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Libertarian Party: National Guard Should Protect Medical Marijuana Users from DEA Thugs
Libertarian Party ^ | September 23, 2002 | George Getz

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
===============================

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.


TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: whackjobs
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1 posted on 09/23/2002 8:56:33 AM PDT by Commie Basher
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To: Commie Basher; Orual; aculeus; general_re; BlueLancer
As a Republican, I LOVE these LP press releases. Keep 'em coming.
2 posted on 09/23/2002 8:59:21 AM PDT by dighton
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To: Commie Basher
I oppose the WOD and generally side with the libertarians but I cannot favor this initive if the states use the national guard in this way it would throw the Union into civil war. Thats our last resort...
3 posted on 09/23/2002 8:59:34 AM PDT by weikel
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To: Commie Basher
Ah, yes. The Libertarian's only real principle -- the only one they'll really kill for -- the right to get stoned.

Democrats have abortion as their ultimate litmus test. For Libertarians, it's cannabis.

4 posted on 09/23/2002 9:00:12 AM PDT by LenS
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To: Commie Basher
Finally! Using the National Guard to protect the local people from outsiders. I like it.
5 posted on 09/23/2002 9:02:01 AM PDT by BikerNYC
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To: dighton
Jeez, if the Libertarians want to fight about it so much, they should arm themselves and resist the Evil Government. They remind me a lot of those terrorists hiding out in Arafat's HQ in Ramallah ...

...they're eager enough to send out someone else to resist and become martyrs to the cause, but hypocrites enough not to want to become martyrs themselves.

The Libertarian Party ... if you want your 72 virgins, you're going to have to earn them yourselves.

6 posted on 09/23/2002 9:02:32 AM PDT by BlueLancer
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To: Commie Basher
Further proof that "free drugs" has become THE ONE AND ONLY issue for the Libertine Party.
7 posted on 09/23/2002 9:03:05 AM PDT by Illbay
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To: Commie Basher
Yep, that's all we need. A military clash between a state and the federal government. The next civil war starts over marijuana. While libertarians (small l) have a lot of good ideas, the LP does a good job of discrediting them.
8 posted on 09/23/2002 9:09:25 AM PDT by Darth Reagan
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To: dighton
Everybody must get stoned....
9 posted on 09/23/2002 9:10:40 AM PDT by Catspaw
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To: Illbay
Read this little paragraph about the Libs from a website about The Libertarian Party and note my bold:

But in general, libertarians combine the strong defense of individual civil liberties, due process, social tolerance (religous, lifestyle choices, etc.), open immigration, and nonconformity espoused by modern day "liberals" with an equally strong defense of free markets, private property, free trade, radically reduced government and international noninterventionism often espoused by conservatives.

They are not only for pot but OPEN IMMIGRATION!" I didn't realize that!

10 posted on 09/23/2002 9:10:44 AM PDT by PhiKapMom
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To: weikel
As has been amply demonstrated in many of the wars we've fought, some things are worth fighting for. And the level of unconstitutional federal reach into every aspect of our lives might be getting to that point. The question: how much are we willing to take before reacting to it?
11 posted on 09/23/2002 9:13:48 AM PDT by Emile
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To: PhiKapMom
>>>They are not only for pot but OPEN IMMIGRATION!" I didn't realize that!

Oh yeah!

12 posted on 09/23/2002 9:14:21 AM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: PhiKapMom
They also oppose welfare and anti-discrimination laws, without which there would be far less immigration.
13 posted on 09/23/2002 9:15:56 AM PDT by SteamshipTime
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To: dighton
And I LOVE these LP releases as well....DEA agents are THUGS in their world...The LP is FUNNIER than anything one could invent...
14 posted on 09/23/2002 9:16:01 AM PDT by Moby Grape
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To: Reagan Man
Wonder what the people on here that oppose immigration think of the Libs? Or did they not know?
15 posted on 09/23/2002 9:17:11 AM PDT by PhiKapMom
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Libertarianism = organized anarchy.

libertarianism = unorganized anarchy.

16 posted on 09/23/2002 9:17:50 AM PDT by Reagan Man
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To: SteamshipTime
Without welfare we'd get only the good ones. Our welfare brats would leave for socialist countries. Pity.

M

17 posted on 09/23/2002 9:18:22 AM PDT by AzJP
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To: Illbay
Illbay, legal DOPE is not their only issue...hiding our heads in the sand and pretending no harm will ever come to our shores is the OTHER great principled stand taken by these true patriots.
18 posted on 09/23/2002 9:19:14 AM PDT by Moby Grape
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To: Reagan Man
An anarchist is anyone who doesn't rely on government to tell them what to do.
19 posted on 09/23/2002 9:20:04 AM PDT by SteamshipTime
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To: SteamshipTime
Excuse me but anti-discrimination has as much to do with blacks in this country as anything and if you don't think some of the laws were necessary, then you have a lot more faith in some people like Byrd than I do. Somehow the KKK seems to have led to a number of laws on the books!

Anti-discrimination laws will never go away as long as there are people that detest another person because of the color of his skin!

Personally the Libs are the doing anything you want, feel good crowd of the 60's who have contributed very little to the good of this Country.

20 posted on 09/23/2002 9:20:38 AM PDT by PhiKapMom
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