IT'S A POLITICAL PARTY, NOT REEFER MADNESS

Dear sir: I, like so many people, have been content to sit on the sidelines
with the rest of the silent majority waiting for events to unfold. However,
having spent the past several weeks watching, reading, and listening to the
media minions and supposed political pundits slagging and smirking about
the B.C. Marijuana Party (mind you, The Prince George Citizen has been
fair), I feel compelled to shake off the cloak of fear and apprehension
that accompanies going public with one's beliefs.

I cannot for the life of me see what is too very wrong with a party that
appears to be pro-West, pro-business, and pro-freedom.

Using the government's own figures, somewhere between 50%-80% of us have
experimented with, occasionally use, or regularly use marijuana. One would
think that this would translate into a like number of votes. However, we
are Canadians, so the hypocrisy factor will figure into the mix in a very
big way.

I'm 48 years old and I've been smoking marijuana recreationally for 33
years. During those years I've enjoyed a toke with many and diverse people.
The list includes fishermen, loggers, welders, doctors, taxi drivers,
school teachers, pilots, lawyers (at least one is a judge now), professors,
hockey coaches, professional hockey players, trappers, miners, nurses,
ministers, musicians (well duh), politicians, bank managers, loan managers,
reporters, news directors, editors, artists, sportscasters, broadcasters,
car salesmen, equipment salesmen, sales managers, and the list could go on.
There is probably enough squirming going on now.

The horrendous cost of enforcement balanced against the money we don't have
to spend on schools, hospitals, senior citizens, and highways makes no
sense at all.

When the government insists on prohibiting an action favoured by the
majority, that's dictatorship. When the authorities act on those
prohibitions that's imposing the law, not enforcing it.

In my case I believe that it's time to stand up and be counted but I
remember that it doesn't matter whose sign is on your lawn, or whose
campaign you pay lip service to, you can vote in private for freedom in public.

- - Clyde Fowler

Prince George