DrugSense FOCUS Alert #250 Monday Jan 28, 2002 Doonesbury Comic Strip Carries Message Newspapers Avoid PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE On Sunday Jan 27, the well known comic strip DOONESBURY, penned by Garry Trudeau delivered to readers a message that is not usually delivered by major media. In the limited space a Sunday comic panel affords, the strip drew a direct comparison between the dangers of tobacco and marijuana. Using the well known satirical icons of Mr. Butts (representing tobacco) and Mr. Jay (marijuana), a short conversation ensues. Butts remarks that once again he was responsible for over 400,000 American deaths last year. Mr. Jay admits he killed no one, but did allow that he was responsible for over 700,000 arrests by police. With their conversation taking place at a gathering of the 'Sin Lobby', Jay confesses feeling like a fraud. If you have not seen the comic strip, it is online at http://www.mapinc.org/image/db012702/ Note that newspapers are not required to print the first two panels - some did - some did not - based on their own layout needs. Please consider writing a letter thanking newspaper editors for carrying Doonesbury and asking them to please give this subject more attention than just satirical comic messages. Doonesbury has a history of providing pro-reform messages. For example, Doonesbury BEFORE the passage of Prop. 215 http://www.kubby.com/Cartoons/cartoons-doonesbury1.html Doonesbury AFTER the passage of Prop. 215 http://www.kubby.com/Cartoons/cartoons-doonesbury2.html Doonesbury AFTER Ashcroft ordered raids against cannabis buyers clubs http://www.kubby.com/Cartoons/cartoons-doonesbury3.html In 1997 Garry Trudeau received The Edward M. Brecher Award for Achievement in the Field of Journalism from the Drug Policy Foundation for the Prop. 215 comic strips. 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 () if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to if you are not subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit. Subscribing to the Sent LTE list () will help you to review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing efforts. To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is one very effective way of gauging our impact and effectiveness. Here is a list of newspapers for which we have been able to confirm that the Doonesbury strip was printed: Anchorage Daily News (AK) Appleton Post-Crescent (WI) Arizona Daily Star (AZ) Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (AR) Auburn Journal (CA) Bakersfield Californian (CA) Baltimore Sun (MD) Blade, The (OH) Boston Globe (MA) Capital Times, The (WI) Charlotte Sun Herald (FL) Chicago Tribune (IL) Contra Costa Times (CA) Courier News, The (NJ) Daily Mining Gazette, The (MI) Daily News Journal (TN) Dallas Morning News (TX) Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL) Des Moines Register (IA) Detroit News / Free Press (MI) [combined Sunday edition] Elkhart Truth (IN) Florida Times-Union (FL) Foster's Sunday Citizen (NH) Free Lance-Star (VA) Grand Rapids Press (MI) Green Bay Press-Gazette (WI) Hendersonville Times-News (NC) Honolulu Advertiser (HI) Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI) Houston Chronicle (TX) Indianapolis Star (IN) Inquirer (PA) Kansas City Star (MO) Lansing State Journal (MI) Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV) Lincoln Journal Star (NE) Los Angeles Times (CA) Marin Independent Journal (CA) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) Norman Transcript (OK) Oakland Tribune (CA) Olympian, The (WA) Orange County Register (CA) Oregonian, The (OR) Orlando Sentinel (FL) Plain Dealer, The (OH) Post and Courier, The (SC) Press Democrat, The (CA) Press-Enterprise (CA) Register Citizen (CT) Register-Guard, The (OR) Reno Gazette-Journal (NV) Reporter-Herald, The (CO) Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) Sacramento Bee (CA) Salt Lake Tribune (UT) San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Santa Fe New Mexican (NM) Seattle Times (WA) South Bend Tribune (IN) Spokesman-Review (WA) St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN) St. Petersburg Times (FL) State Journal-Register (IL) State, The (SC) Tacoma News Tribune (WA) Tampa Tribune (FL) Tri-City Herald (WA) Tulsa World (OK) Washington Post (DC) Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (IA) Wichita Eagle (KS) NOTE: Please address each newspaper one at a time using the To: field of your email program. Be sure to use the newspaper name somewhere in each message. Newspaper editors expect that you are addressing them only - they are quick to hit the delete key if they think you are sending something to multiple publications. The above list is probably not even a majority of the Sunday papers which printed the Doonesbury cartoon. If you know of other newspapers that did, you may find their email address here: http://www.mapinc.org/resource/email.htm Do you know of newspapers that do not carry the daily or Sunday Doonesbury? Consider sending them a note asking them to carry it. You can be sure Doonesbury will carry our message in the future! Extra Credit: Sunday the Baltimore Sun also printed an OPED by a couple of shills for the prohibitionist lobby which is at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n141/a02.html If you have the time, a Letter to the Editor defending both Zonker and cannabis truth would be nice. SAMPLE LETTER (SENT) To the editor I write to thank G. B. Trudeau and editors of your newspaper for the excellent Doonesbury strip of Jan. 27. Arresting hundreds of thousands of Americans for marijuana, a drug that doesn't kill anyone, represents a wasteful and cruel absurdity. Understanding the damage caused by marijuana prohibition, I would never endorse the prohibition of tobacco. But as Doonesbury pointed out, our tolerance of potentially lethal tobacco makes marijuana prohibition seem even crazier. While the cartoon was an excellent example of political commentary mixed with black humor, the situation it describes is truly tragic. Even sadder is the fact that the situation rarely gets attention in any newspaper - outside of the funny pages. Stephen Young contact info 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 Writer's Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/ 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 Prepared by Stephen Heath and Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialists - with

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