INJUSTICE TO THE POT PRINCE

Re: Washington Requests Raid On B.C. 'Pot Prince,' July 30.

Any student of history knows a witch hunt when they see it.

As a long time marijuana activist who has studied history, the arrest of
Marc Emery on orders from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency makes me fear
for the future, for my country, for democracy, and also for myself and
others involved in the growing fight for legalization.

The United States government has silenced most of its domestic
anti-prohibition activists, but Canadian communication outposts like Mr.
Emery have allowed a skeletal movement to stay alive and keep the fight
going. It is clear that America's powerful prohibitionist minority resents
this and is using it as an opportunity to further consolidate its power
over Canada with a show of force.

Speaking about Marc Emery as a criminal relies on a definition of marijuana
as criminal. But it is only a crime in the same sense that non-Christian
religions or homosexuality were once crimes. And it is only a crime to the
ruling minority elite -- a majority of Canadians and Americans want
marijuana legalized.

Further, since it is an indisputable fact that alcohol is exponentially
more harmful than marijuana, and since the loudest voices against marijuana
are not also calling for prohibition of alcohol, it can only be concluded
that these loud voices are that of a minority whose concern is for
something other than the health and welfare of the community at large.

The arrest of Marc Emery is a warning shot to the silenced majority.

Daniel Johnson

Regina