4-4-08 Just Say Know Weekly News

JUST SAY KNOW appreciates and commends the efforts of the drug policy reform organizations below and we thank them for their contributions to our drug policy reform work. Please visit their websites and support them to the best of your ability.

 

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international grassroots network of students who are concerned about the impact drug abuse has on our communities, but who also know that the War on Drugs is failing our generation and our society. SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process, pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer and more just future, while fighting back against counterproductive Drug War policies, particularly those that directly harm students and youth.

 

Stop the Drug War (DRCNet) calls for an end to drug prohibition (e.g. some form of legalization), and its replacement with some sensible framework in which drugs can be regulated and controlled instead. Founded in 1993 by executive director David Borden, DRCNet has from the beginning called unambiguously for an end to prohibition; we are the largest "full-purpose" national membership organization with a wide range of programs to hold that position.

 

Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States.

 

NORML: Since its founding in 1970, NORML has provided a voice in the public policy debate for those Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition and favor an end to the practice of arresting marijuana smokers. Email: [email protected]

 

Drug Truth Network is a media production organization, based at KPFT Radio Houston, TX. Cultural Baggage, hosted by Dean Becker, is the only nationally distributed radio program focused on discussing the war on drugs. Dean produces 9 radio shows each week about the harms of the drug war. Their shows are broadcast on more than 50 affiliates in the US and Canada. Call your favorite radio station and ask them to include these innovative radio programs.

 

SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation): SAFER is working with students, organizations and other individuals around the country and abroad to spread the message that marijuana is safer than alcohol and should be treated as such.

 

FULLY INFORMED JURY ASSOCIATION (FIJA): Click here to learn about a powerful tool most people don’t know about that can be used to shut down prosecution of non-violent “drug offenders” on a case by case basis. It’s called Juror Nullification.

 

---------------------

Just Say Know

Visit Our Web Site:

If you’re using internet explorer web browser use this link:    http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home

If you’re using any other web browser use this link:    http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html

 

Please pass this message on to ALL your contacts and ask them to join our mailing list using the form on our website. THANK YOU! We never share email addresses from our mailing list with anyone.

 

Just Say Know works on your behalf toward drug policy reform, preserving and re-instating your legal rights. Since cannabis “offences” account for approximately half of all drug arrests, we believe taking away the ability of criminals to profit from cannabis will be an important initial step in drug policy reform. How? Just like it was done with alcohol, remove the prohibition and regulate legal adult use, especially the legal ability to grow your own. As soon as alcohol prohibition ended, the crime and violence caused by alcohol prohibition ended. The year alcohol prohibition was repealed violent crime fell by sixty five percent. Drug policy and enforcement tactics are out of control and removing your Constitutional rights at an alarming rate.

 

Your financial contributions are greatly appreciated. If you can afford it, please donate today. To make a donation reply to this message with “donation” in the subject line and an associate will contact you by return email. If you wish to remain anonymous you can. Donations of any size are greatly appreciated. Thank you for your consideration. Don’t hesitate to contact us by replying to this message, we appreciate your comments, questions and concerns. Together we will make a difference!

 

The drug war is being used as an excuse to remove your Constitutional rights, steal your property, waste 69 billion tax dollars per year and a long list of other harms to citizens and society. There’s a mountain of evidence supporting the need for policy reform that will make citizens, their families, their livelihood and their property more secure. The right; to freedom of religion, free speech, a free press, to keep and bear arms, to be secure in your person, house, papers and effects against unreasonable search and seizure, to life, liberty and property, to be protected from having your property taken by the government without due process of law and without just compensation, to confront the witnesses against you, to be protected from excessive bail, excessive fines, cruel and unusual punishment, to vote and other Constitutional rights have been denied to millions of Americans in the name of the drug war.

 

Tell your friends about the "Enough is Enough" petition to stop the reckless overuse of SWAT tactics and save the lives of civilians and police alike. This petition is sponsored by: StoptheDrugWar.org Click here for details.

 

 

Feature Story:

Your Right: “to be secure in your person, house, papers and effects against unreasonable search and seizure”

Does anyone even have to bring this to your attention, or can you quickly remember so many incidents of this right being violated in the name of the drug war that they’re to numerous to count? Think about the news stories and editorial comments that are in the media regularly showing warrantless searches of private property and persons. Think about the violations of this right that the public has been enraged about for years but the drug warriors continue to find ways to circumvent. Ladies and gentlemen this right was put in effect at the very beginning of our country after the founding fathers had lived through the tyranny of the king of England and knew very well what living under the rule of an all powerful oppressor is like. It amounts to slavery, you have no rights, you have no property that can’t be taken, you have no sense of security even in your own person, home, vehicle or business. We’ve seen this right so distorted in the name of the drug war that its almost unrecognizable. Warrantless searches must end immediately and its going to take you raising up your voice to your elected representatives loud, clear and often. There is no excuse for allowing this to happen. We learned of commonplace and despicable violations of the US Constitution in our drug war research and it began to sink in that we see violations of our rights so regularly on national TV that the public is accepting it as being lawful. Watch closely when you look at real life police shows and news stories. Did you ever think you’d see the bill of rights violated on national TV so often that it began to seem normal and legal? It seems like every time you watch, read or listen to the news you learn of another right that we need to give up in the name of some noble sounding cause, especially the drug war. We urge you to visit our website and click “Tools” in the “Site Map”, then click “Explore the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights & much more”. We all tend to think we’ve heard all that before but if you’ll review these documents now and then, it’ll refresh your memory and you’ll be more sensitive to actions that are being taken to remove or reduce your rights. Take the time right then, as soon as you hear of another infringement of your rights and contact your elected representatives and tell them you will not tolerate removal of your Constitutional rights. Search and seizure laws were enacted for the purpose of allowing you to be a free person capable of legal recourse when your person, house, papers or effects are unreasonably searched or seized. We’ve learned about drug sniffing dogs being taught to “alarm” on commands that you wouldn’t even recognize as a command in conversation with an officer, then the officer uses this “alleged “ conformation by the dog that drugs are present as an excuse for a “lawful” search. Drug War Chronicle includes a story every week titled “LAW ENFORCEMENT: THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COP STORIES”, which you can access by clicking “News” in the “Site Map” on our website. There is no lack of corruption brought on by the drug war. Remove the money involved in the illegal drug trade and you’ll end a multitude of problems. The only way to accomplish that is to regulate all drugs like alcohol and tobacco are regulated. Until “we the people” end the failed policies of drug prohibition and the drug war, the devastation to our rights, families, nation, environment, economy and world will continue. We include a link to this story in every newsletter, while considering your right “to be secure in your person, house, papers and effects against unreasonable search and seizure” it would be a good idea to read it http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/snitch/readings/hidden.html. The most important actions you can take to bring about drug policy change are contacting your elected representatives and getting all your associates involved in the drug policy reform movement. This is not a movement to promote drugs. It’s purpose is to change drug policy to methods that have proven to get much better results without doing harm to anyone or our rights. Education for all and medical treatment for true drug addicts are the only methods of dealing with drugs that have ever been effective and they are much less expensive and harmful than the drug war. Over a Trillion Tax Dollars has been spent on the drug war. Countless lives have been wasted or otherwise damaged. Sixty Nine Billion of your tax dollars go down the drug war drain each year and it has not reduced the percentage of drug addicts at all. That’s right, we have the same percentage of the US population (1.3%) addicted to drugs today as we had in 1914 when ALL drugs were totally legal. Enough is Enough! Stop the drug war before we’re all reduced to slaves with no rights whatsoever. The government knows full well a search of the contents of your body is illegal, especially without cause, so they force businesses to violate your Constitutional rights on behalf of the government by giving the businesses financial incentives if they drug test employees. Make no mistake drug tests are a violation of your rights but we’ve gotten so use to them that we don’t even question the practice. After all you don’t have to work, you could always be an illegal drug dealer or a thief or some other lofty criminal occupation, or you can be a slave and submit to the oppression of our government here in “the land of the free” or you can TAKE ACTION NOW. Make the call! Send the Email! Visit your elected representatives in person and tell them enough is enough! Enough wasted tax money, lives, prosperity, forfeited property and Constitutional rights removed or damaged in the name of the drug war! If you don’t it may be your home or business that the next “No Knock” warrant, or “No Warrant At All” search is performed on in the name of the drug war. Make no mistake, you don’t have to have any drugs in your possession for it to happen and sometimes the consequences are deadly, even when the victims of these ridiculous laws are completely innocent.

-----------------------

  

Visit our website and click “Learn About Drug War Victims” and “More Drug War Victims” on our home page and read about some of the human tragedies caused by drug prohibition, many of the people needlessly harmed in those stories are innocent of any wrong doing.

 

Its time to take action! Contact your elected representatives and tell them to end the drug war. You can look up your representatives by visiting our website and clicking “Tools” in the site map.

If you’re using internet explorer web browser use this link:    http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home

If you’re using any other web browser use this link:    http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html

 

Be sure to click “Issues Need Your Immediate Attention” on our home page and use the links to locate and email your federal representatives about the Hinchey-Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment which will prohibit the Department of Justice from using any funds to interfere with state medical marijuana laws.

If you’re using internet explorer web browser use this link:    http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home

If you’re using any other web browser use this link:    http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html

 

This country is still governed by the people but if you sit around waiting on someone else, it may be you that ends up losing life, liberty, freedom, property and more, it may be you that gets shot by the government, it may be your children, money, livelihood or property that get taken away. These things don’t just happen to drug users. Thanks to the drug war private property is being confiscated with no evidence and no legal recourse. If you think this is a fairytale or only happens by mistake, or is a rare occurrence go here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/snitch/readings/hidden.html and read what happened to the innocent people mentioned in that story.

 

"Anyone concerned about the failure of our $69 billion-a-year War on Drugs should watch this 12-minute program. You will meet front line, ranking police officers who give us a devastating report on why it cannot work. It is a must-see for any journalist or public official dealing with this issue."-- Walter Cronkite, commenting on a video produced by “LEAP” Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. We think it’s a must see for every voter in the country too.  If you haven’t seen it yet take a few minutes and view it now using this link: http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php?name=Content&pid=28

 

You can get a wealth of information by visiting our web site and clicking “Web Links” in the site map. Be sure you ask all your associates to join our weekly mailing list.

If you’re using internet explorer web browser use this link:    http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home

If you’re using any other web browser use this link:    http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html