Untitled Document

Our Founding documents are based on great spiritual principles. We are seekers of truth and justice, as are all liberty lovers worldwide. That spirit unites us. It is the Holy Spirit and our True North. Many leaders are outright servants of tyranny; good at ignoring the rule of law, history and science while catering to the needs of special interests but awful bad at determining what is best or safer for the individual or society.

In a speech on "Leadership and Spirituality in America," Former Mexican President Vicente Fox said, "the United States should legalize drugs to end the violence in Mexico." The audience applauded. He also called for tearing down the fence we built to reduce illegal immigration. "Instead of building walls, we should be building bridges." Celebrate our similarities, build bridges of tolerance to differences in race, religion and lifestyle. That's how we create peace and abundance.

"More than 35,000 people have been killed, and thousands more have simply disappeared, since Calderon sent the military to battle Mexican organized crime with $1.6 billion in US support." Blood is on the hands of all who support our soft on public safety, out-of-control, historically ignorant drug policy. It is tyranny in the guise of good intentions.

The carnage and crime associated with illicit drugs are triggered by our demented, punitive policy. Notice alcohol distributors no longer kill off the competition! We tolerate these salesmen.

Murderers and other violent predators roam free, while we police nonviolent adult social, medicinal and religious drug use.

It is overkill and morally bankrupt to arrest nonviolent adults for making a safer health choice, cannabis or marijuana, compared to other medicinal/social drugs. The people believe in self-government and self-medication.

Less than 1% of US are actually addicted to anything illegal. About about 9% are alcoholics but much of the public health burden of alcohol use is caused by the non-addictive use; including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, incest, child molestation, spouse abuse, and family violence, fatal car crashes, accidents, and homicides. On college campuses alone, almost 2000 deaths, 100,000 sexual assaults, 600,000 injuries, and 700,000 assaults are the annual consequences of alcohol use.

Treatment is seven times less expensive than prison. Restore public and law enforcement safety around the globe! Change to ethical policy and show fiscal responsibility; use resources to catch more violent and sexual predators or incarcerate more of those morally bankrupt selling drugs to children or driving intoxicated. Save lives instead of ruining them. Get tough on violent crime! Restore Justice, the guardian of liberty!

Prohibition destroys the lives of poor people of all colors! Race and features are differences that literally are only skin deep. Everyone on this planet's DNA is 99.9% the same; we descended from the same scientific Adam and Eve, out of Africa. We are brothers and sisters as Jesus taught us. Genetically there is no such thing as race, according to National Geographic's "The Human Family Tree." This should make us all more tolerant and reinforce our great shame over race hate crimes and policies enforced in a racist manner.

The US federal government spent over $15 billion dollars in 2010 on the War on Drugs, at a rate of about $500 per second, mostly on the enforcement of a marijuana market ban that serves to protect alcohol industry profits and drive more people to drink. (Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy) State and local governments spent at least another 25 billion dollars. (Source: Jeffrey A. Miron & Kathrine Waldock: "The Budgetary Impact of Drug Prohibition," 2010).

Texas should not be spending $300-400 million annually on the enforcement of a marijuana market ban that serves to protect alcohol industry profits and drive more people to drink.

Please support TX House Bill 548, which will reduce possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana from a Class B misdemeanor (punishable by up to six months in county jail and a fine of up to $2,000) to a Class C misdemeanor (punishable by a fine of up to $500). HB 548 would significantly reduce law enforcement and socioeconomic cost of arresting people for mere possession of marijuana and tagging them with a criminal record. Call Rep. Pete Gallego, the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee Chair, at (512) 463-0566 to allow a vote on HB 548.

"Chemical components of Cannabis, called cannabinoids, activate specific receptors found throughout the body to produce pharmacologic effects, particularly in the central nervous system and the immune system. Cannabinoids may have benefits in the treatment of cancer-related side effects." (Source Cannabis and Cannabinoids (PDQ), National Cancer Institute, March 2011)

Our marijuana laws tragically impact families in other ways. Please support Tx HB 1491, which would simply allow seriously ill patients to raise a medical necessity defense to charges of possessing marijuana for medical use. If arrested for possession of marijuana, a patient with a recommendation from his or her physician would have an affirmative defense in court to charges arising from his or her medical use of marijuana. If a court accepts such an affirmative defense, a patient could avoid jail time and fines. Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years prior to its current status as an illegal substance. Call Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, the Public Health Committee Chair, at (512) 463-0600 to allow a vote on HB 1491.

HB 548 and 1491 are a small step in the right direction but will still leave intact the dangerous message to our society that alcohol is more acceptable than marijuana, perpetuating a “culture of alcohol” in our communities. Therefore, please ask your leaders to demonstrate their commitment to future marijuana policy reform by abstaining from alcohol industry campaign money until marijuana is regulated and taxed in a manner similar to alcohol.

The Women's Marijuana Movement is calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to examine the potential impact of making marijuana a legal alternative to alcohol. Take action by contacting Linda Degutis, Director National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which is the division within the CDC that is responsible for studying the factors that contribute to sexual violence and investigating new strategies for prevention.

Elected Officials Legislating Under the Influence of Big Alcohol - Top 5 Texas recipients of alcohol industry contributions during the 2010 Election

Governor Rick Perry - $571,617

US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison - $392,135

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst - $402,638

State House Speaker Joe Straus - $273,658

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott - $158,424

Total: $1,798,472

A brilliant friend suggested all Members of Congress should be compelled to wear uniforms just like NASCAR drivers, so we can have no doubt about their corporate sponsors.

NAACP calls shift in funding from education to incarceration "alarming." We should invest in effective education rather than ineffective arrest and incarceration. The truth about drugs will keep our children off them. Sound medical and unbiased scientific knowledge are the most effective moral persuasions.

Present policy falsehoods and scare tactics undermine our credibility.

We want to encourage drug free behavior not awaken their curiosity. Effective drug education based on medical science builds student's confidence to make informed responsible choices. Scare tactics, drug testing and fear don't work as well as truth, trust and reason.

Nearly 2.4 million people are incarcerated in the United States. According to the Justice Policy Institute (JPI), US policymakers should look outside our borders for examples of criminal justice policies that can save money while improving the well-being of both individuals and communities.

Educate the powerful, be brave and end the terror by changing our intrusive, big-bully policies, both foreign and domestic. The monetary and environmental costs are staggering and the human suffering unconscionable. Bring our troops home! Reduce our military presence and spending around the world. Cut the interventionists, military industrial complex, warmongering budget to the bone!

Audit the Fed!! End the destruction of the dollar and our economy by bringing real accountability and transparency to the Fed!

Save lives instead of ruining them. Join LEAP, COP and DownsizeDC!

Get tough on violent crime! Restore Justice, the guardian of liberty!

Track your Senators' and Representative's votes by e-mail

Changing who's in charge will not affect much. The real cause of this huge quagmire of failed policy is the beast, big government, that money hungry beast, Uncle Sam! Ma Freedom tells it like it is! The beauty of it is when we focus on down-sizing our government we regain our roots of self-government and secure the blessings of liberty for future generations and ourselves.

Compiled and written by Colleen McCool