Pubdate: Tue, 22 May 2001 Source: Daily Times, The (MD) Copyright: 2001 The Daily Times Contact: http://www.mapinc.org/media/116 Author: Joe Hopwood SUPREME COURT RULING DISREGARDS THE FACTS Perhaps I gave the U. S. Supreme Court more credit than deserved as I expected them to go with the facts and find pot not guilty. In 1937 Harry Anslinger convinced Congress that pot was a date rape drug that led to Communism - over the objections of the AMA. Anslinger was a cop not a doctor of medicine. Are they still that ignorant in Washington? For centuries marihuana has been grown for its medicinal properties and was in the U.S. Materia Medica until WW II and in the British Materia Medica until 1972 and is still used worldwide as a medicine, and damn the DEA. Of course, rape and Communism are sins in our society and to prevent the rape of our mothers, aunts and sisters and their eventual Communization we will go to any limit. In 1937 Congress decided that the best way to control public morality was to jail drug addicts and users. Last year we arrested 1.6 million American citizens just for pot possession. In our times we unjustly jail the meek and humble by the millions, if they are black. We deny kids caught with drugs an education, (zero tolerance and all that junk.) We make the poor homeless if we catch them using drugs. In addition, we will make war, [kill the bastards,] on nations that disagree with us. How can we dare think of our country as the moral leader of the free world? I am sorry to say that I shall always remember this decision for its arrogant disregard of the facts, its mean spirited withholding of justice for the sick and dying and its upholding of a hollow morality that cloaks enormous injustice in the face of urgent demands of freedom and liberty from our people. Jos E. Hopwood Quantico, MD - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom