Pubdate: Sat, 13 Dec 2008 Source: Hi-Desert Star (Yucca Valley, CA) Copyright: 2008 Hi Desert Star Contact: http://www.hidesertstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3921 Author: Lori Green Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) POT ADVOCATES SHOW DANGEROUS LACK OF CONCERN I am the one who spoke on behalf of Desert Ballet Center at the Town Council meeting Thursday night regarding their dissatisfaction f the medical marijuana facility located next to a business serving our community children for over 20 years. I was booed for my speaking. Now, others probably would have crumbled at this (after all, I am 42 years old and was a public speaker in college), but one thing I don't do is give in when I fight a battle. What the booers did, their act of disrespect for others, is why they should not be allowed anywhere near a business with children involved. If they would publicly try to humiliate a speaker of our community as well as show a blatant disrespect to our Town Council rules, why would any of the medical marijuana users show common courtesy while driving in a parking lot where young children are readily coming and going for afternoon activities? They decided to "hoop and holler" as though they were attending a backyard concert. They drive through our parking lot with that same careless enthusiasm on their way to see their vendor for their so-called "herbal cure." The children of this community deserve respect as does a business serving our community for so many years. (The medical marijuana business) specifically chose its location due to its privacy, but failed to consider our youth at risk. They claim our children are more at risk at Wal-Mart or while doing karate than they are less than three feet from a medical marijuana office, yet they also say they have two security doors needed to enter their facility. They claim our community needs their tax revenues and if crime sparks, we should just add another officer to the force, but they never consider those affected by the crime brought in. The officers can only solve a crime committed, they cannot guarantee it won't happen. I put back to them the words so many of them reiterated: "What if it was your family member?" What if your child was at risk next door? Ah, but then again, none of them take time away from their pain and suffering to view the rest of us just trying to raise our kids safely in a small-town community. What they failed to hear in my speech is I am not against them per say. I am against their chosen location. As stated earlier, I will fight this battle even if it is alone. I plan to keep speaking, so by all means keep booing. After all, I can practice so I sound better when I speak, but a heckler always sounds the same. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom