Pubdate: Fri, 22 Aug 2003
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA)
Copyright: 2003 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Contact:  http://www.seattle-pi.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/408
Author: Susan Paynter, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Columnist
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1248/a10.html?1141
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?227 ( Jack Cole)

E-MAIL ATTACK: READERS READ A LOT INTO POT COLUMN

Ah, the good old days.

It seems like only yesterday I was a left-wing wacko.

One column later -- one column siding with cops against Initiative 75 to 
keep marijuana illegal but make police ignore the law -- and I'm a 
right-wing, Bush-hugging, flag-waving conservative. Worse, I've hopped into 
bed with U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Seattle Police Chief Gil 
Kerlikowske and City Attorney Tom Carr.

And I can tell you it's dang crowded in here and the guys are hogging the 
remote.

Out of the more than 75 e-mails that had already smacked me upside the head 
by lunchtime on Wednesday, only one both grasped and appreciated the gist.

"Your point -- that if we (adults or young people) don't like the rules, 
work to change them, don't just pretend they don't exist -- is right 
on-target," Terry Seaman wrote.

For the rest, the only thing right on target was my posterior for, among 
other atrocities, opposing marijuana for medical use (I don't). And 
favoring a fascist state. (I haven't voted fascist in ages).

Jeez. I thought marijuana made you mellow, dude.

"Dear Reasonable-Yet-With-Proper-Family-Values-Columnist,

"Far be it for our country to really be a democracy ... far be it that we 
should actually enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," Rick 
Kelly wrote. "We get a lot of flag wavers these days who think what's 
important is the flag, not the values that stand behind it. And any 
criticism of Bush is unpatriotic."

(See, right off, you've got to figure Rick doesn't read me real often.)

"Good, foursquare moms like yourself, no doubt between martinis, want to 
downplay the FACT that a lot of people support marijuana use or at least 
are not bothered by it!" Rick accused.

Hey! I'm saying that legislation to keep pot a crime but mandate looking 
the other way is a mixed message that breeds contempt for the law. And make 
that a single malt Scotch.

"You lack rationale, the big picture, and you are narrow-minded. I am tired 
of reading slop like I read from you ...," wrote Brent Woods, one of many 
to romantically link me with Ashcroft.

Brent suggested I save my "bias for fools and idiots that watch Fox News."

And no sooner had Harry Fisher charged me with painting "florid, extreme 
scenarios," but there was this from Richard Nielsen:

"Do you really want to put millions of Americans, including your children, 
at risk of the horrors of our medieval jails and prisons, to be sodomized, 
to lose their teeth and their citizenship and voting rights forever and be 
infected with the AIDS virus ...?," he asked.

At least he said, "Thank you for keeping us thinking."

Many readers cited studies "proving" the harmlessness of cannabis compared 
with alcohol, which wasn't really the issue I'd bitten off to chew on. But 
Scott Burke's assertion sure got my attention.

"Studies have shown that high school students who smoke marijuana are 
statistically, significantly more socially adjusted than their peers who 
have never smoked," he said.

And Pam may have a news story on her hands. "Jack Cole of L.E.A.P. (Law 
Enforcers Against Prohibition) signed up three Seattle Police officers at 
Hempfest," she said.

Cool. And, if true, I'd like to be the first to request an interview, 
please, officers?

In fairness, a gratifying number of calls and messages from readers such as 
Peter Toliver, thoughtfully proposed that parents convey the hard and 
complex truth, not dogma, to kids sorting out a daily barrage of 
intoxicating messages about tobacco and alcohol. I agree.

The truth, Mark Panitch wrote, is that, "as a prosecutor and public 
defender, I handled scads of violent crimes and I estimate that at least 90 
percent of them involved alcohol. I never saw any marijuana users hurt 
themselves or others except by accident."

"You're right. Rather than looking the other way and still having a law on 
the books, we should remove the laws that govern marijuana use," Tim Mendes 
wrote. "But then we'd have to actually take a reasonable look at a 
substance that is no worse, and in some respects better than alcohol."

Then there was this cheery postcard from a Brit who's moving to Seattle 
next week:

Don't fret, Brian Esler soothed. The "wink, wink" policy, known as "softly, 
softly" in London, works swimmingly over there. "Seattle residents have 
nothing to fear."

And neither do you, dear reader. I'll be my old lefty wacko self before you 
know it.

Susan Paynter's column appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom