Posted on 09/23/2002 8:56:33 AM PDT by Commie Basher
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NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY
2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100
Washington DC 20037
World Wide Web: http://www.LP.org
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For release: September 23, 2002
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For additional information:
George Getz, Press Secretary
Phone: (202) 333-0008 Ext. 222
E-Mail: pressreleases@hq.LP.org
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Libertarians urge California Gov. Gray Davis to protect medical marijuana patients from federal agents
SACRAMENTO, CA -- Should California Governor Gray Davis call out the National Guard to defend medical marijuana patients from federal agents? That's the question Libertarians will be asking today as thousands of medical marijuana advocates descend on the state Capitol in Sacramento to send the federal government a message.
"The National Guard is charged with defending lives and property when disaster strikes – and the federal raids on medical marijuana clinics have been a complete disaster," said Libertarian Party Political Director Ron Crickenberger, who is attending the rally.
"These DEA bullies with badges have ransacked clinics, brutalized helpless, dying people, and trampled state law. Now the only question is whether Davis will live up to his responsibilities as the state's chief law enforcement officer or continue to kowtow to the federal government."
Agents from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration have raided dozens of marijuana clinics over the past few months, despite the fact that the possession, use, and cultivation of medical marijuana was legalized statewide with the passage of Proposition 215 in 1996. But now Californians are fighting back. Santa Cruz and other localities are making "medipot" available during public rallies at City Hall as protesters chant, "DEA, go away!"
Monday's Medical Cannabis Freedom Day rally, which kicks off at noon on the south steps of the Capitol, was created as a way for medical marijuana supporters statewide to demand an end to federal interference.
But will calling out the National Guard be necessary? Libertarians hope not.
"No such confrontation would be needed if Davis and Attorney General Bill Lockyer had the backbone to speak out more forcefully against this unwarranted federal intrusion," Crickenberger said. "Davis has asked the federal government to stop the raids. And last week, Lockyer sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and DEA head Asa Hutchinson 'questioning the ethical basis' for the raids.
"But meekly asking the DEA to stop hasn't worked. Davis and Lockyer should publicly and unequivocally demand that the raids stop. They should remind Ashcroft and Hutchinson that their boss, President George Bush, pledged during the campaign to 'respect states' rights' on medical marijuana. And they should inform the federal government that any future harassment of medical marijuana patients will be treated as an assault under state law.
"If Davis lacks the courage to stand up to the federal bully when lives are at stake, he should have the decency to resign."
Other groups participating in the rally include the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP); the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML); Students for a Sensible Drug Policy; and the Drug Policy Alliance. Organizers are also demanding a federal pardon for Bryan Epis, a Libertarian Party member who faces 10 years in prison for cultivating medical marijuana.
You give yourself away stooge. It's nice to know that you concider the mere mention of their names in association with yours to be an attack. LOL
I never said anything bad about them in that post except you were like them. I guess you admit that is a piss poor thing. Funny stuff.
Do us all a favor, keep your private life, private. No one's interested in what you choose to do with your hands, peewee. And no one's interested in your lying cavalcade of childish antics you feel so compelled to display in public. Besides, Hitler was a libertarian.
LOL, great stuff kid. You do your cause, whatever it is, a great disservice. LOL
Thanks, peewee.
This just goes to show the fringe element involved.
Since Republicans blame Libertarians for loss of the Senate, it seems the LP is certainly relevant. You may not like the LP, but you ignore its concerns are your electoral peril!
I don't know any conservative, or Republican who blames the LP for the GOP losing the Senate.
>>>... it seems the LP is certainly relevant. You may not like the LP, but you ignore its concerns are your electoral peril!
The LP remains inconsequential in national elections and the vast majority of state and local elections too. Since 1980 when LP candidate Ed Clark received 921K votes (1.1%), it's all been downhill from there. The LP has been D.O.A. for years.
There comes a point, when everything you say is so stupid and baseless, that other Freepers know to ignore you because your posts are utterly false and without merit.
You, Illbay, are far beyond that point.
Other FReepers AGREE with me.
Well said. Freedom of choice, states rights, right to privacy, safe and secure in our homes and property, are all antiquated concepts of the past with no place in "modern American politics." What causes these Libertarians to hold dear these ancient principles of freedom defies "modern" logic.
Moreover, it is past time these Libertarians accept the fact that the fed.gov knows what is best for "modern society today." Surely all matters pertaining to the lives of today's citizens are best determined by the fed.gov. from Washington. The audacity of the citizens of California to believe they have a right to vote in defiance of what the fed.gov has already determined to be detrimental to "modern society." Obviously, these folks in Ca. have been playing in the sun far too long. We should nuke California to make an example for other states before this non sense of local citizens deciding and voting for themselves what is best for them in defiance fed.gov policy spreads to other states and other localities.
Stupid Libertarians still beieving they can make a difference in a return to a free society. Unbelieveable. They should give up and they should give up now.
<(ok, sarc off :)>
So you must be right while the citizen voters in California obviously got it wrong. And you're absolutely correct, you and those who agree with you should be the decision makers in such matters. It is increasingly apparent that those citizens in California do not have the faculty to understand what is best for them. Therefore, matters such as these are best left to folks like Illbay supported and enforced by the fed.gov.
(No sarcasm intended)
You mean like in California where civilized law abiding citizens voted a referendum established in law, where now the fed.gov is using force to override their freedom vote? Is that the free and open society to which you are referring? Perhaps you don't consider the citizens of California as civilized law abiding folk? Therefore, their votes don't count? Seems to me, it's your regime that lacks civility and dishonors the vote of the people.
Yepper, your regime sounds free and open to me. Heck, the majority vote of civilized folks don't even count in your regime. Why the law abiding citizens of Ca. just didn't stay home that day is beyond me. I guess they figured their vote would count. What a bunch of idiots.
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