Pubdate: Fri, 18 May 2001
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2001 The Dallas Morning News
Contact:  http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: D. Paul Webb
http://www.dallasnews.com/editorial/letters/369874_18cyberletters.html

DISMAY OVER SUPREME COURT RULING

As an American historian, disabled veteran, survivor of hepatitis C and 
former medical marijuana user, I am writing to express my dismay over the 
recent Supreme Court ruling ("Supreme Court rejects medical marijuana use," 
May 15). The original decision was based on ignorance (this simply means 
uneducated), racism and prejudice. The government with the aid of Harry 
Anslinger and J. Edgar Hoover stated that marijuana made blacks and 
Mexicans commit heinous crimes. The implied crime was rape. Several medical 
experts and government officials were on record that marijuana had nothing 
to do with crime or violence. As a historian, this is another example of 
perpetuated ignorance that remains the greatest obstacle in the 400 years 
struggle of America to actually provide liberty, justice and equality for 
all. What a concept?

Justice Clarence Thomas' excuse that Congress decided the illegality is a 
result of the bigoted decision by Mr. Anslinger and Mr. Hoover. The alleged 
victims of the heinous crimes were white women and Congress used bogus 
information their own experts decried to determine the status of marijuana. 
FYI - I am predominantly Anglo, 39, and do not use marijuana any more 
because of the question of illegality. Someone needs to remind the justices 
that during this period of marijuana prohibition the government fawned over 
the benefits of tobacco and even when confronted with the counter evidence, 
did nothing for 50 years to correct their errors. Finally, any country that 
allows a citizen to die because of ignorance does not deserve to be on the 
United Nations Human Rights Commission!

D. PAUL WEBB, McKinney, Texas 
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom