Dear MAP,

After joining ReconsiDer in 1995 I languished somewhat trying to find
the direction which I wanted to go. As I spoke with other reformers I
could tell how uninformed I was and so when I signed on to receive the
DrugNews Digests I knew I would soon be able to hold my own in
arguments and discussions of drug policy. It opened the world of
reform to me by showing all of the letters which were being written to
newspaper editors across the country. I learned how to shape my
arguments with the help of MAP and I saw the power that our letters
had on issues which the paper covered or editorialized on.

Additionally, in the past year, I've collaborated with MAP editors on
media contacts for specific geographical areas so that I can bring
attention to speakers I had in their vicinity and this gained us more
exposure. An example is last Fall's finishing ride by Howard
Wooldridge, a speaker for LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.)
In Chattanooga, TN on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Howard was
interviewed 5 times: an in-studio radio show, a morning TV show and
later an interview for the evening news and the city newspaper. On
Friday, he was filmed by 3 more TV stations as he finished his ride.
This was made possible thru the help of MAP.

While I don't read many of the articles anymore, I still utilize MAP
for much of my research when addressing a specific issue. MAP is
indispensable and when drug prohibition is overturned, books will be
written about what we all have done. Those books will be incomplete
without chapters speaking of how MAP brought many of us together and
how the organization was instrumental against the Drug War.

Mike Smithson, Speakers' Bureau Coordinator

ReconsiDer: Forum on Drug Policy and LEAP: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

131 Flint Path, Syracuse NY 13219-3403

(voice/fax) 315-488-3630 (c) 315-243-5844

http://www.reconsider.org speakers@reconsider.org

http://www.leap.cc speakers@leap.cc