Source: Ottawa Sun (Canada) 
Copyright: 1998 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  
Website: http://www.canoe.ca/OttawaSun/ 
Pubdate: October 3, 1998
Section: Letter of the Day 
Authors: Walter A. Tucker, Michael J. Baldasaro 
Comment: Parenthetical remarks by the Sun editor, headline by hawk

WITHOUT JUST CAUSE

RE " 'Church' leader defies Tories," (Sept. 23): Sean Durkan reported that
Reverend Brother Michael Baldasaro was a "Self-styled 'Reverend' ... of the
pot-worshiping ... Church of the Universe." Please be advised that pot as
you choose to call it is held to be God's Tree of Life and a Sacrament
within the Church of the Universe and as such is used in conjunction with
our worship of God!

Misguided, biased and poorly researched articles such as yours constitute
the worst kind of propaganda-hate literature. Mr. Durkan publicly demeans
us via our Sacrament in order to discredit Reverend Baldasaro's leadership
bid by holding out God's most Sacred Herb to be in some way addictive or
harmful to health which is contrary to the most recent Decision of the
Ontario Court of Justice (General Division) pronounced August 14, 1997 in
the Judgment of Mr Justice McCart, which ruled that "consumption of
marijuana is relatively harmless compared to the so-called hard drugs and
including tobacco and alcohol."

Your article also lacks professionalism and you should be ashamed of
yourselves for publishing such trash.

We demand an apology and that the truth be told to the Canadian People that
in fact the law against marijuana is without reasonable and probable
grounds and/or just cause. (McCart J.).

Reverend Brother Walter A. Tucker Reverend Brother Michael J. Baldasaro

(No doubt a debate on the legalization of marijuana will continue -- but it
won't include taking you seriously) 
- ---
Checked-by: Richard Lake