PuristLove
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2000
- Messages
- 1,694
Do you bitch, moan or otherwise complain about drugs being illegal? Probably so, especially to your other drug using friends. But what have you done to change the laws? My guess is probably nothing. (If you have, I'm not talking to you. YET! Keep reading to learn other ways in which you can help.)
I understand your apathy. Drug laws in my country are so draconian it feels like change will never happen. But that isn't true. In the 1999 Gallup Poll, 74% of Americans were in favor of making marijuana available as medicine. That's an enormous shift in public opinion.
Medical marijuana may not seem like much to you. You probably won't ever benefit directly from it. But it's a start. A tiny crack in the American public's perception that drugs are bad.
Members of the media, notorious for exploiting drugs and drug issues to create sensationalism have begun to question the war. The Economist devoted an entire issue this fall to exposing the Drug War's many flaws.
Another victory here in my country, due entirely to activists, is John Walter's (the recently confirmed Drug Czar) promise to "encourage support for Congressional review of Federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws."
There is a long, hard battle ahead towards fair drug laws, or removal of the Prohibition altogether. But that battle will never be won if we don't get involved. And the more of us that rally around the Drug Law Reform banner, the sooner we win the war on the War on Drugs.
So how do you get started? There are a number of ways. Here are some of the most helpful.
I understand your apathy. Drug laws in my country are so draconian it feels like change will never happen. But that isn't true. In the 1999 Gallup Poll, 74% of Americans were in favor of making marijuana available as medicine. That's an enormous shift in public opinion.
Medical marijuana may not seem like much to you. You probably won't ever benefit directly from it. But it's a start. A tiny crack in the American public's perception that drugs are bad.
Members of the media, notorious for exploiting drugs and drug issues to create sensationalism have begun to question the war. The Economist devoted an entire issue this fall to exposing the Drug War's many flaws.
Another victory here in my country, due entirely to activists, is John Walter's (the recently confirmed Drug Czar) promise to "encourage support for Congressional review of Federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws."
There is a long, hard battle ahead towards fair drug laws, or removal of the Prohibition altogether. But that battle will never be won if we don't get involved. And the more of us that rally around the Drug Law Reform banner, the sooner we win the war on the War on Drugs.
So how do you get started? There are a number of ways. Here are some of the most helpful.
- Visit The Lindesmith Organization. They are one of the most well equipped, pro drug law reform organizations in the world. Donate money to them if you have it, or become a member. Explore their web-site. It contains numerous resources, including an area that will help you find out what you can dolocally. Sign up for their newsletter as it will help you with the next step.
- Get informed. Learn about the issues, find out what's being voted on locally and nationally, and who stands where. A good place to start is the book Drug War Heresies by Robert MacCoun. He examines the issue from an agnostic standpoint, and presents all the evidence. It’s a good place to get armed for battle. Other resources are your local and national periodicals, and the many pro-drug sites on the internet. Now that you have your ammunition…
- Write. There are two places you need to get letters to in a hurry.
The first is your political representatives. For Americans this means your state government, as well as the President, your Senators and your Congressmen. You can find out who these people are and how to contact them here: http://www.berkshire.net/7Eifas/activist/index1.html.
When writing them, number your points (#1, #2, #3…
, and request that they respond to each number in order. This can help your letter to be read by the actual recipient and not his or her assistant, and prevent you from getting back a form letter that doesn't address your issues. Be careful how you word things, and make sure that you can back up any of your claims with facts.
The second, and maybe more important place to write is the editor of your local paper. The editorials are one of the most widely read parts of the paper, and can have a huge influence on the readers. You can write in response to a particular article, or just on the subject of the drug war, or a particular drug war issue. Try to use good grammar and keep it under two hundred words.
Something to keep in mind when writing to the editor is that the preferred style is called pyramid. Basically, you want to make your main point in the first sentence and then let each sentence thereafter back it up. A good pyramid structured letter or article can be cut at any point and still make sense.
The letters with the best chance of getting published are those that are short, pyramid, and well-written without bogus claims or attacking positions. Use facts not anger to make your point. - And most importantly tell a friend, convince a parent, and help someone else get started being an activist. Drug law reform will be won by word of mouth and grassroots campaigning. The sooner we get started the sooner we'll be free. The movement that got the unfair racial discrimination laws changed began when one little lady decided she wouldn't get up for a white man.
