From the outset of his administration, President Obama has been likened to former president and instigator of liberal reform, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. So far, this has applied mostly to his devotion to the needs of the worker and his inclination to look to big government programs to solve America's problems -- more specifically, his recent passage of the health care bill, which is comparable to the genesis of Social Security during FDR's presidency.
A less talked about aspect of FDR's reform however is his repeal of the Prohibition that kept America dry -- at least, on the surface -- for the majority of the 20s and some of the 30s. We are all familiar with the image of the underground speakeasy populated by flappers and gangsters, all trying to get their share of the forbidden booze, but not everyone knows that the end of the criminalization of alcohol started with FDR. In 1933, he issued an Executive Order to legalize beer with 3.2% alcohol content, which led to the passing of the Twenty-First Amendment and the formal repeal of Prohibition.
Is Obama furthering his reputation as the new New Dealer with his tentative support of the legalization of marijuana? In a 2009 memo, the Obama administration stated that it would not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they were in compliance with state laws, arguing that it would be a waste of federal resources. This cautious bid for legalization mirrors FDR's 3.2% beer order, and is perhaps an opportunity for Obama to do something more: e.g., show some public support for the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative that hits ballots this November, which, as one might ascertain from the name, would allow citizens to vote on the legalization of marijuana in California And not just the "medicinal" kind.
The question on many Californians' minds is: what will Obama do? Will he continue to emulate FDR and uphold his previous pronouncements, working towards the repeal of this Neo-Prohibition, or will he opt to follow in the footsteps of the Bush administration? Pot proponents and advocates for personal freedom hope for the former.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF;
or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
From my church,
Cultivation and enjoyment of Cannabis sacrament is a fundamental human right provided by God and protected by the first Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It is our opinion that Cannabis is the original sacrament of Hebrew, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist, Rasta and more, and fulfills the prophesies to ‘raise up for them a plant of renown…’
http://www.thc-ministry.org/
Reverend Lauren Unruh
THC Ministry
Pleasant Hill, Ca
29And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Matt. 15:11
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."
Psalm 104:14-15
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oil to make his face to shineth.
Epistle of St. Paul: Romans 14
One believeth that he may eat all things. Another…eateth herbs. … Let us not, therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
And meanwhile, though the administration announced it would cease to raid medical marijuana outlets, the DEA never got the message.
There is far too much invested by government and by private interests in its continued illgality. Prison industry, rehab industry, state federal and local police, lawyers--- none of these categories of business are going to sit idly by while there power and numbers are reduced due to the repeal of marijuana law.
Here in St. Charles County Missouri we have a group of teabaggers who refer to themselves as The K & N Patriots (a reference to an Intersection of hwy K & N). They set up shop yesterday at noon. So I went home and made a sign reading "Liars Ahead" and went out onto shoulder of the road preceding them by about 30 yards.
I received as much positive response from the drivers as they did (50/50) I did get flipped off quite a bit which made it even funner. I suggest every one follow what their local teabaggers are up to and disrupt them.
I was only one person, and I hope I counter-acted some of their hate. There were about 50 teabaggers
I drove by on my way home a Dollar Store location that has a retired union guy handing out a hand bill about how the Dollar Store used out-of-state workers (non-union) to remodel their store.
I've spoken with him before, and told him what I did, and asked him why the unions weren't more interested in battling the tea parties (union = socialism right?) and he said that he himself thought that unions were only a "NECESSARY EVIL" now and he couldn't bring him self to vote for Obama so he didn't vote. .
I think union people need to look at these teabaggers, and their retirees could off-set their retirees. Unless their just racists.
I like Obama but unfortunately he has given no indication whatsoever that he is interested in legalizing marijuana. In fact, he has publicly stated quite the opposite.
There is an irrefutable connection between drug prohibition and the crime, corruption, disease and death it causes. If you are not capable of understanding this connection, then maybe you're using something far stronger than the rest of us. Anybody 'halfway bright' and who's not psychologically challenged, should be capable of understanding, that it is not simply the demand for drugs that creates the mayhem; it is our refusal to let legal businesses meet that demand.
No amount of money, police powers, weaponry, wishful thinking or pseudo-science will make our streets safer; only an end to prohibition can do that. How much longer are you willing to foolishly risk your own survival by continuing to ignore the obvious, historically confirmed solution?
We'd also put an end to the prison profiteering and overcrowded prisons and jails (and maybe actually get some people with drug problems real help).
Oh but wait that would be meaningful and beneficial reform....
Nvm
His willingness to leave the sickest pot smokers alone (if they manage to comply with ever changing state laws) is nothing like pushing for 3.2 beer in Prohibition USA.