Pubdate: Thu, 22 May 2008 Source: Muse, The (CN NF Edu) Copyright: 2008 The Muse Contact: http://www.mun.ca/muse/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2656 Author: Russell Barth ANTI-POT MOVEMENT LETTER HATEFUL As one of the top five most-published anti-prohibition letter writers in the world (over 393 since Oct 2003), I can assure you we are not getting our emails blocked for insincerity. Mine don't bounce at all. Since the information we send is easily verified and widely available, journalists are hard pressed to dispute what we say, which is why people at the offices of someone who hasn't even got the testes to use his real name when sending in a letter ("Stoners will flood your inbox", the Muse Vol.58, Issue 24) must resort to name calling and fear-mongering. Stoners: One, Prohibs: Zero. The main thing that gets me about the pot issue is the facts. On one hand, prohibitionists and cops and so on get to repeatedly spout out-dated and widely debunked balderdash as fact,and the public just simply believes them. Anyone who dares question the cops gets shouted down by the likes of xxkevinheaven. We (the "stoners") show actual science, history, and fact, and produce reams of documentation to back it. We stick our necks out by talking about this publicly; we challenge un-checked authority, and try to teach the public. We are trying to make the world cleaner and peaceful and more colourful for everyone, not just ourselves, and then WE get called crazy, stupid, lazy, and evil. Remember the article about homosexuals out west that caused all the controversy? Remember the anti-Semitic views of a certain Native leader that had him charged with hate crimes? If such wild and inaccurate accusations were leveled at any other group (Muslims, gays, the handicapped, etc.), there would be an outcry and possibly even litigation. Well, if xxkevinheaven had the guts to show his face and real name in public, I could be willing to consider leveling similar charges against him. He is, in my view, inciting hate and/or discrimination against marijuana users, medical or otherwise. This is the kind of hate-letter that gets people filing complaints with the Human Rights Commission and so on. Is it any wonder that newspapers across the country are being a lot more careful about publishing the mad rants of uninformed hate-mongers? Russell Barth - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin