HT: Re: Meth Bill/Free Speech
Richard Lake rlake@mapinc.org
At 09:07 AM 06/11/2000 -0500, Robert Goodman, writing on DRCTalk, wrote: The Meth act as written won't last a minute in the Supreme Court. That's one reason I don't get too upset about it. It looks more like something to divert our attention than something we can do anything about at this stage.
Oh, for....
Robert, what exactly is worthy of our attention?
How do you suggest we spend our time? Just discussing what we shouldn't waste our time on on this list?
I am just glad that your's is not a majority opinion!
Every major organization I know of, DRCNet, MAP, NORML, DPF, ACLU, and many others believe that these bills are worthy of some attention now.
As do many advocates of free speach that may well not even agree with us on all our issues.
Including a number of editors, columnists and reporters.
Today's most read item at MAP, with thousands of hits, is on this issue. Columnist Alan W. Bock wrote MAKING WAR ON FREE SPEECH which is at www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...7/a01.html
How greatly will it "divert our attention" to call or visit our congresspersons to let them know how we feel about the issue?
Or, perhaps, even write a Letter to the Editor of a few newspapers about it?
Or should we all just be armchair activists - all talk and no action?
Perhaps there are a few actvists so busy on other important projects that they can not take the time to take any action now on this issue. I can understand that!
Or perhaps some would just as soon wait for a DA to come knocking with the law in hand, and spend the money then rather than take a little time now. Who am I to say?
But I, and everyone I know (except you, Robert), believe that acting now is NOT diverting our attention!
Listen to what Rachel King, ACLU of National Capital Area, said about the Meth bill at the DPF conference:
www.zoomculture.com/gener...enary.html
Oh, and just last week another bill, H.R.4553, the Club Drug Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000, with similar anti-free speach paragraphs, was introduced. You may read it at: thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bd...h.r.04553:
I have already talked to my congresswoman about this one, too! I print and mail her editorials and OPEDs that express concern about these bills (both to her local office and the one in D.C.) along with a short note. I believe it helps her to understand that others are rightly concerned.
Here are links to a few more of the many media opinions about these bills, and why it is worthy of our action:
US: Column: Knowledge Control
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...5/a05.html
US: OPED: Drug-war Casualties
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...0/a02.html
US: What Are They Smoking?
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...7/a01.html
US TX: Editorial: Basic Freedoms The Next Victim Of The War On
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...9/a08.html
US: Editorial: The Anti-Meth Bill
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...5/a03.html
US CA: Column: Bill Is A Sneak Attack On Our Digital Liberties
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...4/a07.html
US CA: Editorial: Free Speech And Meth
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...2/a07.html
US FL: Editorial: Drug Bill Threatens Right To Free Speech
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...0/a02.html
US: Web: House Bill Would Ban Drug Instructions
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...8/a08.html
US: Web: Bill Criminalizes Drug Links
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...2/a09.html
US: Web: Speed Limit
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...7/a03.html
Richard Lake
Sr. Editor; DrugNews
More than 38,466 Drug-Related News Clippings in a powerful searchable database!
www.mapinc.org/drugnews/
We Get Published
More than 3,764 published letters:
www.mapinc.org/lte/
Richard Lake rlake@mapinc.org
At 09:07 AM 06/11/2000 -0500, Robert Goodman, writing on DRCTalk, wrote: The Meth act as written won't last a minute in the Supreme Court. That's one reason I don't get too upset about it. It looks more like something to divert our attention than something we can do anything about at this stage.
Oh, for....
Robert, what exactly is worthy of our attention?
How do you suggest we spend our time? Just discussing what we shouldn't waste our time on on this list?
I am just glad that your's is not a majority opinion!
Every major organization I know of, DRCNet, MAP, NORML, DPF, ACLU, and many others believe that these bills are worthy of some attention now.
As do many advocates of free speach that may well not even agree with us on all our issues.
Including a number of editors, columnists and reporters.
Today's most read item at MAP, with thousands of hits, is on this issue. Columnist Alan W. Bock wrote MAKING WAR ON FREE SPEECH which is at www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...7/a01.html
How greatly will it "divert our attention" to call or visit our congresspersons to let them know how we feel about the issue?
Or, perhaps, even write a Letter to the Editor of a few newspapers about it?
Or should we all just be armchair activists - all talk and no action?
Perhaps there are a few actvists so busy on other important projects that they can not take the time to take any action now on this issue. I can understand that!
Or perhaps some would just as soon wait for a DA to come knocking with the law in hand, and spend the money then rather than take a little time now. Who am I to say?
But I, and everyone I know (except you, Robert), believe that acting now is NOT diverting our attention!
Listen to what Rachel King, ACLU of National Capital Area, said about the Meth bill at the DPF conference:
www.zoomculture.com/gener...enary.html
Oh, and just last week another bill, H.R.4553, the Club Drug Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000, with similar anti-free speach paragraphs, was introduced. You may read it at: thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bd...h.r.04553:
I have already talked to my congresswoman about this one, too! I print and mail her editorials and OPEDs that express concern about these bills (both to her local office and the one in D.C.) along with a short note. I believe it helps her to understand that others are rightly concerned.
Here are links to a few more of the many media opinions about these bills, and why it is worthy of our action:
US: Column: Knowledge Control
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...5/a05.html
US: OPED: Drug-war Casualties
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...0/a02.html
US: What Are They Smoking?
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...7/a01.html
US TX: Editorial: Basic Freedoms The Next Victim Of The War On
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...9/a08.html
US: Editorial: The Anti-Meth Bill
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...5/a03.html
US CA: Column: Bill Is A Sneak Attack On Our Digital Liberties
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...4/a07.html
US CA: Editorial: Free Speech And Meth
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...2/a07.html
US FL: Editorial: Drug Bill Threatens Right To Free Speech
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...0/a02.html
US: Web: House Bill Would Ban Drug Instructions
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...8/a08.html
US: Web: Bill Criminalizes Drug Links
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...2/a09.html
US: Web: Speed Limit
URL: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v...7/a03.html
Richard Lake
Sr. Editor; DrugNews
More than 38,466 Drug-Related News Clippings in a powerful searchable database!
www.mapinc.org/drugnews/
We Get Published
More than 3,764 published letters:
www.mapinc.org/lte/
