'NAZI' LABEL SUITS PEOPLE WHO ASSAULT POT USERS

Re: 'Prince of Pot' under fire for anti-Jewish slurs, Aug. 27.

I would prefer not to have distractions take the nation's focus away
from the real issues surrounding my extradition to the United States,
but Zev Singer's article in the Citizen quotes me accurately, though
not necessarily completely.

For example, I said and had written that "a Nazi is a person who
inflicts pain, punishment, torture, incarceration or death on another
human being who is acting peacefully and honestly," but Mr. Singer
forgot the next line from my statement: "and who believes in an
ideology that morally justifies inflicting pain, punishment, torture,
incarceration or death for the good of the state."

Otherwise, I appreciate Mr. Singer's initiative in bringing up the
topic. It's a discussion we ought to have.

Since 1955, 24 million people worldwide have been arrested for their
belief in cannabis, and many millions of them have spent substantial
time in jail. Much of the world does not want to believe there is such
an ongoing assault against the 164 million people who, according to
the United Nations last year, cherish marijuana in their lives. Yet
everywhere on Earth today cannabis users are hunted down, humiliated,
arrested, jailed, or, as in the communist regimes in China and
Vietnam, even executed.

My critics wonder where the "Nazi" remark emerges from as I defend our
culture from the attacks we cannabis people find ourselves always
facing. I believe my critics are in denial: If they look at themselves
in the mirror, these critics are the ones who believe in an ideology
of "inflicting pain, punishment, torture, incarceration or death
towards humans acting peacefully and honestly and further that their
ideology gives moral sanction to do so for the good of the state."
These people are acting like Nazis, even though they may call
themselves something else. They want to destroy our people and have
given the state sanction to do it.

Marc Emery

Vancouver

Leader, B.C. Marijuana Party