Dan Hinkel?s opinion of the Great Midwestern Marijuana Harvest Festival [10/9/03] only disturbed me slightly?even though his article was a mean attack on a bunch of hard-working organizers. His negative attitude toward the movement is derogatory to the efforts of half a century?s worth of work to re-legalize marijuana; if not totally, at least for medicinal purposes.
I happen to be part of this rally, and I do not find his portrayal of ?us? and ?our movement? accurate. You don?t have to be a ?stoner? to support medicinal marijuana, or, for that matter, to believe marijuana should be legalized altogether. Prohibition didn?t work for alcohol, and it doesn?t work for marijuana.
This year was the 33rd annual Great Midwestern Marijuana Festival. They dropped the ?Harvest Fest? tag this year, because that title didn?t come around until 1986. This year was designated to commemorate the years previous to 1986, the several annually organized ?smoke-ins.? So, when you think about it, of course a lot of people were stoned this year! We were commemorating the ?smoke-ins? during the central era of the struggle! Does he understand the rich and complex history of Madison?s power of resistance and protest? Dow tried to manufacture Agent Orange here?remember? Riots used to be commonplace! People used to work for change instead of sitting around complaining that the movement ?isn?t going anywhere? because everyone is ?stoned.? Most organizers during the era of ?flower power? were, in fact, high.
One must then ask the question, ?If they accomplished so much in the ?60s, why can?t we do the same now?? The answer is simple: because some people, like Dan Hinkel, mock the efforts, don?t know the history and don?t understand the importance of an open mind. Sure, sometimes those same folks, like Dan, try to seem open by saying we need to ?assess? the effects of medicinal marijuana and change laws according to the findings, but what he refuses to comprehend is the fact that several commissions have been set up previously by many different administrations to establish those ?effects?. Every one of them has reported back, urging each president to start a policy to legalize medicinal marijuana or start upon that wonderful path to legalization. Each time, each administration/president decided to do the opposite?each administration declared an all-out war on drugs. Hey, America, how many times do we have to do the same research? How much tax money must we waste?
Hey, America, the effects have been established! After consumption or intake of such substances, one can expect mild euphoria, eased pain, relaxation and the munchies! (The only ones that might say otherwise are the Drug Enforcement Agency, and you can?t really trust them on this subject. It would be like asking the Department of Defense how many countries we should let have military outposts on our soil.) Well, now that we know, let?s sprint upon the trails of legalization. Oh, wait, you say, why?
Hmm... so people still refuse to admit that marijuana reform is a serious topic, even though someone caught with a baggie can expect to get locked up for much longer than someone would 30 years ago?crippled or not. Pot isn?t my hobby, sir. Pot isn?t my life, sir. My life is fighting and crying?crying for an America ruined by close-minded people like you. And, sir, I find it hard to believe that Harvest Fest ruined your study-time... it?s not the only thing that happens on the square... dude.
