Posted November 29th, 2009 by hiwayhowie
Albany Herald (GA): November 27, 2009
As a retired police detective, I know how futile all the efforts of the ADDU are and I pray they never get hurt. My colleague Bill Berry and all officers know that every drug dealer arrested is quickly replaced. Despite 40 years of drug war, drugs are cheaper, stronger and easier to buy. When I was a student at Dougherty High School in 1969, marijuana was very hard to find. Now, anyone in Albany can easily buy heroin, coke and all illegal drugs with one or two phone calls. I would dispute Berry’s claim about the unit being self-funded. His unit does not seize enough money to pay for the prison time of those he arrests. That heavy burden is borne by the taxpayers of Georgia.
Will we ever become as wise as our grandparents and end this modern prohibition?
Howard Woolridge
EDITOR’S NOTE: Howard Wooldridge is a retired police officer from Michigan and a 1969 graduate of Dougherty High School who is a drug policy specialist with Citizens Opposing Prohibition in Buckeystown, Md.
Posted November 29th, 2009 by hiwayhowie
Howard on the Hill
Stories from the week of November 13, 2009
The Empire Strikes Back: On Tuesday I attended a strategy meeting on the Webb Commission Bill (S-714). The rebels led by Princess Jennifer Stitt of FAMM (www.famm.org) informed us that the storm troopers of the Empire had forced the good King Webb to accept substantial changes to his bill or face ruin.
Typical of the storm troopers demands, this in the section on ‘changes in oversight, policies and laws designed to:’ (2) – reduce the overall incarceration rate through effective enforcement and prevention strategies.- In other words the more effective storm troopers are, the fewer citizens would go to jail. The Rebels will urge Webb to insert the word ‘punishment’ after the phrase ‘effective enforcement.’ And that boys and girls, is how sausage* is made.
Band of Brothers: On Wednesday Karen and I flew out early to the Drug Policy Alliance (www.drugpolicy.org) bi-ennial*, international conference in Albuquerque, NM. This was my fifth conference and Karen’s second. About 1000 committed reformers received excellent information in the many sessions, renewed old friendships and created a few new ones.
Why we fight: Enjoying an offsite Mexican lunch with our friends Bob & Rita Wiley of Colorado the raison d’être of our efforts & the pain of current policy revealed itself.
We were wearing our MOMS say, DADS say, COPS say legalize pot t-shirts. A mature woman approached and asked how we could legalize pot. Her story – she had a crippling, painful back condition for which she had discovered that marijuana was the perfect medicine. I responded she was in luck because New Mexico was a state that had legal medical MJ. She shook her head. ‘My husband has a top secret clearance. He is already outside because he does not want to be seen with you and the shirts. He feels his clearance would be revoked, if his wife took MJ, even legally.’
Our hearts screamed at the injustice and pain this woman suffered everyday. I told her I was working hard at the federal level to allow God’s medicine to be as normal as aspirin for all US citizens. She thanked us for our efforts and disappeared from our lives.
*sausage > hier = Gesetze *
biennial = jeder zwei Jahre
Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 per year. Add your voice to those who agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.
Thank you, Howard
Make checks payable to:
Citizens Opposing Prohibition Inc
PO Box 772 Buckeystown, MD 21717-0772
817-975-1110 Modern Prohibition/The War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional & immoral domestic policy since slavery & Jim Crow.
Posted November 29th, 2009 by hiwayhowie
Howard on the Hill
Stories from the week of November 6, 2009
The ostrich from Iowa: 5 term senator from Iowa – Republica Chuck Grassley this week offered the following amendment to the Webb Commission Bill (a comprehensive review of all criminal justice laws and procedures):
‘RESTRICTIONS ON AUTHORITY.
The Commission shall have no authority to make findings related to current Federal, State, and local criminal justice policies and practices or reform recommendations that involve, support, or otherwise discuss the decriminalization of any offense under the Controlled Substances Act or the legalization of any controlled substance listed under the Controlled Substances Act.’
In other words let the Commission do everything except discuss the primary reason (drug prohibition) for 70% of felony crime in America. Here you see the power of the lobbyists for law enforcement. As I said, now it gets ugly…. And despicable.
NOTE: by asking legislative aides who are friendly, they have confirmed that the police lobby blocks any movement away from prohibition…more than any other pressure group.
Box of chocolates: I love my job for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is not knowing what will happen when I sit down with a legislative aide. (like making a traffic stop as a cop & never knowing how the citizen will act/react). This week I was finishing my 10 months of work in the House, dropping off 5 minutes of reading to those aides who refused to meet.
I was happily surprised when one aide asked me to come back in 10 minutes, in order to have a full presentation. Wow! We ended up chatting for one hour, during which we were joined by another staffer. This office wants to take the lead in sponsoring a decriminalization program like Portugal and Mexico. I have supplied her with the list of friendly offices.
Previously, this aide had canceled a scheduled appointment and then did not respond to a phone call and two emails. She was busy but then made time. Like a box of chocoloates, you never know what you are going to get.
Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 per year. Add your voice to those who agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.
Posted November 7th, 2009 by hiwayhowie
Howard on the Hill
Stories from the week of October 30, 2009
I don’t know my audience any more: On Monday in New York City Karen and I were part of the 300 person audience for the taping of the Daily Show with John Stewart. We were wearing our legalize t-shirts and sure enough the warm-up comic noticed and that resulted in a 90 second conversation with all 300 listening.
When John came out for the pre-show question and answer time, I was the first called upon. I asked a question if the Nobel Committee had given President Obama the peace prize in order to influence future American foreign policy decisions. John’s reaction was WTF!!!!* After responding, he slowly read outloud my ‘legalize drugs’ shirt and asked me why. We had an excellent 45 second conversation. Two of his staff asked for my business card and I gave it to two others. Whatever happens, it was a hoot.*
When he started the show, he stated, “I don’t know my audience any more.”
Breaking Bread: While visiting Niagara Falls (Karen for the first time), John Gayder, one of LEAP’s Founding Five and current serving police officer, treated us to dinner and a good chat. John left the Board of Directors this past January for personal reasons. He is missed on all levels.
A day later we treated Epping, New Hampshire – 11 year veteran police officer Brad Jardis to lunch. Since appearing in the state’s largest newspaper this past spring, he has been harassed and bullied by command, no doubt to pressure him into quitting. This man’s quiet strength is an inspiration to me and all of our profession. His chief just suspended him for 10 days…time to figure out what to do next.
It is marijuana policy stupid!! Last fall Eric Sterling, my mentor and President of Criminal Justice Policy Foundation (www.cjpf.org) wrote a memo to all in reform urging a focus on marijuana prohibition. It occurred to me only this month that I am no longer bound by LEAP’s directive to ask for a bill to repeal all drug prohibition at one time. Thus, I am following Eric’s advice. While COPs keeps an eye to the eventual repeal of all federal drug prohibition, going forward into 2010, I will focus like a laser on marijuana. I have changed my foto on all emails (see below) to reflect that.
*WTF = What the Fu..!!! = was für eine Frage ist das!!!
*hoot = hat Spaß gemacht
Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 per year. Add your voice to those who agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.
Thank you,
Howard
Make checks payable to:
Citizens Opposing Prohibition Inc
PO Box 772
Buckeystown, MD 21717-0772
Officer Howard Wooldridge (retired)
Drug Policy Specialist, COP – www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org
Washington, DC
817-975-1110 Cell
howard@citizensopposingprohibition.org
Posted October 23rd, 2009 by hiwayhowie
Howard on the Hill
Stories from the week of October 23, 2009
Now it gets ugly:* I attended one of many strategy sessions to move the Webb Commission Bill onto the President’s desk. The woman who is coordinating reported that law enforcement groups were lobbying Members hard to defeat the bill. Others at the table made suggestions on how my profession might be persuaded to accept or promote the bill. I shook my head.
I related my 30 minute meeting my first month on the job in December 2005 with the FOP –Fraternal Order of Police. LE – Law Enforcement lobbyists are simply doing their job (looking out for the best interests of their members)…which is what all lobbyists do. The good of the country, etc is completely unimportant. LE will lose buckets of money and jobs will be lost permanently, when we repeal prohibition. These lobbyists are not ignorant nor evil, just doing what their members want.
Secondarily and still important, LE does not want to wake up one day and realize that all the deaths, injuries & corruption the profession has suffered meant nothing in the big picture.* Of course this will happen one day, just as soldiers from Viet Nam woke up to such a jarring* reality.
The wind at our back: This week we all celebrated President Obama’s written instructions to federal LE; essentially no time spent to seek and arrest those who use, produce or sell cannabis for medicinal purposes in the 14 states which have a legal, regulated system. This is a tremendous change for those patients who continued to fear that federal officers would invade their homes, arrest them and take away their children. Bravo Obama….and the thousands who have labored for nearly 40 years to see this moment. A moment of silence for those who fell before seeing this day. Think Susan B. Anthony.
Website: The COP website is now done. Please take a look and feedback is always welcome. My deepest thanks and gratitude to Dwight Maskew of Colorado. As a volunteer, he used his knowledge and sense of style to put it together and then walked me thru how to maintain it, etc. Go to: https://www.citizensopposingprohibition.org/
Personal note: Karen and I are off to Niagara Falls and into Canada next week. Next chapter in this saga will be on November 6.
*ugly = hier – übel
*jarring = störend
*big picture = allgemeine Bedeutung des Lebens?? …doch sehr schwierig zu übersetzen
Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 per year. Add your voice to those who agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.
Thank you,
Howard
Make checks payable to:
Citizens Opposing Prohibition Inc
PO Box 772
Buckeystown, MD 21717-0772
Officer Howard Wooldridge (retired)
Drug Policy Specialist, COP – www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org
Washington, DC
817-975-1110 Cell
howard@citizensopposingprohibition.org
Citizens Opposing Prohibition – Become a Member
PO Box 772
Buckeystown, MD 21717-0772
