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About The North Coast times-eagle. (Wheeler, Oregon) 1971-2007 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1990)
PAGE 4 •A' My d r u g s o f c h o ic e a r e r e d w ine an d m a r i j u a n a . O ne is le g a l , th e o th e r is n o t, a n d I h a v e n o t h e a r d a r a t i o n a l r e a s o n w h y . T h e r e is no lo g ic th a t o n e s h o u ld be b e n ig n ly s u p p o r te d w h ile th e o t h e r m a k e s c r i m i n a l s o f its u s e r s and p ro d u c e rs. A f r ie n d h a s r e c e n t l y b e e n a r r e s t e d an d c h a r g e d w ith g ro w in g m a r i j u a n a . A h e lic o p te r s e n t a lo f t by th e O re g o n N a tio n a l G u a rd to c a p t u r e m a r i j u a n a f a r m s s p o tte d h e r a g r i c u l t u r a l e n d e a v o r . O th e r f r i e n d s h a v e b e e n in v a d e d by s q u a d s of d r u g b u s t e r s w ho c la i m e d to a c t on te le p h o n e tip s th a t m a r i j u a n a w a s g ro w in g in t h e i r h o m e s . Why s h o u ld n ’t th e y a ls o a tta c k g r a p e v in e y a r d s a n d a r r e s t th e v in tn e r s of w in e ? I lo v e w in e . I a m h a l f - S i c i l i a n ( I r i s h r y e d i s t i l l s th e o th e r h a lf), a M e d it e r r a n e a n . I b e lie v e th e w h e e l is o v e r r a t e d ; th e d is c o v e r y of th e f e r m e n t a t i o n of g r a p e s is a m o n g th e g r e a t e s t of h u m a n a c h i e v e m e n t s . So a l s o is th e c u ltiv a tio n o f c a n n ib a s in its in fin ite v a r i e t i e s . T he w h e e l m ig h t h a v e s e n t H u m a n ity off on its c o u r s e of e x p lo r in g th e m e c h a n ic a l u n i v e r s e ; a c id u la tio n o f g r a p e s a n d h a r v e s t s of c a n n ib a s h a v e b e e n in d is p e n s ib le to th e e x p lo r a tio n of i n te lle c t u a l and s p iritu a l c o sm o s. N e x t o n ly to s e x , d rin k in g w in e an d p u ffin g on a j o i n t a r e a m b r o s i a . Y et th e s e tw o w o n d e rfu l h u m a n p l e a s u r e s a n d e x p a n d e r s of i n t e l l e c t an d s o m e t i m e s of lo v e a r e f a l s e l y w re n c h e d a p a r t . T h e w in e is s ta m p e d w ith p u b lic a p p r o v a l an d c o g n o s c e n ti a p p e a l. M a r iju a n a is s ta in e d w ith d e p r a v i t y a n d its u s e r s a r e p o r tr a y e d a s i r r e s p o n s ib le l a w b r e a k e r s c o n d e m n e d to b e c o m e a d d ic t e d to h e a v y w e ig h t n a r c o t i c s . P e r h a p s i t is tim e f o r th o s e w ho lik e a littl e s m o k e o f e u p h o r ia o r b a k e g a la c tic e b ro w n ie s to s p e a k o u t a g a i n s t th e s e d is to r tio n s of tr u th a n d th e s p u r io u s i n ju s tic e of la w s th a t p u n is h p l e a s u r e . O u r a n c e s t o r s , w ho w e r e n o t a llo w e d m a n y p l e a s u r e s e i t h e r , h a d to w r e s t lib e r ty f r o m k in g s a n d t y r a n t s a n d f r o m p o w e rfu l i n s t i tu tio n s t h a t g r e w up in t h e i r p la c e . If we do n o t w a n t th e s e h a r d w on l i b e r t i e s to go up in sm o k e w e h a d b e t t e r w ake u p, q u e ll o u r tr e m b lin g an d r e f u s e to be d e n ie d o u r p l e a s u r e s an d p r iv a c ie s o r w e w ill h a v e n e i t h e r . T h e W ar on D ru g s so b lith e ly h e r a ld e d is n o th in g m o r e th a n a c y n ic a l a s s a u l t on o u r c iv il l i b e r t i e s by a g o v e r n m e n t th a t w o u ld i n c r e a s e i t s p o w e r by d is s o lv in g th e b o n d s th a t h o ld us t o g e t h e r . P u b lic h y s t e r i a is w h ip p e d u p a g a in s t a fe w e u p h o r ic c h e m i c a ls th a t lik e fo o d o r s e x a r e d a n g e r o u s o n ly w h en g lu tto n y o v e r c o m e s m o d e r a t i o n . T h e s o c ie ty is in f e c te d w ith f e a r , in p a r t i c u l a r its v u ln e r a b ility to c r i m e w h ic h is a s s o c i a t e d w ith d ru g u s e in s te a d of s o c i a l c o n d itio n s w h ic h p ro d u c e b o th th e o b s e s s i v e c o n s u m p tio n o f d r u g s a n d th e l u c r a t i v e m a r k e t fo r t h e m . T h e s m a r m y p ie tie s o f p o litic a l a y a to l la h s d e c r y th e u s e o f d r u g s w h ile , in c l a s s i c to n g u e /h a n d d u p lic ity , p o c k e t p a y o ffs to k e e p th e t r a d e p r o f ita b l e th r o u g h le g a l o p p r e s s io n . T h e b ig m o n e y is th e r e a l a d d ic tio n ; it h a s m a d e b r ib e ju n k ie s of th e n a tio n 's la w m a k e r s a n d m a n y o f its e n f o r c e r s . S p a c in g o u t o n ce in a w h ile is n o t w h a t is e n e r v a tin g o u r d e c a y in g s o c ie ty : C o r r u p ti o n , th e c r a z y c o m p u ls iv e p u r s u i t of c a s h a n d p o w e r r e g a r d l e s s of s o u r c e a n d h e e d l e s s of th e p r ic e ta g a r e th e h i s t o r i c a l i n d i c a t o r s of s o c i e t a l d e c lin e . T h e p u r s u i t of w e a lth by a n y m e a n s f a i r o r fo u l w h ic h le a v e s e v e r g r e a t e r n u m b e r s of p e o p le im p o v e r is h e d a n d w r e c k s th e p r o d u c tiv ity of a s o c ie ty is the t r u e s ig n o f d e c a y a n d d e c li n e . It is u s u a lly th e n , w h en e v e r y th in g s t a r t s fa llin g a p a r t , th a t l a r g e m a s s e s s e a r c h f o r o p ia te s to e s c a p e th e ir c r u m b lin g l i v e s . O v e r u s e o f a n y th in g is d a n g e r o u s . C o ffe e , h a m b u r g e r s , b u tte r a n d s u g a r a r e k now n k i l l e r s . A lc o h o l n o t o n ly a d d ic ts m illi o n s , it is a d i r e c t c a u s e o f th e a u to m o b ile d e a th s of h u n d re d s of th o u s a n d s m o r e ; a lc o h o l a ls o is r e s p o n s ib le f o r v io le n t b e h a v io r (e v e n w in e ) th a t r e s u l t s in th o u s a n d s o f b e a tin g s a n d d e a th s of w iv e s , c h i l d r e n , f r i e n d s a n d s t r a n g e r s . C ig a r e t te s k i l l m o r e s lo w ly , m o r e c e r t a i n l y , b u t I h a v e y e t to h e a r a to b a c c o c o m p a n y a c k n o w le d g e a n y f o r m o f r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r th e lin g e r in g o fte n a g o n iz in g d e a th s of th e v e r y p e o p le (a b o u t 4 0 0 ,0 0 0 a y e a r , w h ic h is a b o u t one of e v e r y s ix - p e r s o n s w ho d ie a n n u a lly ) w ho p ro v id e its w e a lth . M o d e r a tio n is th e g e n iu s of S h a n g ri L a — m o d e r a tio n in a l l th in g s p l e a s u r a b l e , p h ilo s o p h i c a l a n d p o l i t i c a l . A m e r ic a n c u ltu r e is in s te a d fo u n d e d on e x c e s s . T h e U n ite d S t a t e s , a s id e f r o m i t s p a s s io n a te a d d ic tio n to m o n e y a n d s h o p p in g , i s a ls o th e w o r ld 's l a r g e s t c o n s u m e r o f a d d ic tiv e c h e m i c a l s u b s t a n c e s . T h e u s u a l b la m e is p la c e d u p o n a m a l a i s e of s p i r i t of th e s e e k e r s of c h e m i c a lly - in d u c e d n ir v a n a , n o t the i n c e s s a n t v a lu e s o f r a p a c i t y a n d g r e e d o f the s o c i e t y i t s e l f . M o n ey , s e x a n d d ru g s h a v e b e e n th e A m e r ic a n c o r p o r a t e d r e a m s in c e the a d v e n t of h u c k s t e r i s m . F o r th e w e a v e r s of the d r e a m to a b s o lv e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y by p la c in g g u i l t on th e b u y e r s of th e m e s m e r i z i n g v is io n s is p u re m e n d a c ity . D ru g F r e e A m e r ic a ? How a b s u r d ! No m o re p h a r m a c e u t i c a l c o m p o u n d s ? V a liu m b a n n e d ? P r o h ib itio n o n c e m o r e of a lc o h o lic b e v e r a g e s ? D e fo lia tio n of g r a p e v in e y a r d s an d h o p s f ie ld s ? T h e a r r e s t an d c o n v ic tio n of to b a c c o f a r m e r s a n d t h e i r g o v e r n m e n t lo b b y is ts ? Y o u 'v e g o t to b e k id d in g ! T h is n a tio n c o n s u m e s m o r e d r u g s of in fin ite v a r i e t y a n d p u r p o s e on a d a ily b a s is th a n th e r e s t of th e w o rld c o m b in e d . O u r r e a l p r o b le m is n o t th e d r u g s we in g e s t , o r o u r r e a s o n s fo r REEFER M A D N E S S r e q u ir in g o r w is h in g f o r th e m , b u t o u r c a p a c ity f o r a c q u ie s c in g to z e a lo ts w ho c o r r u p t th e p u b lic to le r a n c e w ith h y s t e r i c a l e x a g g e r a tio n s , p r o c la m a t io n s a n d d e m a n d s th a t we d en y o u r p l e a s u r e s of f le s h an d f l o r a . (H . L . M en ck en o n c e d e fin e d P u r i t a n s a s th o s e who a r e a f r a id th a t s o m e o n e , s o m e w h e r e , is h a v in g a good tim e ) . We a llo w p e o p le to h a v e p o w e r o v e r u s w ho a s s u m e we a r e c o lle c tiv e ly a s s tu p id an d a v a r i c i o u s l y d e c e itf u l a s th e y a r e — an d so f a r in r e g a r d to th e tr a m p lin g o f o u r c iv il r ig h t s in th e D ru g W ar we h a v e n o t sh o w n th e m any r e a s o n to d o u b t t h e i r m is c o n c e p tio n s . We p e r m i t th e s e p a th o lo g ic a l s im p le to n s to in tr u d e t h e i r g r o s s a p p e ti te s f o r p o w e r u p o n o u r f o r m s o f r e l a x a t i o n a n d b l i s s . As a r e s u l t we a r e s e p a r a t e d n o t o n ly by c l a s s , s e x a n d r a c e , b u t a ls o by o u r c h o ic e s of p l e a s u r e . We a r e s e p a r a t e d b y in tim id a tio n a n d e d ic t . We a r e c o m p a r t m e n t a l i z e d , b ro k e n in to s e g m e n ts of s u s p i c io n a n d f e a r lik e t h r e e - p e r s o n c o m m u n is t c e l l s . I n s te a d o f r a lly in g to o u r f r ie n d s an d n e ig h b o r s w ho a r e a s s a u l t e d by i m p r o p e r p o lic e in v a s io n s o f t h e i r h o m e s a n d s e l v e s , we sh u n th e m in f e a r o u r ow n v ic e s m ig h t a ls o be i n v e s t ig a te d if w e d e m o n s t r a t e s u p p o r t o r s o l i d a r i t y . T h e W ar on D ru g s is b a lk a n iz in g u s . THE lim e s EHCIE A JO U R N A L O F A R T AND O PIN IO N P U B L IS H E D M O N TH LY IN A ST O R IA , O R E G O N , 955 24T H S T R E E T 97 1 0 3 . M IC H A E L P A U L M cC U SK E R , E D IT O R AN D P U B L IS H E R . P e r h a p s y o u h a v e n o t n o tic e d th e s q u e lc h in g of o p p o s in g v ie w s to th e W ar on D ru g s , th e f e a r fu l d is in c lin a t io n of p u b lic p r o t e s t to th e g o v e r n m e n t 's ju g g e r n a u t a g a in s t c iv il l i b e r t i e s d i s g u iz e d a s a m o r a l c r u s a d e a g a in s t d ru g u s e . F o u r y e a r s a g o O re g o n w as a l m o s t a m o n g th e m o s t p r o g r e s s i v e s t a t e s r e g a r d in g c u ltiv a tio n a n d p e r s o n a l u s e of m a r i j u a n a . B u t the big g u n s o f s u p p r e s s i o n , who k e p t the m a t t e r off th e b a l lo t by im p r o p e r l y d is r e g a r d i n g in itia tiv e s ig n a t u r e s s e v e r a l t i m e s , m o u n te d a la r g e an d e x p e n s iv e (n o t to m e n tio n a m p le u s e o f h y s t e r i a an d m is in f o r m a ti o n ) c a m p a ig n to d e fe a t a llo w in g c u ltiv a tio n of th e e v il w e ed f o r p e r s o n a l u s e in 1986. P e r h a p s , w ith th e s a m e p r e s s u r e an d m o n e y , an in itia tiv e to o u tla w th e u se an d d i s tr i b u tio n o f a lc o h o l c o u ld a ls o tr iu m p h (w h ich m ig h t be a n id e a fo r m a r iju a n a s u p p o r t e r s to th in k a b o u t tr y in g in 1 9 9 2 ). T h e v e r y s a d a c c o m m o d a tio n of f e a r an d in tim id a tio n by th o s e w ho a r e c r i m i n a l s o n ly b e c a u s e th e y p r e f e r m a r iju a n a to th e le g a lly s a n c tio n e d a b u s e of a lc o h o l is c l e a r l y e v id e n t by th e la c k of a m a r iju a n a d e c r im in a liz a tio n in itia tiv e p e titio n fo r th e N o v e m b e r 1990 b a llo t. T h o u s a n d s of O re g o n ia n s a r e n o t r e p r e s e n t e d th is e le c tio n y e a r , a n d a s a r e s u l t t h e i r f r e e d o m s a n d p e r s o n a l liv e s a r e in je o p a r d y s im p ly b e c a u s e th e y e n jo y th e c e l e s t i a l h e m p m o re th a n (o r a lo n g s id e ) th e in te m p e r a n c e of w h is k e y o r w in e . T h e r e p r e s s i v e a tm o s p h e r e s u r r o u n d in g th e r ig h t to c h o o s e o n e 's ow n p o is o n h a s s e n t s c u r r y i n g ou t of v ie w th e v e r y p e o p le who c o u ld p r e s e r v e th e i r l i b e r t i e s an d f r e e d o m f r o m h a r r a s s m e n t an d j a i l by o p e n ly in s is tin g th a t th e e l e c t o r a l p r o c e s s (w h ich h a s s o f a r f a ile d th e m b e c a u s e th e y s e e m e d to o o p tim is tic a b o u t p u b lic a w a r e n e s s to e f f e c tiv e ly c o m b a t th e d ru g lo r d s of a lc o h o l a n d t o b a c c o ) f a ir ly r e p r e s e n t th e ir p o in t of v ie w . D r. F r e d r i c k O e r th e r , lo n g a s tr o n g v o ic e f o r le g a liz a tio n of m a r iju a n a a n d 1990 L i b e r t a r i a n c a n d id a te fo r G o v e rn o r of O re g o n , s a id w hen a r r e s t e d e a r l i e r th is y e a r f o r g ro w in g m a r iju a n a f o r h is p e r s o n a l u s e , " I s e e a lig h t a t the en d of th e tu n n e l, an d it is th e B ill of R ig h ts b u r n in g . So w h a t s h a ll we do? S it on o u r fa n n ie s in f e a r and h e l p l e s s l y w a tc h o u r f r ie n d s d is a p p e a r u n til a t s o m e p o in t, f o r s o m e r e a s o n , we a r e a l s o v ic tim s of an i n c r e a s in g ly r e p r e s s i v e g o v e r n m e n t, o r s h a ll we fin a lly r i s e u p an d t e ll th e m i n i s t r i e s of f e a r to go to h e ll? — M IC H A E L P A U L M cC U SK ER
