Pubdate: Wed, 08 Dec 2004
Source: Tribune Review (Pittsburgh, PA)
Copyright: 2004 Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://triblive.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/460
Author: Mark Crowley
Cited: Drug Policy Alliance http://www.drugpolicy.org
Related: http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/ford112604.cfm

SUBCONTRACTING OPPRESSION

"By countersigning this grant letter, you agree that your organization
will not promote or engage in violence, terrorism, bigotry or the
destruction of any State, nor will it make sub-grants to any entity
that engages in such activities."

The Drug Policy Alliance, a medical marijuana advocacy group, turned
down a Ford Foundation grant because federal pressure imposed the
above grant application wording.

DPA declined not because the terminally ill are murderous terrorists,
but because the federal view has become so broad, anything is game.

Why care about the terminally ill?

Because they are canaries in the mine.

Imagine banks and insurance companies pressured to put similar
requirements and costs on business that sell or repair firearms, on
landlords who don't prohibit tenants' guns, on buyers of homes, cars
and health insurance who don't pledge to be gun-free.

An unholy alliance of the anti-gun left and the anti-drug right is
forming under a bipartisan tent. It sidesteps the Constitution by
subcontracting oppression to its licensees.

Maybe that's why government considers the terminally ill more
dangerous than millions of illegal border crossers.

Mark Crowley

Plum
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake