TRAFFICKING A POLITICAL CRIME

Dear Sir:

Anne Froese (Mennonite and crime) ought to re-read the parable of The
Fall if she is having trouble understanding why Mennonites would be
involved with the ominously-aptly-named Hell's Angels. Understanding
the parable, the "something" that Anne knows that needs to be done is
to repeal drug prohibition.

Temptation is ever present and we are all born into sin is the moral
of the story. Froese ought not be surprised to learn that not only
Mennonites, but many equally hard working, honest, God-fearing people
of other faiths see drug trafficking as an easy way to earn money too.

Transgression against others is very important in defining "crime."
Crime implies harm to another person or their property. "Drug
trafficking" is political crime, it is a transgression against state
law and not God's law.

Canadians have lost our sense of what is right and wrong over drug
prohibition. Criminalizing non-violent persons for their vices is
immoral. Drug dealers and users do not aggress against others,
legislators and prohibition supporters do. Drug dealers and users do
not destroy family values, the state that encourages parents to
denounce their children and worse, encourages children to denounce
their parents to authorities is what destroys families.

Ceremonial and ritual drug use, as well as self-medication for health
reasons, was a natural right less than 100 years ago. Today, Canadians
are kept ignorant of ceremonial drug use, and government defines the
activity in Orwellian terms such as "recreational use" or "drug
abuse." In Western culture it is wine in the priests' goblets, and it
is wine with which Canadians ritually toast each other at our
ceremonial occasions. Opium and cannabis are the ceremonial drugs of
the Eastern cultures. Coca serves the same purpose in South America.

The "ability to work" is what the drug war is all about. The Chinese
opium eaters, "Coolies" as our ancestors called them, worked
tirelessly doing the back breaking work of building this nation's
railways. The whiskey-drinking hungover white union members had a
tough time competing. Driving home the point is the legendary working
prowess of the coca leaf chewers of South America. Our drug laws are
based on racial xenophobia rather than truth. It is time to grow
beyond the fears of the missionary medicine men who have been
attempting to convert other cultures and religions since they day they
were first encountered.

He turned the water into wine, not opium, cannabis, coca or any other
substance, that does not mean He persecuted others or forced them to
drink wine too. Christianity must come to grips with the ceremonial
and ritual drug use of others if humanity is ever to make any moral
progress towards living in peace.

I am pleased to announce that I will be a candidate for the Marijuana
Party of Canada in the Provencher riding in the upcoming federal
election. Drug prohibitionists have lied to Canadians for 100 years.
Repealing prohibition is the "something" that I plan on doing for Anne
Froese, Mennonites, Catholics, other faiths and even atheists too.
Canadians ought to answer at the Pearly Gates for our sins, not to the
criminal justice system of Canada.

Chris Buors

Prairie Region Organizer

Marijuana Party of Canada,

party leader, Libertarian Party of Winnipeg, MB