate elements of the coalition,
    however, is a far broader cause: changing the critical way that
    Americans think about drugs. Proponents say they want to end a war on
    drugs that has packed prisons, offered addicts little treatment and
    contributed to the spread of AIDS. Some want to go further and drop
    criminal penalties for personal drug use, or even make drugs legal.

    The term they have carefully crafted for their goal is “harm
    reduction”: reducing the harm caused by those people who cannot or
    will not stop using drugs.

    “We accept drugs are here to stay,” said Ethan A. Nadelmann, director
    of the Lindesmith Center, a drug policy center set up in New York with
    money donated by the billionaire George Soros. “There never has been
    a drug-free society,” Mr. Nadelmann said. “We must learn how to live
    with drugs so they cause the least possible harm and the best possible
    good.”

    Critics say the agenda is more ominous: the legalization of marijuana
    and other drugs. At a Congressional hearing in June, the White House
    director of national drug policy, Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, warned of
    “a carefully camouflaged, well-funded, tightly knit core of people
    whose goal is to legalize drug use in the United States.”

    Sue Rusche, director of Families in Action, a coalition in Atlanta
    working to help parents prevent children from using drugs, accused Mr.
    Nadelmann and his supporters of systematically distorting the picture
    of what drugs do.

    “Yes, we’re concerned about children, but we’re concerned about
    everybody,” said Ms. Rusche, who likened Mr. Nadelmann to the
    tobacco industry. “He denies that drugs have the capacity to hurt
    people, and takes no responsibility for the consequences.”

    Mr. Nadelmann describes his position differently. “Drugs are not
    bad,” he said. “Drugs are good, bad or indifferent, depending on how
    you use them.”

    The movement’s supporters range beyond the Lindesmith Center and other
    efforts financed by Mr. Soros. Supporters include marijuana-smokers
    represented by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
    Laws, or Norml, libertarians who argue that personal drug use is
    nobody else’s business, and old-fashioned liberals who castigate the
    government’s campaign against drugs as worse than the problem.

    “The core is the people who to my mind get it, the people who connect
    the dots,” Mr. Nadelmann said. “We believe that the war on drugs is
    a fundamental evil in our society.”

    The crusade to make drugs socially respectable has no precedent in the
    United States, said Dr. David F. Musto, a medical historian at the Yale
    School of Medicine and the author of “The American Disease: Origins of
    Narcotics Control” (Oxford University Press).

    “You have these groups funded by wealthy individuals that are a
    constant critic of drug policy, and these groups use very
    sophisticated marketing techniques,” he said.

    Surveys show that most Americans still oppose making illicit drugs
    legal. While voters have been tolerant of letting ill people smoke
    marijuana, a Gallup poll this year reported that 69 percent of
    respondents opposed making marijuana legal for everyone.

    Mark A. R. Kleiman, a professor of public policy at the University
    of California at Los Angeles, said, “When you look at all these
    medical marijuana initiatives, they pass by big margins, but the
    governors and legislators go the other way.”

    Because constituents expect their politicians to be hard-nosed,
    Professor Kleiman said, “a legislator who votes for medical marijuana
    could lose votes from people who voted for medical marijuana.”

    Mr. Nadelmann said he commissioned a poll to learn whether voters
    would support personal cultivation of marijuana; 65 percent of those
    sampled thought that growing marijuana should remain a crime.

    The result of this research into public attitudes has been the
    deliberately vague idea of harm reduction. By casting the issue in
    friendlier terms that resonate across the political spectrum,
    crusaders like Mr. Nadelmann say, they hope to induce Americans to
    tolerate, if not embrace, the elimination of criminal penalties
    against marijuana — and as a few see it, the eventual legalization of
    all psychoactive drugs.

    Critics call the medicinal marijuana issue a stalking-horse for drug
    legalization. “My guess is the real agenda is to promulgate marijuana
    as a benign substance outside the boundaries of conventional
    medicine,” General McCaffrey said.

    Mr. Nadelmann did not contradict him. “Will it help lead toward
    marijuana legalization?” he said. “I hope so.” But he said that
    reports of his support for harder drugs have quoted him out of context.

    Mr. Nadelmann has advised the campaign putting medicinal marijuana on
    state ballots, which is spearheaded by a group calling itself
    Americans for Medical Rights, with no mention of marijuana. The
    campaign’s director, Bill Zimmerman, explained, “You pick the name
    with a view toward winning support for the organization.” Not all
    critics of government drug policy want to make illicit drugs legal.

    Some assert that prohibition has not stopped drug use. Others say
    that money would be better spent treating addicts who commit crimes
    rather than locking them up.

    Mr. Nadelmann wants to enlist such people in his cause of repealing
    all penalties for drug use. “What we reformers do is to use these
    coalitions on one issue to educate our allies about the broader
    implications of the drug war,” he said.

    Rob Stewart, a senior policy analyst for the Drug Policy Foundation,
    another group in Washington supported by Mr. Soros, said that lifting
    criminal penalties for marijuana use would be sufficient. Writing in
    the group’s newsletter, he explained, “decriminalization makes the
    point that adults should not be arrested for using marijuana as they
    would use a martini.”

    Mr. Stewart described the Drug Policy Foundation as “agnostic” about
    other illicit drugs. But its founder, Arnold S. Trebach, told
    journalists in 1997 that everything from cocaine and heroin to
    steroids should be freely available.

    Mr. Nadelmann objects to stigmatizing recreational drug use. “People
    shall not be discriminated against based on the substances they
    consume,” he said. “The extension of the notion of equality is going
    to have to include drug users.”

    The American Civil Liberties Union also endorses the right to consume
    drugs. Ira Glasser, its director, said this year, “The A.C.L.U.’s
    position is basically that criminal prohibition is inappropriate in
    matters that involve a person’s own behavior.”

    Mr. Glasser is also chairman of the Drug Policy Foundation. Holding
    both posts, he said, poses no conflict of interest.

    Mr. Nadelmann said that a fresh initiative on medicinal marijuana
    would be voted on next year in Colorado, where an earlier referendum
    was declared illegal, and in Nevada, where the proposal must be
    approved twice. Other states that have passed such initiatives, he
    said, would be encouraged to get involved in producing and
    distributing marijuana for medicinal purposes.

    ******************************************************************************

    SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

    To the Editor of the New York Times:

    Throughout the story “Small but Forceful Coalition Works to Counter
    U.S. War on Drugs” (Jan. 2) anti-drug leaders question the motives of
    anyone involved in the movement against the drug war. At the same
    time, the motives of anti-drug leaders themselves are never questioned.

    The results of the drug war have been devastating. It’s time to ask
    people like drug czar Barry McCaffrey whether their support for
    current policy isn’t just a cover for support of the actual effects of
    the drug war. Since the drug war was initiated levels of drug use have
    fluctuated, but the policies have consistently helped to multiply
    prison populations, erode civil liberties and spread disease. These
    devastating consequences have been so consistent, I wonder if they
    weren’t the original goals?

    Stephen Young

    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.
    —————————————————————————-

    ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
    efforts

    3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

    Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

    ****************************************************************************

    Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
    Alert Specialist

  • Focus Alerts

    Drug Bust “Mistake” Costs Another Life

    Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999
    Subject: Drug Bust “Mistake” Costs Another Life

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #151 December 28. 1999

    Drug Bust “Mistake” Costs Another Life

    MAKE WRITING ONE LETTER A WEEK YOUR NEWS YEARS RESOLUTION!!!

    TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
    ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

    ——-
    PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
    ——-

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #151 December 28. 1999

    Colorado resident Ismael Mena was killed in September by police who
    burst into his home looking for drugs. In the aftermath of the all too
    familiar tragedy, no drugs were found in the house. Colorado
    newspapers finally focused some attention on the story this month, but
    few reporters have put the incident into its proper perspective like
    Denver Post columnist Ed Quillen. In an excellent column (reprinted
    below) Quillen demonstrates why Mena’s death was the result of
    dangerous policy, not a simple “mistake.” For more details on the
    killing of Mena, see http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1375/a05.html?34592

    Quillen also notes that if more politicians were as brave and honest
    as New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, then maybe the madness of drug
    prohibition would end. Unfortunately, some recent reports indicate
    that Gov. Johnson is becoming frustrated by his opponents’ refusal to
    accept the most basic facts about the failure of the drug war (see
    http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1385.a07.html).

    Professional drug warriors cannot put a positive spin on Ismael Mena’s
    death, nor can they manipulate any “facts” to justify it. Please write
    a letter to the Denver Post to thank Quillen for his insights and to
    notify editors that the only way to prevent another tragic death like
    Mena’s is to end the drug war. Please also consider sending an email
    or letter to Gov. Johnson to encourage him to continue his battle even
    if the drug warriors never learn how to participate in a fair fight.

    Thanks for your effort and support.

    WRITE A LETTER TODAY

    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,
    Phone, fax etc.)

    Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the sent
    letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
    E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] Your letter will then
    be forwarded to the list with so others can learn from your efforts
    and be motivated to follow suit

    This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
    impact and effectiveness.

    **************************************************************************

    CONTACT INFO

    Source: Denver Post (CO)

    Contact: [email protected]

    EXTRA CREDIT –

    Please send a message of encouragement to New Mexico Governor Gary
    Johnson to thank him for all he’s done so far, but also to remind him
    that he must keep up the fight to stop the killing of innocent people
    like Mena. Contact information for the governor is available at
    http://164.64.43.1/opinion/Opinion.htm

    ***************************************************************************

    Pubdate: Sun, 26 Dec 1999
    Source: Denver Post (CO)
    Copyright: 1999 The Denver Post
    Contact: [email protected]
    Address: 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202
    Fax: (303) 820.1502
    Website: http://www.denverpost.com/
    Forum: http://www.denverpost.com/voice/voice.htm
    Author: Ed Quillen, Denver Post columnist
    Note: Ed Quillen of Salida is a former newspaper editor whose column appears
    Tuesdays and Sundays.

    NEW MEXICO’S RAY OF SUNSHINE AMID THE USUAL GLOOM

    Dec. 26 – Let us suppose that a gang of drug dealers had broken into
    a house, surprised an occupant who tried to defend himself, and then
    shot him dead.

    There would be an outcry that the death penalty wasn’t nearly harsh
    enough for such scum.

    But when the police do it, it’s just an accident – some of that
    unavoidable collateral damage in the all-important War on Drugs – and
    if there’s any outcry, it hasn’t been loud enough to notice. Nobody’s
    marching in the street.

    Last September, Denver police served a “no-knock” warrant at the home
    of Ismael Mena, who ended up dead by police bullets. Many have noted
    that no drugs were found in the house, as if that would have been an
    excuse for killing Mena.

    Start with the rationale for a “no-knock” warrant. The theory is
    that if the police act in a polite and civil way, and ring the door
    bell and announce their presence, then the miscreants inside might
    flush the drugs down the toilet before answering the door.

    Since the excuse for much enforcement is “to get the drugs off the
    street,” it would seem that a “yes-knock” warrant would serve that
    purpose just as well. Drugs in the sewer certainly aren’t on the street.

    Then there’s the matter of the police going to the wrong address. I
    saw that once, and then heard the cop call me a liar.

    It happened in early 1974, when I was in college in Greeley. Among my
    other duties at the campus paper was covering the police department,
    and we had a decent working relationship.

    A friend, Tom Hopkins, had applied at the Greeley Police Department
    and listed me as a reference. One afternoon, as I was sitting in my
    second-floor apartment, I heard noises next door, looked out the
    window, and saw a Greeley cop going around that house, beating on
    every door he could find.

    A couple of days later, I was in the police station, checking the
    blotter, when that cop appeared and said he’d like to talk to me.
    Invitations like that can lead to trouble if refused, so I agreed.

    He asked me about Tom, and without stretching the truth unduly, I told
    him Tom was a decent and upstanding citizen. Then the cop asked me
    why I hadn’t answered my door a couple of days ago when he’d come to
    check on Tom’s reference – I didn’t have a phone at the time.

    “You went to the wrong house,” I said. “I saw you next door, and I
    wondered what was going on.”

    “No I didn’t,” he said. “You’re wrong.”

    We looked at the address Tom had given them for me, and it was the
    correct address. The cop had indeed gone to the wrong address.
    Although I was sorely tempted, I did not push the issue, lest I
    jeopardize Tom’s job application, and he may have owed me money at the
    time so that it was in my interest for him to be gainfully employed.

    Everybody makes mistakes. On a regular warrant, if the police show up
    at the wrong house, whoever answers the door can gently show them the
    street number on the mailbox, accept their apology if they bother to
    offer one and return to normal life. On a no-knock, those safeguards
    don’t happen.

    From what I read, most no-knock warrants are used in the War on
    Drugs, and its rationale is getting mighty thin as this millennium
    ends. The main argument is that we have to control certain
    substances, or else young people will use them and ruin their lives.

    Granted, there are addictive substances that make you stupid, but the
    principal of these is alcohol, and you’d think America would have
    learned the lesson after Prohibition failed.

    But the question is: Does youthful use necessarily lead to a life of
    dissipation? If the answer is negative, then what’s the point of the
    War on Drugs?

    That’s why Texas Gov. George W. Bush remains coy about his youthful
    adventures. If he were to say “Yeah, I did some stupid things, but I
    got over it, and so will most other people,” the entire Drug-War
    Industrial Complex would fund some other candidate, one who could be
    relied upon to tell the customary lies and keep the funds flowing.

    There aren’t many rays of sunshine amid all these frauds and
    deceptions, but one glows just to the south of us.

    New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson hasn’t just admitted to “youthful
    experimentation.” A few months ago, he flat-out said he smoked a lot
    of pot and snorted cocaine. Without the benefit of prison or therapy
    from William Bennett, he went on to a successful business and
    political career.

    The good news for the coming election year is that there’s one honest
    Republican governor in the country. The bad news is that he’s not the
    one that Republicans want to nominate for the presidency.

    Ed Quillen of Salida is a former newspaper editor whose column appears
    Tuesdays and Sundays.

    ******************************************************************************

    SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

    To the editor of the Denver Post:

    Thank you for printing Ed Quillen’s excellent column on yet another
    tragedy in our counterproductive war on drugs (“New Mexico’s Ray of
    Sunshine Amid the Usual Gloom” Dec. 26). That a father like Ismael
    Mena should lose his life because someone told police they obtained
    $20 worth of crack at Mena’s house is obscene. The circumstances
    surrounding this incident should be a wake-up call to every American,
    even if they (like Mena) have nothing to do with illegal drugs.

    If anyone but a gang of police burst into a private residence,
    terrorized the inhabitants with paramilitary tactics, shot one
    resident to death, tore the interior apart and then held another
    residents captive, it would be national news. Imagine the non-stop
    coverage and breast-beating if high school students had committed an
    act half as brutal. Legislators would be tripping over themselves to
    punish someone. But, in terms of the drug war, Mena’s death and his
    family’s terror are just bit more collateral damage.

    If more citizens don’t express outrage over this tragedy and the whole
    devastating war on drugs, they can’t expect much reaction when the
    anti-drug squad kicks in their door some dark night. As the Mena story
    illustrates, innocence is no protection in such a situation.

    Stephen Young

    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.
    —————————————————————————-

    ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
    efforts

    3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

    Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

    ****************************************************************************

    Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
    Alert Specialist

  • Focus Alerts

    Magazines Mistakenly Find Judge Judy “Intriguing”

    Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999
    Subject: Magazines Mistakenly Find Judge Judy “Intriguing”

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #150 December 18. 1996

    Magazines Mistakenly Find Judge Judy “Intriguing”

    TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
    ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

    ——-
    PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
    ——-

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #150 December 18. 1996

    As many are already aware, Judy “Judge Judy” Sheindlin has been
    embroiled in a controversy over her remarks about injection drug users.

    According to the Australia Courier-Mail, Sheindlin made an appearance
    in November where she said the debate about clean needle supplies for
    heroin addicts is an indulgence lead by “liberal morons.” The solution
    is simple, she said. “Give ’em dirty needles and let ’em die. . .I
    don’t understand why we think it’s important to keep them alive.”

    To read longer accounts, see http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a07.html
    and http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a06.html

    Activists have been complaining to her producers and sponsors, and at
    least one sponsor has already dropped its support for Sheindlin’s
    show. Unfortunately, Sheindlin still hasn’t retracted or apologized
    for her statements. At the same time, the popularity of the Judge Judy
    TV show has led to year-end kudos from two publications. New York
    Magazine cited Sheindlin as a recipient of the New York Awards, which
    singles out prominent New Yorkers “leading the city into the next
    millennium.” And, Sheindlin is also expected to be named as one of
    People Magazine’s “most intriguing people” of the year.

    It is likely that neither publication was aware of Sheindlin’s “let
    ’em die” comments when they decided to pay tribute to her, so please
    write a letter both New York Magazine and People Magazine to say that
    Sheindlin needs a lesson in basic humanity much more than any award.

    Thanks for your effort and support.

    WRITE A LETTER TODAY

    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,
    Phone, fax etc.)

    Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the sent
    letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
    E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] Your letter will then
    be forwarded to the list with so others can learn from your efforts
    and be motivated to follow suit

    This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
    impact and effectiveness.

    **************************************************************************

    CONTACT INFO

    Source: New York Magazine
    Contact: [email protected]

    NOTE: An alternate email address for NY Magazine has been reported but
    it appears that the one above is correct. You may want to BCC the
    address below as a failsafe to insure delivery of your letter

    EXTRA CREDIT –

    Dateline NBC recently announced that People Magazine has chosen Judge
    Judy as one of its “25 most intriguing people of the year.” Let’s
    tell them what she is really about. Here is a link to tell People
    Magazine about Judge Judy. Please write your letter and then cut and
    paste it into this web page.

    http://www.pathfinder.com/people/web/write_to_us.html

    ***************************************************************************

    Pubdate: Dec. 20, 1999
    Source: New York Magazine
    Copyright: 1999 New York Magazine
    Contact: [email protected]
    Website: http://www.newyorkmag.com/
    Author: Eric Konigsberg

    NEW YORK AWARD WINNER: TELEVISION

    Judge Judy Justice, no peace.

    Her mother, legend has it, wanted her to marry well and took the
    family on holidays in the Borscht Belt so she could meet someone nice.
    But Judith Sheindlin has never been one to settle. Judge Judy, as we
    know from her daily appearances presiding over real-life legal
    disputes on her television show, is a case study in the art of the
    second act. Now in her second marriage (to Judge Jerry Sheindlin, who
    recently replaced Ed Koch as the centerpiece of The People’s Court),
    she is a long way from her previous jobs settling cases for a
    cosmetics concern and prosecuting juvenile delinquents in Bronx Family
    Court. Wearing a lace collar and the demeanor of someone who perhaps
    drinks lemon juice by the glass, Judge Judy handles her litigants with
    skepticism and impatience. “My sense is,” she warns a man whose wife
    had previously been involved with his brother, “that your wife is
    still flaky.” She’s the cold and rational mother we never had. And
    that is what lifts Judge Judy miles above the rest of daytime
    television’s bottom-scrapers: Where Messrs. Jerry and Montel permit
    their guests the verbal space to make fools of themselves, Judge Judy
    cuts them off and spares them (and us) the embarrassment. So it’s no
    surprise that Judge Judy, currently in its fourth season, is the
    highest-rated show in daytime syndication. (Them’s the breaks, Oprah.)
    Only Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! can boast of higher day or night
    syndication ratings — but if they did, Judge Judy would just tell
    them to shut up.

    ******************************************************************************

    SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

    The inclusion of “Judge Judy” in your list of New Yorkers “who are
    leading the city into the next millennium” shows the climate that
    exists today in Guilianni’s New York. Judge Judy recently suggested
    that drug users be given infected needles and said “let them die”.
    When criticized she called her critics “liberal morons”, and has since
    come out with other statements confirming her ignorance or callous
    disregard of all the studies by the Institute of Medicine , the Center
    for Disease Control, ReconsiDer, and others that say the availability
    of clean syringes reduces the spread of HIV and Hepatitis among IV
    drug users by 50% with no risk of an increase in drug use. Her show
    has already lost sponsors as a result of her incredibly cruel and
    dangerous remarks. I hope that New Yorkers will not follow this 1990’s
    media version of Typhoid Mary into the new millennium.

    Nicolas Eyle, executive director
    ReconsiDer: Forum on Drug Policy

    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.
    —————————————————————————-

    ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
    efforts

    3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

    Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

    ****************************************************************************

    Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
    Alert Specialist

  • Focus Alerts

    Juarez Graves Show How The Drug War Kills

    Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999
    Subject: Juarez Graves Show How The Drug War Kills

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #149 Saturday December 12, 1999

    Juarez Graves Show How The Drug War Kills

    TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
    ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

    ——-
    PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
    ——-

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #149 Saturday December 12, 1999

    A couple weeks after the announcement that the graves of more 100
    people killed by a powerful drug cartel may have been found in Ciudad
    Juarez, Mexico, the story is still being uncovered. It now looks as if
    more of the bodies will be found elsewhere around the city, but the
    importance of the story has not diminished.

    All the major news magazines are covering it this week. The article
    from Time Magazine (below) illustrates how the drug trade has evolved
    to stay ahead of those trying to enforce prohibition. While violence
    and corruption have always played a part in drug prohibition, it seems
    the violence is becoming more ruthless, while the corruption is
    becoming more endemic.

    For all the coverage this story has received, very few commentators
    have dared to state the obvious truth: this whole situation is the
    result of the drug war, and there is nothing that the drug war
    establishment can do to stop the carnage. Please write to Time
    Magazine, or another major weekly news magazine, to explain how the
    drug war gives the drug cartels their terrible power and to say that
    ending the drug is the only way to end the type of violence being
    uncovered in Juarez.

    Thanks for your effort and support.

    WRITE A LETTER TODAY

    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,Phone, fax etc.)

    Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the sent
    letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
    E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] 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 the only way we have of gauging our
    impact and effectiveness.

    **************************************************************************

    CONTACT INFO

    Source: Time Magzine

    Contact: [email protected]

    Please note: Time and the other news weeklies tend to print much
    shorter letters than most newspapers. Please try to keep your letter
    concise.

    EXTRA CREDIT –

    Send a letter to Newsweek, which has also published a story on
    Juarez

    (available at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1338.a08.html)

    Source: Newsweek

    Contact: [email protected]

    EXTRA EXTRA CREDIT

    Send your letter to U.S. News and World Reports, which also published
    a story on Juarez, though it hasn’t made it to the MAP news archive
    yet.

    Source: U.S. News and World Reports

    Contact: [email protected]

    ***************************************************************************

    URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1325/a12.html

    Pubdate: Mon, 13 Dec 1999
    Source: Time Magazine (US)
    Copyright: 1999 Time Inc.
    Page: 62
    Contact: [email protected]
    Address: Time Magazine Letters, Time & Life Bldg., Rockefeller Center, NY,
    NY 10020
    Fax: (212) 522-8949
    Website: http://www.time.com/
    Author: Elaine Shannon, Washington And Tim Padgett, Miami

    MEXICO: BATTLES ALONG THE BORDER

    How Arrogance And Violence Bred A Massive Drug-War Slaughter

    IF YOU DON’T LIVE IN THE BORDER Region between the U.S. and Mexico,
    it is hard to understand how totally the drug business has come to
    dominate life there.

    But last week, as FBI and Mexican backhoes began digging into what may
    be mass graves containing dozens of victims of the region’s drug
    cartels, it was suddenly a lot easier.

    FBI sources say the grave uncovered last week is probably the first of
    many; they will continue exploring for more this week.

    “In law-enforcement circles, there have been rumors of these for a
    long time,” says a senior Drug Enforcement Administration agent.
    “Hell, there are bodies [from drug-related killings] buried all over
    the place down here.”

    The carnage is a sign of an epic shift in the drug business. From the
    early 1970s until a couple of years ago, if you went out on the
    streets of New York City to score cocaine, you’d look for a Colombian
    trafficker or a Dominican who dealt with a Colombian. Nowadays,
    you’re just as likely to find yourself face-to-face with a Mexican.
    Your dealer’s ethnic roots probably won’t matter to you so long as the
    product is as advertised.

    But to DEA agents, the decline and fall of Colombia’s once impregnable
    Cali cartel is a sensational development surpassed only by the
    meteoric rise of the Juarez Cartel now headed by Vicente Carrillo
    Fuentes. As the U.S. has cracked down on drug cartels in Colombia in
    the past decade, the business has shifted north and into the hands of
    Mexican traffickers, who play by the same bloody rules that
    characterized the lethal reign of the Colombians. Mexico’s
    narco-industry is now a $30 billion-a-year business.

    “The flow of drugs through Mexico to the U.S. is not slowing down,”
    says a U.S. official. “If anything, it’s increasing.” The Juarez
    cartel has risen faster than most tech stocks, thanks to the vision of
    its late founder, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, and the ruthlessness of his
    dumber but meaner younger brother Vicente. For a long time, Mexican
    criminals were simply subcontractors whom the Colombians paid a set
    fee, usually $1,500 to $2,000 per kilogram, to truck cocaine over the
    U.S. border and to warehouses in California or Texas. There, Cali
    cartel employees would reclaim the goods, move them to major retailing
    hubs like Manhattan and Los Angeles and wholesale them to
    distributors. The Colombians pocketed a chunk of the wholesale and
    retail markups.

    The Mexicans risked their necks for chump change. But kingpins like
    Amado changed all that. He fancied himself the Bill Gates of Mexican
    drug traffickers, a visionary who earned the nickname “Lord of the
    Skies” for the multi ton shipments of Colombian cocaine he received in
    Boeing 727s. When he died in 1997 after botched plastic surgery, DEA
    agents were skeptical that his brother Vicente would last as the
    successor head of the Juarez syndicate.

    But in Vicente’s favor, says a U.S. agent, “he’s vicious.” After a
    two-year-long war against factional leaders, notably Rafael Mufloz
    Talavera, found shot to death in his jeep in Juarez in September 1998,
    Vicente secured his bid to succeed his brother. He has since been
    indicted in El Paso, Texas, and in Mexico on drug-trafficking charges.
    any of the bodies being unearthed south of Juarez are believed to be
    victims in that war, as are any Americans who Mexican officials say
    might be among the dead.

    U.S. agents believe the war has subsided, but they admit they don’t
    have good intelligence on the inner workings of the Juarez cartel or
    on Vicente himself. “We don’t really know where he is,” admits a top
    U.S. official. “He could be anywhere. We assume he’s somewhere in
    Mexico, probably Chihuahua.” Still, Vicente is no Amado, a fact that
    emboldens his rivals, especially the recklessly homicidal Arellano
    Felix brothers, who run the Tijuana cartel. Shortly after Amado
    Carrillo’s death, Mexican officials told TIME, the Arellanos phoned in
    a death threat against U.S. anti drug czar General Barry McCaffrey as
    he toured the border. Specifically, they threatened a
    rocket-propelled grenade attack.

    The arrogant brutality wasn’t a surprise: the brothers reportedly once
    sent the severed head of the wife of a rival to him in a box of dry
    ice.

    But U.S. officials do know this: the Juarez cartel and the other
    Mexican syndicates control an ever larger slice of the illegal drug
    market in the U.S. They still transport cocaine for Colombian gangs,
    but they also move their own cocaine onto the street through
    retail-distribution established decades ago to sell Mexican marijuana
    to middle-class Americans. These networks have become one-stop
    shopping outlets for Mexican marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin.

    The Mexican move into retailing is bad news for U.S. law enforcement
    because the Mexicans are even harder to track than Colombians.
    Mexican gangsters have ready-made support structures in most cities in
    the U.S., large extended families who put down roots in the U.S.
    years ago. U.S. drug agents complain that, unlike the Colombians, who
    tend to stand out by the way they dress and speak, Mexican criminals
    are practically invisible even in non-Hispanic neighborhoods. They
    cross the border at will, indistinguishable from the millions of U.S.
    and Mexican citizens who present themselves at border checkpoints
    daily. When they’re in Mexico, as demonstrated by the Juarez killing
    fields discovered last week, they can do just about anything they want
    often with the help of Mexican police.

    What most angers families of those presumed buried near Juarez is the
    alleged involvement of local, state and possibly federal police in the
    narco-murders. Recent studies by U.S. and Mexican researchers have
    shown that many Mexican police recruits are actually convicted
    criminals; they join police forces to get a piece of the narcotics
    action, usually as cartel enforcers.

    A state-police commander in Tijuana told TIME last year that he quit
    when cops under him killed an honest anti-drug detective in 1996. “I
    realized I was working with police more vicious than the traffickers
    who pay them off,” he said. Vicious, perhaps, but also well paid to
    ignore and even abet what goes on in the borderlands. U.S. DEA and
    other law-enforcement agents often refer to the corrupt, usually
    low-paid Mexican police as “lafamiliafeliz” the happy family, always
    smiling and never enforcing the law.

    Last Friday, when Mexican Attorney General Jorge Madrazo and FBI
    Director Louis Freeh visited the first Juarez grave site, called
    Rancho de La Campana, Madrazo insisted that police were being
    investigated. “We’re not going to cover up for anybody,” he said.
    Mexico, with multi-million-dollar U.S. help, has tried to create more
    professional, better-paid and less corrupt anti drug units.

    But even the new, vetted squads have been tainted – two Tijuana agents
    were charged last year with kidnapping – or have balked at pursuing
    targets like the Arellanos, who still freely frequent clubs and boxing
    matches on both sides of the border.

    During the `90s, only one Mexican drug-cartel leader Juan Garcia
    Abrego has been arrested. As a result, exasperated U.S. officials
    are increasingly declining Mexican cooperation. For example, in a
    major sting that netted Mexican drug-money launderers last year,
    called “Operation Casablanca,” the gringos didn’t even consult their
    cross-border counterparts.

    Americans, however, shouldn’t get too righteous about the Mexicans’
    failings: the drug crisis, after all, is fueled by the insatiable
    Yanqui appetite for snorting, shooting and smoking what grows in Latin
    America.

    And the U.S. even plays a role in the violence: of the estimated
    4,000 illegal guns seized in Mexico since 1994, more than 75% were
    traced back to U.S. smugglers as were the rocket-propelled grenades
    the Arellanos threatened to fire at McCaffrey. It’s something else to
    consider in the coming weeks while peering into the death pits outside
    Juarez.

    ******************************************************************************

    SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

    While many are expressing shock over the discovery of humans killed by
    a drug cartel in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, it is a surprise to no one who
    has followed the history of prohibition. Violence and corruption are
    crucial tools for those who operate in black markets; those who employ
    violence with the most ruthlessness and those who seek corruption on
    the broadest scale will always control black markets. The drug war has
    created the incentive to commit the atrocities being uncovered in
    Juarez. Attempts to get “tougher” on drugs will only lead to more
    brutality and graft.

    Stephen Young

    IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
    number

    Please note: Time and the other news weeklies tend to print much
    shorter letters than most newspapers. Please try to keep your letter
    concise.

    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.
    —————————————————————————-

    ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
    efforts

    3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

    Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

    ****************************************************************************

    Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
    Alert Specialist

  • Focus Alerts

    “Judge Judy” Sees Death For Addicts As Justice

    Date: Wed, 08 Dec 1999
    Subject: “Judge Judy” Sees Death For Addicts As Justice

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #139 Wednesday December 8, 1999

    “Judge Judy” Sees Death For Addicts As Justice

    TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
    ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

    ——-
    PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
    ——-

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #139 Wednesday December 8, 1999

    Judy Sheindlin, the former family court judge who now plays a judge on
    TV (“Judge Judy”), was in Australia last month promoting her new book
    when she made some outrageous comments that illustrated the depth of
    the hate produced by the war on drugs.

    According to the Australia Courier-Mail, Sheindlin made an appearance
    in Brisbane, Australia on November 16 where she said the debate about
    needle supply to heroin addicts is an indulgence lead by “liberal
    morons.” The solution is simple, she said. “Give ’em dirty needles and
    let ’em die. . .I don’t understand why we think it’s important to keep
    them alive.”

    (To read longer accounts, see http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a07.html
    and http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a06.html)

    Activists have taken note of Sheindlin’s barbarity, and calls and
    letters to the producer of her television show seem to be having an
    impact. Some carefully worded responses from Sheindlin’s
    representatives do not deny that the “judge” made the “let ’em die”
    statement. However, the attempt at spin control seems like more of an
    effort to justify the comments, rather than admitting the stupidity
    and cruelty of them.

    Despite her effort at damage control, her death sentence for addicts
    was not the first attack attempts at reform. In her 1996 book she
    wrote about seeing “a TV profile about a woman in the South Bronx who
    has devoted her life to rescuing drug addicts from infection by giving
    them free needles in exchange for their old ones. She believes that
    America has becomes callous to their plight. She says she is
    discouraged and ashamed of the citizens’ inhumane response to
    ‘afflicted addicts.’ Well, forgive me for not dabbing my eyes. In the
    TV show about her, I watched addicts dump a weekly supply of syringes
    on her table, fifty or more apiece. What the hell did she think they
    put in those needles – soda pop? They were all shooting heroin, which
    is deadly and very expensive.”

    Please write to the sponsors of Sheindlin’s show to express your
    displeasure over her comments and her half-hearted responses to our
    concerns.

    Thanks for your effort and support.

    WRITE A LETTER TODAY

    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,
    Phone, fax etc.)

    Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
    list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
    [email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
    so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

    This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
    impact and effectiveness.

    **************************************************************************

    Cut and paste list of Email addresses of Judge Judy’s sponsors below.
    Use this for a general letter expressing your concerns and copy all
    the addresses below.

    [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
    [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

    Alternate: If you wish to participate in our standard effort of writing a
    letter to the editor please read the excellent Arianna Huffington column at
    http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1295/a02.html
    and reply to the Fresno Bee at
    [email protected]

    Judge Judy Sponsors – More CONTACT INFO NOTE: Thanks to Cliff Schaffer
    for compiling this info.

    For those who want to join in the campaign to respond to Judge
    “let-em-die” Judy, here is some contact info for KCAL TV 9 in Los
    Angeles which airs her show, as well as contact information for some
    of the sponsors.

    Please remember to do the following:

    1) Act fast.

    2) Make it clear that such talk — especially from a Judge —
    especially from someone who is Jewish — is completely reprehensible
    and inexcusable. Her remarks show that she isn’t fit to be a judge on
    television or anywhere else.

    3) Include the text, URLs or quotes from both articles, so it is clear
    what you are talking about and so Judge Judy can’t lie about what she
    said.

    4) Make it clear to both TV stations and sponsors that you will stop
    buying/viewing their products and that you are encouraging your
    friends to do the same.

    5) Close your letter by saying that you hope those sponsors will also
    show their outrage against her remarks by cancelling their advertising
    for her show. We don’t want to boycott or take other action against
    people who feel the same as we do about it. (Give them a nice way to
    join us.)

    Twentieth Century Fox is likely to be especially sensitive to
    complaints. They have one of their big movies in the theaters right
    now “Anna and the King” and they will have a little more than thirty
    days to make all the money in the theaters that they can make. If they
    receive a number of letters/phone calls about Judge Judy’s comments,
    along with a threat to picket or boycott, they will drop Judge Judy
    like a hot rock. They can’t afford to wait a week to see if they have
    a PR problem.

    ———————-
    Judge Judy and her sponsors

    Judge Judy’s number 1-888-800-JUDY

    Contact form for earnfreegas.com http://www.chase.com/chase/gx.cgi/FTes?evalpage=Chase/Href&urlname=contactus
    /generalfeedback

    KCAL 9 – Programming – 323-960-3610 Public Affairs – 323-960-3730
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Conair [email protected]

    (Anna and the King – movie)
    Twentieth Century Fox
    10201 West Pico Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
    (310) 369-1000
    —————————-

    Secret Deodorant http://www.secret-deodorant.com use Feedback
    form

    ——————————–
    Sell Oil

    New York

    David Sexton
    Shell Oil Company
    GSDF Division
    630 Fifth Avenue – Suite 1970
    New York NY 10111, USA

    Telephone: 1-212-218 3112. Fax: 1-212-218 3114

    Information for private shareholders

    If you have any questions or queries please contact the addresses
    below

    Royal Dutch Shareholders

    Shareholder queries,

    Shell International B.V
    FHK Division
    PO Box 162
    2501 AN The Hague
    The Netherlands.

    E-mail: [email protected]

    Telephone: 31-70-377 4540. Fax: 31-70-377 3115

    Royal Dutch USA Stockholders

    Royal Dutch stockholders in the USA with inquiries about stock
    ownership, changes of address or the payment of dividends may contact:

    Stock Transfer and Paying Agent J P Morgan Service Center PO Box 8205
    Boston MA 02266-8205.

    Telephone:
    1-800-556 8639 (USA only)
    1-781-575-4328 (international)
    Fax: 1-617-575 4083

    Group Enquiries

    Enquiries relating to activities of companies in the Royal Dutch/Shell
    Group may be sent to:

    The Shareholder Relations Office
    Shell Centre
    London SE1 7NA.

    Telephone: 0171 934 6535. Fax: 0171 934 6625

    For matters not covered above

    Please write to:

    The Company Secretary The Shell Transport and Trading Company plc
    Shell Centre London SE1 7NA.

    Telephone: 0171 934 3363. Fax: 0171 934 5153

    ———————————
    Shell Credit Cards
    http://www.earnfreegas.com

    ———————————

    Lanacane ointment http://www.lanacane.com [email protected]

    ———————————–

    Nissan Autos
    1-800-NISSAN-1 (1-800-647-7261)

    Nissan Motor Corporation
    P.O.Box 47060
    Gardena, CA 90248
    —————————————

    Web TV (airs Judge Judy in interactive mode) http://www.webtv.com
    [email protected]

    ————————————–

    Mr. Rooter
    http://www.mrrooter.com
    1-800-298-6855 * Fax 254-745-5098
    Email: [email protected]

    —————————————-

    Footlocker Shoe Stores
    http://www.footlocker.com
    1-800-991-6681
    ————————————–

    Other Judge Judy Sponsors Nissan autos Coco’s Restaurants Ross Dress
    for Less Dodge Ram Trucks Jet-Dry Blistex

    The show is produced by Big Ticket Television

    ******************************************************************************

    SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

    Dear [sponsor]

    I understand that your company sponsors the “Judge Judy” television
    show. As are probably already aware, the show’s star, Judy Sheindlin,
    recently made some extremely offensive comments in regards to
    intravenous drug users. Sheindlin said, “Give ’em dirty needles and
    let ’em die. . .I don’t understand why we think it’s important to keep
    them alive,” as she promoted her new book in Australia.

    This “final solution” not only smacks of Nazism, it is completely
    irresponsible. Sheindlin should know that IV drug users infected with
    deadly disease don’t just sit in a corner and keep it to themselves.
    The disease can be easily transmitted to unborn children, unknowing
    sexual partners and others. Sheindlin has clearly let her intolerance
    overpower any common sense she might have.

    While Sheindlin is certainly entitled to her opinions, no matter how
    mindlessly murderous and hateful, her opinions do reflect on her
    sponsors. While I hope you don’t share her opinions, it’s hard to tell
    as long as your company continues to financially support Sheindlin’s
    show without calling on her to retract her statements.

    Sheindlin is well aware of the controversy she has created, and while
    she has made some attempt to justify her comments, she hasn’t done the
    right thing: simply admitting that she was wrong. She obviously cares
    little about those of us who have protested her comments, so we feel
    as though we must bring the issue to your attention. I’m hoping this
    can be resolved before I change my buying habits to consciously avoid
    products from Sheindlin’s sponsors, but unless I get some satisfaction
    from Sheindlin, I feel as if I don’t have any other choice.

    Thank you for your consideration.

    Stephen Young

    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.
    —————————————————————————-

    ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
    efforts

    3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

    Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

    ****************************************************************************

    Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
    Alert Specialist

  • Focus Alerts

    The Drug War’s Killing Fields Are Exposed

    Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999
    Subject: The Drug War’s Killing Fields Are Exposed

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 138 December 1, 1999

    The Drug War’s Killing Fields Are Exposed

    TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
    ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

    ——-
    PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
    ——-

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 138 December 1, 1999

    The Drug War’s Killing Fields Are Exposed

    The drug war’s promotion of murderous violence was highlighted again
    this week with the discovery of what appear to be mass human graves.
    The grisly find took place just a few miles south of the U.S. border
    in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Media reports indicate anywhere between
    100-200 people, both Mexicans and Americans, could be buried at the
    site. Those buried are believed to be the victims of a powerful
    Mexican drug cartel.

    Investigators who have found the grave expect to find bodies of many
    people who have simply vanished from the area in the past few years.
    Some of the disappeared were part of the drug trade, some were
    apparently informants cooperating with anti-narcotics agents, while
    others were just innocent bystanders who may have seen something the
    cartel didn’t want them to see. Reports indicate that corrupt Mexican
    police officers may have assisted with the killings.

    This story is being covered widely in the media (to read several
    accounts, search MAP’s drug news archive for the words “Ciudad Juarez”
    without the quotes). The general government spin, articulated by
    former DEA head Thomas Constantine and others, is that U.S. anti-drug
    forces need to get tougher on Mexican drug lords. This shortsighted
    view completely ignores the fact that it is the drug war that has
    given drug cartels their astonishing power and wealth. The drug war is
    also an incentive to use horrifying acts of violence in order to
    protect that power and wealth.

    While this story is quite disturbing on its own, a journalist
    interviewed on ABC’s Nightline last night said that this discovery
    only represents “the tip of the iceberg.” He said other towns along
    the U.S.-Mexico are caught up in the same sort of violence, and that
    the boldness of the violence, often taking place in broad daylight, is
    becoming more shocking each day. Please write a letter to the
    Washington Post, any other major U.S. newspapers, or your own local
    newspaper, to remind readers that the drug war is the cause of this
    nightmare, not the solution.

    Thanks for your effort and support.

    WRITE A LETTER TODAY

    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,
    Phone, fax etc.)

    Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
    list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
    [email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
    so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

    This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
    impact and effectiveness.

    **************************************************************************

    CONTACT INFO

    Source: Washington Post (DC)
    Contact: Feedback:
    http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm

    Note: for best results write your letter off line so you can spell check
    etc. then paste it into the LTE window at the address above.

    EXTRA CREDIT –

    Send a copy of your letter to other major newspapers in the US. Please
    don’t use the CC or the BCC function; send each as a separate message.

    Source: The New York Times
    Contact: [email protected]

    Source: USA Today
    Contact: [email protected]

    Source: Chicago Tribune
    Contact: [email protected]

    Source: Wall Street Journal
    Contact: [email protected]

    EXTRA EXTRA CREDIT

    Send a copy of your letter to your own local newspaper or any other
    newspaper around the country. This is a huge story that will be
    covered almost everywhere.

    Find the Email addresses for your local papers at http://www.mapinc.org/resource/email.htm

    Search for other articles on this or any other drug related topic that
    interests you at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/

    ***************************************************************************

    URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1296.a09.html

    Pubdate: Wed, 01 Dec 1999
    Source: Washington Post (DC)
    Copyright: 1999 The Washington Post Company
    Address: 1150 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20071
    Feedback: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm
    Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
    Author: Paul Duggan and David A. Vise, Washington Post Staff Writers
    Note: Duggan reported from El Paso; Vise from Washington. Staff writer
    Lorraine Adams in Washington and correspondent Molly Moore in Juarez
    contributed to this report.

    POSSIBLE REMAINS FOUND NEAR JUAREZ

    Mexican and U.S. authorities searching for scores of bodies that may
    be buried on the outskirts Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, said yesterday they
    found what could be human remains at one of four desolate sites where
    the investigation is focused.

    A U.S. official familiar with the search, meanwhile, said an
    unspecified number of informants for U.S. law-enforcement agencies may
    be among the more than 100 suspected victims of drug-related violence
    who have disappeared from this border region in recent years and may
    be among those possibly buried at the sites.

    The El Paso-Juarez area has long been described by authorities as a
    multibillion-dollar conduit for Colombian cocaine flowing into the
    United States, a corridor run by a cartel reputedly headed by a
    Mexican drug lord, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, before his death in 1997.
    According to an association of families of “disappeared persons” here,
    at least 196 people, including some Americans, have vanished in the
    region since the early 1990s, many of them informants and low-level
    associates of the cartel.

    To read the rest of this story, see: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1296.a09.html

    ******************************************************************************

    SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

    The discovery of mass graves in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico is a terrible
    reminder of how far some people are willing to go to maintain control
    over an incredibly profitable black market. The increased willingness
    of gangsters to use murder as a business tool was an unintended
    consequence of alcohol prohibition, just like the violence of today’s
    illegal drug market is an unintended consequence of the drug war.
    Sadly, it seems the violence employed by Al Capone and his cohorts was
    a mere shadow of the tactics used by those who run modern drug markets.

    In coming days, many politicians and commentators will be calling for
    a tough response to the grisly scene being uncovered in Ciudad Juarez.
    I hope citizens won’t be fooled by such a call for more of the same.
    The only way to stop such violence is to stop the drug war. Responding
    with even more violence will push the drug cartels to greater depths.
    Historians examining the end of alcohol prohibition sometimes look at
    the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago as a turning point in
    public opinion about the value of prohibition. That display of
    ruthless violence in 1929 left eight people dead. In Ciudad Juarez,
    the numbers could be ten or twenty times higher. How many more bodies
    will it take for us to stand up again as a nation and say no to
    prohibition?

    Stephen Young

    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.
    —————————————————————————-

    ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
    efforts

    3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

    Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

    ****************************************************************************

    Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
    Alert Specialist

  • Focus Alerts

    USA Today Debate On Truth And Marijuana

    Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999
    Subject: USA Today Debate On Truth And Marijuana

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #137 November 24, 1999

    USA Today Debate On Truth And Marijuana

    TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
    ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

    ——-
    PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
    ——-

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #137 November 24, 1999

    Last week, USA Today offered a brief but interesting debate on
    parental attitudes toward marijuana. In answer to the question “What
    Should You Tell Your Kids About Your Drug Use?” the newspaper printed
    two oped pieces. One suggested honesty regarding marijuana use (DEAR
    PARENTS WITH FOGGY MEMORIES: PLEASE DON’T PRETEND YOU NEVER INHALED
    available at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a04.html). The
    author of the other piece wrote that young people should be informed
    that spiritual poverty explains marijuana use, though, he does not
    explicitly call for lying about drug use(GLAMORIZING OUR PAST
    COMPOUNDS MISTAKES http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1245.a03.html)

    Yesterday, USA Today printed three letters regarding the call for
    parents to be honest about marijuana. All the published letters can be
    found below, and put together they represent a second round of debate
    about this aspect of drug policy. In order to encourage USA Today to
    offer more side by side arguments about drug policy issues, please
    write a letter to the newspaper. The letter could simply thank USA
    Today for bringing these issues before the public, or the letter could
    respond to any aspect of the two debates.

    Thanks for your effort and support.

    WRITE A LETTER TODAY

    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,
    Phone, fax etc.)

    Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
    list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
    [email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
    so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

    This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
    impact and effectiveness.

    **************************************************************************

    CONTACT INFO

    Source: USA Today (US)
    Contact: [email protected]

    ***************************************************************************

    Newshawk: MAP editors Rock!
    Pubdate: Mon, 22 Nov 1999
    Source: USA Today (US)
    Copyright: 1999 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
    Page: 27A – Lead Letter
    Contact: [email protected]
    Address: 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22229
    Fax: (703) 247-3108
    Website: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm
    Author: Stephen S. Heath
    Note: Yes, Steve is a part of the MAP editing/posting team.
    Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a04.html

    BE HONEST WITH CHILDREN ABOUT PAST ‘POT’ EXPERIENCE

    Columnist Patricia Pearson is right on the money on why we should be
    honest with our children, rather than lying about or exaggerating our
    experiences with marijuana (“What should you tell your kids about your
    drug use? Dear Parents with foggy memories: Please don’t pretend you
    never inhaled.” The Forum, Wednesday).

    It would behoove us to be more honest with each other as adults
    also.

    The Clinton administration’s drug czar Barry McCaffrey continues to
    insist on telling American adults that any and all use of marijuana
    will lead the country down an inexorable slope to ruin. He repeatedly
    presents images of stoned schoolchildren and crazed drivers.

    This despite the obvious successes of millions of Americans who may
    use or have used marijuana.

    Lying to adults makes no more sense than lying to children. Pearson’s
    column is a refreshing reminder that freedom has nothing to fear from
    the truth.

    Stephen S. Heath
    Largo, Fla.

    Newshawk: http://www.csdp.org/factbook/marijuan.htm
    Pubdate: Mon, 22 Nov 1999
    Source: USA Today (US)
    Copyright: 1999 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
    Page: 27A
    Contact: [email protected]
    Address: 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22229
    Fax: (703) 247-3108
    Website: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm
    Authors: Robert W. DeStefano, Jim Webster
    Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a04.html

    ‘IRRESPONSIBLE’ COMMENTARY

    The article by Patricia Pearson is one of the most irresponsible
    articles to ever appear on USA TODAY’s editorial pages.

    Did I miss something recently? Aren’t the drugs referred to in this
    article illegal for everyone in the United States? Don’t we have a
    nationwide campaign to reduce drug use in this country, especially
    among children?

    It might not be surprising to find flagrant advertising for
    “recreational” drug use in an underground paper, but not USA TODAY.

    Jim Webster
    Arroyo Grande, Calif.

    ~~~~~

    IGNORANCE ABOUT ADDICTION

    I am constantly amazed at the level of ignorance expressed by
    otherwise intelligent people when it comes to drugs and/or alcohol.
    In Patricia Pearson’s article, this ignorance has been given voice
    once more.

    She claims that ”the difference between self-abuse and recreational
    pot smoking is so widely and tacitly understood that only . . .
    ‘experts’ ” miss the point. The fact is that pot smoking is no less
    dangerous to someone suffering an addictive illness than heroin or
    crack cocaine.

    Pearson’s claim that ”you never see a ‘pot addict’ who drains his
    life savings to feed the habit” indicates that she has not looked too
    hard. As someone who suffers from an addictive illness, I see such
    people all of the time. Neither are they few and far between.

    Pearson also claims that ”pot is like alcohol: People undone by it
    usually are trying to undo themselves because something in their lives
    is too painful.” Would she make the same claim about someone
    suffering from diabetes or cancer? Do these sufferers ”undo
    themselves” as well?

    I sometimes find it difficult to believe that even as this century
    draws to a close, so many still passionately cling to antiquated ideas
    about drugs and alcohol, ideas that are in complete opposition to that
    which is accepted by medical science. Politicians who use this topic
    for political gain exacerbate such misunderstanding.

    The facts seem to be these: There are people who suffer from addictive
    illnesses. For many of them, any drug and/or alcohol is extremely
    dangerous. Then, there is the rest of society. For these folks, most
    drugs and/or alcohol are fairly safe when used responsibly.

    Perhaps it would be more appropriate to educate our children about
    addictive illnesses and their symptoms, rather than categorically
    state that one drug is safe, while another is not. The safety of a
    recreational drug is far more dependent upon the health of the person
    taking it.

    Robert W. DeStefano
    Pontiets, Wales

    ******************************************************************************

    SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

    The letter “Be honest with children about past ‘pot’ experience” was a
    great expression of common sense. Lying has always been considered
    immoral – there’s even a commandment against it. Why should marijuana
    be an exception? The truth did not seem as highly valued in the letter
    “`Irresponsible’ Commentary.” By suggesting it is appropriate to lie
    to our children, the author clearly expressed his own lack of honesty
    with himself. Will thinking and saying enough bad things about
    marijuana make it go away? All our past experience indicates that it
    will not.

    Thanks to USA Today for placing these two perspectives side by side.
    When compared, they illustrate an early moral lessons hopefully
    learned by children: honesty is the best policy.

    Stephen Young

    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.
    —————————————————————————-

    ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
    efforts

    3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

    Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

    ****************************************************************************

    Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
    Alert Specialist

  • Focus Alerts

    Renee Boje Case Glamour Magazine

    Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999
    Subject: Renee Boje Case Glamour Magazine

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 136 November 17,1999

    Renee Boje Case Could Bring Scrutiny to American Marijuana
    Policy

    TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
    ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

    ——-
    PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
    ——-

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 136 November 17,1999

    NOTE: Glamour Magazine has a circulation of 2.2 million
    demographically important readers. If your letter is published it will
    have an equivalent advertising value of $1,320 fore every inch of text
    published! Go for it!

    The publicity surrounding Renee Boje was pushed up a notch last week
    as Glamour Magazine published an in-depth and sympathetic report on
    her case. Renee is the American woman who is now seeking asylum in
    Canada after being charged in the same federal marijuana “conspiracy”
    case that involves activists/medical marijuana users Todd McCormick
    and Peter McWilliams.

    The Glamour article (below) offers an excellent summary of Renee’s
    story, and Renee offers some priceless wisdom to all who are fighting
    against the cruelty of the drug war: “At first I was just in total
    shock. Then suddenly I lost my fear a few months ago. I was sitting
    on the beach and meditating, and felt myself change from victim to
    warrior. I thought, You vote on a law, and it passes, and then the
    government just ignores it?” (To learn more about Renee and her case,
    visit her website at http://www.thecompassionclub.org/renee/ or use
    the MAP shortcut to articles about Renee at http://www.mapinc.org/renee.htm)

    Please write a letter to Glamour expressing support for Renee and
    amazement that the federal government would use so many resources to
    persecute a person who has hurt no one.

    Thanks for your effort and support.

    WRITE A LETTER TODAY

    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,
    Phone, fax etc.)

    Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
    list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
    [email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
    so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

    This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
    impact and effectiveness.

    **************************************************************************

    CONTACT INFO

    Source: Glamour Magazine (US)
    Contact: [email protected]

    ***************************************************************************

    NOTE: This is an exceptionally long article. An excerpt has been
    provided below giving the basic details. Those interested in reading
    the entire article are welcome to visit the URL below:

    URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1226.a03.html

    Pubdate: Dec 1999
    Source: Glamour Magazine (US)
    Copyright: 1999 Conde’ Nast Publications, Inc.
    Contact: [email protected]
    Address: 350 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017
    Fax: (212) 880-6922
    Author: David France
    Cited: Renee’s website:
    http://www.thecompassionclub.org/renee/
    MAP’s: shortcut to articles about Renee is:
    http://www.mapinc.org/renee.htm

    Drug Queenpin or Innocent Victim?

    When Illustrator Renee Boje Naively Agreed To Help A Friend Prepare
    A Book About Medical Marijuana, She Never Dreamed She’s Become A
    Fugitive. Glamour Caught Up With Her In Canada To Find Out Why
    She’s Facing And Fighting A 10-Year-To Life Sentence.

    Nearly two years have passed since Renee Boje kissed her kitten,
    Yoda-the-Zen-Master, good-bye and told her friends and family a lie –
    that she was walking away from her life as a Los Angeles – based
    freelance illustrator to embark on a mystical journey to find herself.
    “I didn’t want to let them know that I was going to leave the
    country,” says the 30-year-old redhead, a shy beauty who wears a
    dusting of glitter around her spirited eyes. “I didn’t want to
    endanger anyone.”

    Nobody suspected a thing. “If you know Renee, she’s – a unique
    spirit,” Jason Boje, 23, says about his sister. “It wasn’t weird to
    me that she wanted to travel around.”

    But the truth was beyond weird. She was on the run from federal drug
    authorities, and to tell her loved ones that she was heading to Canada
    could have put them in an awkward position if U.S. Marshals came
    questioning.

    This spring, they found her anyway. Now, in a test case that has
    gained international attention, Boje finds herself at the center of a
    bitter, high-profile legal feud that pits the state of California
    against the U.S. Government over the legality of smoking pot for
    medicinal purposes. She has been charged with growing and possessing
    marijuana with the intent to distribute it – and she faces a possible
    prison term of l0 years to life as a medical-marijuana queen pin. But
    Boje contends she was just helping a friend illustrate a book called
    How to Grow Medical Marijuana and hanging out at his Los Angeles
    house, where, after the passage of a new California law, he was
    growing pot – legally, he believed – for his own medicinal use.

    Federal authorities are demanding that Canada return Boje to
    California so that she can stand trial, and have begun extradition
    proceedings against her. “I thought that his growing marijuana was
    all perfectly legal,” Boje says one August day during an exclusive
    Glamour interview at the isolated house she calls Zen Central, tucked
    in the woods on the coast of British Columbia. “I can’t even think
    about serving time.”

    [snip]

    ******************************************************************************

    SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

    I just read David France’s excellent story on Renee Boje (“Drug
    Queenpin or Innocent Victim?” December), but I am still baffled. Why
    is the federal government spending such enormous resources to hunt
    down a woman who has victimized no one? Average citizens are being
    protected from nothing. Instead a message is being sent to average
    citizens that if they challenge the federal government, even with the
    support of a majority of voters, the government will exact a price.
    Renee’s bravery should be a wake-up call to all Americans who still
    believe government exists to serve the people, and not the other way
    around.

    Stephen Young

    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.
    —————————————————————————-

    ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
    efforts

    3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

    Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

    ****************************************************************************

    Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
    Alert Specialist

  • Focus Alerts

    McWilliams Not Allowed To Use Medical Defense

    Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999
    Subject: McWilliams Not Allowed To Use Medical Defense

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 135 Sunday November 7. 1999

    McWilliams Not Allowed To Use Medical Defense

    TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
    ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

    ——-
    PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
    ——-

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 135 Sunday November 7. 1999

    McWilliams Not Allowed To Use Medical Defense

    In 1996 California voters approved a measure to allow the use of
    medical marijuana. Since then, voters in several other states have
    done the same. On Friday a federal judge again exhibited the federal
    government’s complete disregard for the will of the people on this
    issue by ruling that medical marijuana users Peter McWilliams and Todd
    McCormick will not be allowed to use a medical defense during their
    upcoming trials for growing the life-saving medicine.

    Even though the trial hasn’t even started, the judge’s ruling is an
    effective death sentence for Peter, who suffers from AIDS and cancer.
    “I now face ten mandatory years in federal prison. I will die there.
    My life is over because I tried to save my life doing something my
    doctor recommended in a state where it is legal. If it happened to me,
    it can happen to anyone,” said Peter in a press release. (For more
    specifics about the case, visit Peter’s website at
    http://www.petertrial.com)

    The story is now receiving more coverage from the New York Times
    (below) as well as other papers. Please write a letter to the NYT, or
    the LA Times, to speak out about this cruel and unjust action by the
    federal government. You may also want to try and contact President
    Clinton via an online chat session Monday night to ask why he and his
    administration refuse to feel the pain of medical marijuana users.

    WRITE A LETTER TODAY

    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,
    Phone, fax etc.)

    Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the Sent LTE
    list at [email protected] If you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a
    copy directly to [email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded
    to the list so others can learn rom your efforts and be motivated to
    follow suit.

    This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
    impact and effectiveness.

    **************************************************************************

    CONTACT INFO

    Source: New York Times (NY)
    Contact: [email protected]

    EXTRA CREDIT

    Please also send a separate copy of your letter to the Los Angeles
    Times, which ran a shorter story (http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1204.a11.html).

    Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
    Contact: [email protected]

    EXTRA EXTRA CREDIT

    President Clinton will be taking questions during an internet forum
    Monday night. Please ask the president why his administration
    continues its cruel persecution of medical marijuana patients like
    Peter McWilliams and Todd McCormick even though voters have approved
    medical marijuana in every state where the issue has been raised.

    The Clinton event is scheduled to being at 7 p.m. EST Monday. The
    Internet address is http://townhallmeeting.excite.com.

    ***************************************************************************

    Pubdate: Sun, 07 Nov 1999
    Source: New York Times (NY)
    Copyright: 1999 The New York Times Company
    Contact: [email protected]
    Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
    Forum: http://www10.nytimes.com/comment/
    Related: Websites: http://www.petertrial.com/
    http://MarijuanaMagazine.com/
    http://McWilliams.com/

    LOS ANGELES DRUG CASE BARS MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEFENSE

    LOS ANGELES — In a July 1997 raid, police officers and federal agents
    here found more than 4,000 marijuana plants in a Bel-Air mansion known
    as the castle, near the home of Ronald Reagan, whose administration
    created the “zero tolerance” approach to illegal drugs.

    With a trial scheduled to begin Nov. 16, the case has turned into a
    test of judicial tolerance for a defense strategy based on marijuana’s
    medical uses.

    Two defendants, Todd McCormick and Peter McWilliams, advocate
    legalizing marijuana for medical use and have used it to treat their
    own ailments: McCormick for pain from cancer treatments that fused
    several of his vertebrae, and McWilliams for nausea from drugs he
    takes to treat AIDS.

    Saying the plants were for personal use and research on a book about
    medical marijuana, they contend their actions were legal under
    Proposition 215, the ballot measure approved by California voters in
    1996 allowing patients to smoke marijuana with a doctor’s
    recommendation.

    Federal prosecutors, however, sought and received an order from a
    federal judge barring the defendants from telling the jury that side
    of the story, even offering to drop some of the counts against them to
    keep those issues out of the courtroom.

    In a ruling on Friday, U.S. District Judge George King prohibited the
    defendants from making any reference to Proposition 215, the purported
    medical benefits of marijuana or even the federal government’s own
    experimental program, now closed, providing marijuana to patients.

    The defendants say they are not being allowed to defend themselves.
    “I’m devastated,” McWilliams said in an interview on Friday. “I can’t
    even present my case to the jury. We just have to sit there and listen
    to the evidence, and we’ve already admitted everything. Obviously, the
    federal government is stonewalling any discussion of medical marijuana
    in any forum.”

    McWilliams, a best-selling self-help author, McCormick, who founded a
    club that distributes marijuana for medical purposes, and another
    defendant, Aleksandra Evanguelidi, were among nine people charged with
    conspiring to grow and sell marijuana. They face minimum prison
    sentences of 10 years if convicted. Three other defendants have
    pleaded guilty.

    In court filings, prosecutors have said the medical issues are
    irrelevant to the charges, and if allowed into evidence, “will serve
    only to confuse and mislead the jury.” Further, they maintain that if
    the defendants want to change the government’s position on marijuana,
    they should petition the Drug Enforcement Administration.

    “Whether the defendants like it or not, the proper challenge is
    through the regulatory process,” Mary Fulginiti, a prosecutor, said in
    court last month.

    The trial comes at a time of increasing conflict in America’s
    relationship with marijuana. On Tuesday, voters in Maine approved an
    initiative allowing medical use, joining six Western states. A report
    commissioned by the Clinton administration concluded earlier this year
    that marijuana’s active ingredients were useful in treating pain and
    nausea, though the benefits were limited by the smoke’s toxic effects.

    And in September, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed a
    cannabis club in Oakland to resume providing marijuana to patients, in
    the face of an injunction from the Clinton administration.

    Yet marijuana remains classified by Congress as a Schedule I
    controlled substance, putting it in the company of heroin and LSD.
    That raised a central question: whether the defendants could assert a
    “medical necessity defense,” maintaining that they broke the law
    because their health required it.

    Prosecutors contended that marijuana’s Schedule I status precluded
    such an argument, because it legally defined the drug as having no
    legitimate use. But defense lawyers maintained that the appeals court
    decision in the Oakland case opened the door to such a defense.

    Federal prosecutors are so intent on keeping medical issues out of the
    courtroom in the case that they agreed to dismiss charges of intent to
    distribute if the judge barred the medical-necessity defense. Under
    the law, the defendants could have been allowed to assert that
    Proposition 215 and their medical conditions contributed to their
    “state of mind” if they were prosecuted on the intent charges. But
    with manufacturing charges, state of mind is not relevant.

    In his ruling, King said the medical-necessity defense would be
    unavailable to the defendants because allowing them to use it would
    explicitly contradict a congressional determination. Judge King found
    that the appeals court ruling in Oakland did not directly address the
    issue, and he rejected admission of Proposition 215 and medical
    benefits of marijuana because the government agreed to limit its case
    to simple manufacturing charges.

    The number of marijuana plants, which rose to more than 6,000 after
    the discovery of other growing sites, has led to charges that the
    defendants sought to reap profits by selling to cannabis clubs, an
    enterprise not sanctioned by Proposition 215, which allows possession
    in “personal use amounts.”

    According to court documents, the two men signed a detailed agreement
    on financing and managing cultivation sites, distribution plans and
    profit sharing. McWilliams is accused of approaching an employee of a
    cannabis club with an offer to sell it marijuana, saying that he
    wanted to become the “Bill Gates of medical marijuana.”

    The case has become a celebrated one with legalization advocates. The
    actor Woody Harrelson, who was once arrested for planting hemp seeds
    in a ceremonial protest, put up McCormick’s $500,000 bail, and Alan
    Isaacman, the lawyer who defended Larry Flynt on pornography charges,
    signed on to defend him.

    McCormick made his case on the television show “Politically
    Incorrect.” And a fugitive in the case, Renee Boje, who was hired by
    McCormick to sketch the plants for his book, is profiled in the
    December issue of Glamour magazine under the headline “Drug Queenpin
    or Innocent Victim?”

    Legalization advocates say the results of the case will serve as a
    barometer of the federal government’s willingness to prosecute medical
    marijuana cases aggressively in states where medical use is legal.

    “To some degree, the outcome of this case will shape the extent to
    which the federal government proceeds with additional federal
    prosecutions for offenses which are no longer illegal under state
    law,” said Keith Stroup, the executive director of the National
    Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a lobbyist for
    marijuana legalization. “If it’s a clean victory, it will encourage
    them to use federal prosecution.”

    ******************************************************************************

    SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

    In the wake of news that a federal judge will not allow medical
    marijuana patients Peter McWilliams and Todd McCormick to use a
    medical defense during their upcoming trial for growing marijuana, we
    are again reminded of the tremendous gap between Washington, D.C. and
    the rest of the nation.

    McWilliams and McCormick used marijuana to save their lives. They
    engaged in an activity they thought had been approved by the voters of
    California. But instead of letting the people of California take care
    of their own business, federal officials have used enormous resources
    to spy on, arrest and now try medical marijuana users. McWilliams and
    McCormick aren’t the first medical marijuana patients to be railroaded
    through a federal court, and, sadly, it looks like they won’t be the
    last.

    It’s time for every citizen to ask themselves: On whose behalf are
    federal prosecutors working in cases like this? McWilliams and
    McCormick have injured no one. They pose a threat to no one.
    Persecuting citizens who are already under attack by horrible diseases
    illustrates how desperate federal officials are to maintain their own
    illusions about marijuana.

    Despite what the judge and prosecutors in this case may believe, most
    of us are fully aware that those illusions are not worth the life of
    McWilliams, the suffering of McCormick or the subversion of the
    democratic process. Marijuana does not kill human beings, but once
    again, the war against marijuana is poised to strike down another life.

    Stephen Young

    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.
    —————————————————————————-

    ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
    efforts

    3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

    Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

    ****************************************************************************

    Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
    Alert Specialist