Posted January 9th, 2023 by hiwayhowie
Best Week in nearly 3 Years: Due to a DC connection, I was again invited to a Gas & Oil energy conference this week which was two days long. I was able to have brief chats** with seven (7) Congress Members and 2 assistants. This plus staff from the German, French, Danish and Brazil embassies. The last speaker was a Member of the German Parliament and we also had a solid chat on the last day, auf Deutsch natürlich.
| Happy To See Me, he was: I about never put in the newsletter my fairly routine street chats, when someone asks why legalize heroin. An Exception:
I pulled up to the line at the Costco gas pumps and got out to clean up my interior of misc. trash. The 25 y/o next immediately rolled down his window and said,” God, I love your shirt!! How do I get one?” I got out a few words before he cut me off and continued, ‘legalize would destroy the Cartels! It would reduce the killings in big cities! It would give you guys more time to do important shit!! I just started law school and a buddy explained all this a few weeks ago.’
I thanked him for being well-informed, gave him my business card and wished him luck at law school… irony – when all drugs are legalized/regulated, there will be 1000s of unemployed defense attorneys, as crime drops thru the floor.
Weekly Activities:
335 personal chats with a Member of Congress… 07 this week – Congressmen Michael Burgess (R-TX); Randy Weber (R-TX), Bice (R-OK; Johnson (R-OH); Jeff Duncan (R-SC); Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Congresswoman Debbie Lasko (R-AZ)
434 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc 5 this week
3815 Presentations to Congressional staffers… 02 this week…
96 Radio Interviews: 01 this week; WKOK in Pennsylvania
32 major conferences attended – (UN drug conference, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, Republican Annual Retreat etc.) 01 this week (Third Annual Energy Transition)
** My pitch to the Members: ‘ As a retired detective, I represent a small segment of law enforcement that believe; If one day you have a drug problem, see a doctor at a clinic. For 2023 plz talk to Nancy Mace of South Carolina. She has the finest, marijuana bill I have seen in my years on the Hill. Last, thanks for opening the doors in January.
As the meeting was off the record, I cannot say exactly what one said to me. The were words of thanks to remind him of the need to medicalize the issue versus ‘keep locking them up.’
COP stats since inception: August 2009
209 interviews and reports in minor media …0 this week
107 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media. 0 This week
44 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
Blaze TV {new, popular right-wing}, (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR, German, Swiss, French, Spanish TV and radio) Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Grand Rapids Press + 9 other MI papers. Chicago Tribune, Honolulu Star Advertiser {foto and caption}, Reason Magazine, Reuters
Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
* Consider being a member of COP at $40 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 40 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. Law Enforcement’s voice in opposition to current policy is vital on the Hill to achieve a repeal of federal drug prohibition. COP provides that voice. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
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Posted September 25th, 2022 by hiwayhowie
The Good: I had an excellent two hours at the Grover Norquist meeting, having small chats with 3 Republican candidates running for the House and Senate.
The Bad: The last 100 offices in the Congress I have not done, will not ever respond to my request of a meeting.
The Ugly: due to power politics, no meaningful drug reform legislation will see Biden’s’ desk the first two years. “Staking out a position” has become more important than a 90% win. MPP, NORML and DPA support the “stake out a position” being more important than a 90% win. Quite, quite discouraging.
So,…the cowboy is going on vacation, minus three meetings. On the 9/30, I have a meeting in Berlin with a German BKA (FBI) agent and understand better the German initiative to legalize cannabis in 2023 and any law enforcement objections. On October 11 I will have a two hour meeting with a govt official of the Swiss Health Ministry to go over the latest changes in their Heroin Assisted Treatment program. We will also discuss their baby step in Basel, where 370 Swiss citizens (only) will be buying marijuana by year’s end. Plz don’t ask now why only 370…I will ask the official (en français) in October.
The next day I will again meet with one of the architects of the HAT program, Dr. Bürki now in private practice, for his take on Swiss programs for drug reform. That meeting will be auf Deutsch.
PS: to all COP supporters and funders – a heartfelt thanks to all of you for sticking with COP these past two, very difficult, trying years. Come January, I will start over again and make contact and meetings with all 535..there will be a major turnover in Members. If the Rs take the House, they will open up the House to the public on Day One. If Nancy remains in charge, I fear she will continue to have closed doors.
| Weekly Activities:
424 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc 03 this week
3813 Presentations to Congressional staffers… 00 this week…
Meetings: 3.. Grover Norquist and two more in Switzerland in October
COP stats since inception: August 2009
335 personal chats with a Member of Congress… 0 this week
209 interviews and reports in minor media …0 this week….interviewed by documentary crew making film about Burning Man
107 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media. 0 This week
95 Radio Interviews…
44 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
Blaze TV {new, popular right-wing}, (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR, German, Swiss, French, Spanish TV and radio) Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Grand Rapids Press + 9 other MI papers. Chicago Tribune, Honolulu Star Advertiser {foto and caption}, Reason Magazine, Reuters
31 major conferences attended – (UN drug conference, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, Republican Annual Retreat etc.) 0 this week
Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
* Consider being a member of COP at $40 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 40 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. Law Enforcement’s voice in opposition to current policy is vital on the Hill to achieve a repeal of federal drug prohibition. COP provides that voice. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
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Posted September 25th, 2022 by hiwayhowie
Frustration: The House and Senate office buildings have been closed to citizen lobbyists like me since March of 2020…Nancy dropped the mask requirement in the spring of this year. Per my Member, she is still afraid of an insurrection, despite now having a President who would not let that happen. Until I am allowed back in the buildings, I am unable to do an adequate job.
Plz do what I just did. Tell your Members to urge Nancy and Chuck to allow the public back into the buildings.
Regarding the last missive, COP member William Maner has an excellent analysis of why former addicts often oppose legalize/regulate…at the bottom..thanks William.
| Weekly Activities:
335 personal chats with a Member of Congress… 01this week – CMan Anthony Brown, (MD-D)
3813 Presentations to Congressional staffers… 02 this week…
Meetings: 3 .. Grover Norquist (2)…town hall meeting with candidate for MD Attorney General
COP stats since inception: August 2009
421 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc
209 interviews and reports in minor media …0 this week….interviewed by documentary crew making film about Burning Man
107 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media. 0 This week
95 Radio Interviews…
44 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
Blaze TV {new, popular right-wing}, (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR, German, Swiss, French, Spanish TV and radio) Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Grand Rapids Press + 9 other MI papers. Chicago Tribune, Honolulu Star Advertiser {foto and caption}, Reason Magazine, Reuters
31 major conferences attended – (UN drug conference, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, Republican Annual Retreat etc.) 0 this week
Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
* Consider being a member of COP at $40 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 40 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. Law Enforcement’s voice in opposition to current policy is vital on the Hill to achieve a repeal of federal drug prohibition. COP provides that voice. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
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Hi, Howard:
My understanding is that many so-called “former” addicts (sometimes referred to as “non-using” addicts) have been so heavily indoctrinated in treatment programs, and sometimes also by a few misguided church pastors that misapply the Bible, that the former drug-users actually believe that drug use is a reprehensible act that should only and always be punished – a “crime” or a “sin”. But that attitude flies in the face of reality, whether you are coming from a medical or a moral angle:
1.) From a medical perspective, as you know, addiction is a disease, and people should not be harassed, persecuted, prosecuted, and incarcerated, or forced to receive treatment, for their own medical afflictions, any more than a diabetic should.
2.) From a moral perspective (at least from a Christian perspective), the Bible teaches MODERATION in “addictive” activities, which could include nicotine (tobacco), drugs, alcohol, excessive/obsessive use of electronics devices, sexual addiction, adrenaline addiction (race-car driving, free-climbing mountains, roller coasters, bungee jumping), the acquisition and pursuit of money, quest for power, etc.
There is nothing inherently criminal or sinful about any of those listed activities. God only says that EXCESSIVE engagement in those activities is a sin (Ephesians 5:18; and 1 Peter 4:3). Christ Himself made wine from water, so clearly He had no problem with drinking (John 2:7-11), which is a drug. Overindulgence, in anything, is the only moral issue the Bible points out, especially with regard to drugs.
But the “former” addicts often get an air of superiority, looking down their noses at still-using addicts. The reason: “Why don’t they just give up the drugs like I did?”, “I have no sympathy for people like that”, “If I had to quit using the drugs, then so should they – and if they don’t quit using drugs, then they are low-lives that just need to be punished”, “Punishing some people is the only way to MAKE them learn!”, etc.
I think it stems from the fact that the former users came to see their own selves as “bad” when using drugs in their past, so now they hypocritically take it out on those addicts who still use, and anything which the former-user (wrongly) interprets as “permissive” use of drugs (e.g. legalization, decriminalization) is an abomination to that thinking. In some ways, the former addict can be just as staunchly hypocritical, judgmental, intolerant, and condemning of drug use as can a traditional Prohibitionist!
Just my take on it…
William
