Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n787/a05.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n812/a05.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n815/a07.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n821/a02.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n826/a10.html
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n865/a05.html

Websites: http://members.xoom.com/ptrial/ http://www.petertrial.com/
http://MarijuanaMagazine.com/ http://McWilliams.com/ http://growmedicine.com/

BARRY'S WORLD

This is a portion of a speech that the nation's drug czar, General Barry
McCaffrey, gave on Veteran's Day, November 11, 1997, at the Vietnam War
Memorial in Washington:

"A ceremony at this site brings to mind the images of the nearly three and
a half million men and thousands of women who served in the Vietnam
theater. It also brings into sharp focus the faces of mothers, fathers,
young wives, and children who braved the uncertainty of that conflict,
waiting with anticipation for the return of loved ones.

"Our country did not treat any of you with the respect, support, and
compassion you deserved. It was a shameful blot on our history to send our
country's young men and women off to this terrible conflict and then use
our soldiers as objects of blame for the divisive political struggle that
ripped the nation apart for a decade.

"More than 58,000 died and over 303,000 were wounded. The bloodshed was
terrible, and the suffering has not ended. At least 80,000 of our ranks
still suffer from severe service-connected disabilities; around 6% of our
Vietnam War comrades suffer from drug abuse or dependence; 11% suffer from
current alcohol abuse; many are homeless; and others still suffer from
war-related psychological and physical problems.

"This continuing heavy human toll demands that we Americans vigorously
support the finest possible health care in our Veterans' Administration
facilities and sustain strong outreach programs to assist veterans
suffering from drug and alcohol dependency and physical and emotional
wounds. Our nation needs to make the sacrifice for those who sacrificed so
much in Vietnam."

I wonder whether McCaffrey knows -- or cares - that his deception about
medical marijuana is the direct result of B.E. Smith's federal
incarceration. B.E. served two tours of duty in Vietnam as "point man" for
his platoon -- the most dangerous position, as it draws "first fire" from
the enemy and permits the other platoon members to take cover and prepare
for battle. He courageously volunteered for his two tours of duty and for
the heroic defense of his platoon.

B.E. served as "point man" for California medical marijuana patients by
volunteering to be the first medical marijuana patient tried and sentenced
by the federal government since the passage of Proposition 215. He turned
down a plea agreement that would have netted him no prison time, so that
people would see what the federal government was doing to both sick people
and the voters of California.

B.E. is in federal prison now because he used medical marijuana to treat
his Vietnam-induced post-traumatic stress disorder -- one of McCaffrey's
"others [who] still suffer from war-related psychological and physical
problems."

Happy Veteran's Day, general.

Here's a letter from B.E. Smith's wife:

"For all of you who get this email, can you please forward his new address
so people can write him. It encourages his heart, and helps keep him going.
His birthday was November 6, and he couldn't even call home, so let's
really pick him up with cards and letters now. He won't be able to call me
as much, as this place is very big, with only a few phones, and they rotate
in using them. Also, even in visiting they have to be pre-approved, so I
don't know when I'll be able to see him. So, if you all help me get BE's
address out, we can flood him with love and encouragement, and wish him
Happy Birthday, and Happy Thanksgiving too! And then Merry Christmas! Love,
Mary Gale Smith.

"His address is: B.E. Smith-1l691-097, PO Box 6000, Sheridan, Oregon,
97378. Please be sure to put your first and last name and full return
address, or B.E. will not get it."

I'm sure Mary Gale Smith would like to hear from you, too. She's a good
Christian woman who doesn't understand why her man does the crazy things he
does, but she loves him just the same. Her e-mail is: besmith@snowcrest.net.

If only General McCaffrey would listen to commentators from Walter Cronkite
to Bill Moyers to Geraldo Rivera to John Stossel who have called the War on
Drugs "another Vietnam." If only Drug Czar McCaffrey would listen to
Vietnam War veteran McCaffrey (again, from McCaffrey's Veteran's Day speech
November 11, 1997): "Nearly three decades have passed since our time in
Vietnam. The historians may still be sifting through mountains of
documents. However, most of us assembled here already know what we learned
from the War. First, we must not commit our youth to war without the
support of the American people. For in a democracy, lack of such support
produces catastrophic divisiveness and weakening of national will, which
are essential to winning."

[Amen!]

"Second, we must not send our sons and daughters to war without a clear
understanding of national aims and the costs for achieving them. For
failing to articulate these requirements leads to flawed strategies and
higher casualties."

[Amen! Amen!]

"Third, victory will be paid for in blood by the men and women who serve
and by loved ones at home who must bear separations, recoveries from
wounds, and ultimate sacrifices."

[Such as life sentences without possibility of parole for drug offenses.]

"And fourth, as individuals, we learned that to survive and succeed when
conditions are appalling and your life is on the line requires: moral and
physical courage, competence, self-discipline, and trust in your buddies."

[I feel the trust; I'm not sure I have the other qualities in sufficient
quantity to stand up to the $50 billion drug war machine, but I'm doing my
best.]

But did McCaffrey listen? No.

Here's what General Drug Czar McCaffrey asked of America as he stood before
the Vietnam Memorial:

"Our nation needs your help:

First, help Vietnam veterans in need. Get involved in state, local, and
veteran organizations. Offer your energy, time, money, and support."

[Help get B.E. Smith out of prison, for example.]

"Second, battle the evil of illegal drugs. Get involved in state, local,
and community anti-drug efforts."

[There are none so blind as those who dare not see.]

"Third, Improve your community. Get involved in other activities to make
your community better. Our nation's leadership system works from the bottom
up."

[Except when it comes to medical marijuana initiatives, of course.]

Watch while McCaffrey whisks past ironic, skinny dips in hypocritical, and
winds up in endless orbit around arrogant ignorance.