TRANSCRIPT: WILL FOSTER'S VISIT TO THE NYT DRUG POLICY FORUM

Dean Becker:

The New York Times Drug Policy Forum is proud to have as our guest, a man
who at one time was sentenced to nearly a century in prison for gardening,
Mr. Will Foster!

Will Foster:

High all.

How has everyone's day been?

Darral Good:

Hello WILL FOSTER! I am Darral Good from Seattle- I have been writing about
your case for years; I was sick at hempfest and didn't get a chance to meet
you. I hope your ready for a big chat tonight! I hope you are now living in
a state that medical marijuana is legal in- don't tell Ashcroft!

Donald Way:

Hello Will, welcome to the forum. I remember when Oklahoma handed down that
sentence to you. Can't really recall ever being so ashamed to be an
American in all my life.

Glad to see you're out and about, and fighting the good fight. You live in
another state now, right?

Dean Becker:

Welcome Will. I noted from your post this AM, that you wanted to discuss
cannabis reform in the main. What was the main reason your sentence was so
extreme? Was it the influence of certain influential families in your area,
a deranged DA, what was the cause of the 93-year sentence for cannabis
gardening?

Will Foster:

Well in Oklahoma you are in the bible belt. When you deal with a
self-righteous individual they tend to be dangerous.

Netactive you need to organize against prohibition politically. see
http://www.usmjparty.com

Will Foster:

Thanks to all of you who supported me during my incarceration. It not
America's fault in the result of the drug war. It is the individuals who we
keep electing to office. Don't ever be ashamed about being an America.

Trippin98181925:

Will Welcome to the forum. Can you tell me how you felt when you found out
you were being released.

Darral Good:

Will, what was prison like in Oklahoma?

Celaya:

Hi Will. Thanks for coming. Did you ever doubt that you were anything more
than a political prisoner?

Will Foster:

Prison is prison. It's not a nice place to spend your time. Being older
helped the individuals I felt sorry for was the 19 to 25 year old's. They
are left with two options in prison 1. to be a punk or 2. to be a killer.
So it is not what I would want to see a marijuana user to experience.

Darral Good:

how did ya like the ganja in Seattle at the hempfest last august , did ya
ever see such a huge crowd? there's pictures of you and even some video at
http://www.seattlehempfest.com

Will Foster:

Anyone who is in prison for any drug is a political prisoner of war. Our
elected official have declared war on the same people who elect them to
office. America's war on drug is a political police of a certain culture of
individuals.

Richard Lake:

Will, like Darral, a whole lot of activists worked in various ways to
support you after your bust. Earlier today I sent a note to a few dozen
drug policy reform email lists reminding folks of this forum. My first
paragraph of the note was

'When Tulsa, Oklahoma resident Will Foster was given a 93 year sentence in
January 1997 for growing medicinal cannabis drug policy reform advocates,
individuals, and groups like the Media Awareness Project, DRCNet, NORML,
The November Coalition
http://www.november.org/thewall/wallold/wall-WillF.html and Human Rights
and the Drug War http://www.hr95.org worked to get the shocking story out
to the media --resulting in growing national publicity in magazines from
Playboy to Reason http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n161/a06.html and then
newspapers like The Washington Times
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1945/a06.html '

Will, my question for you is How aware of all the support activities were
you while you were in prison? And do you think it all helped? Richard Lake,
The Media Awareness Project of DrugSense

Will Foster:

Hi Richard, Public awareness it why I am here today. Most marijuana
offenders are forgotten and in that society tends to forget that they exist
in our prisons. I believe that in keep our marijuana prisoners in the
forefront and bring any public interest in their case will help ensure
their freedom.

Darral Good:

Will, here's the page with pics of you at hempfest-
http://seattlehempfest.com/photos/2001_speakers/ If anyone here has never
been to hempfest, I suggest that you do!

Trippin98181925:

Will Your right, we need to open peoples eyes and make them see that the
marijuana users of America are not the problem here, it is the government
and so many people are having trouble seeing that.

Aahpat:

Reuters Pubdate Sat, 2 May 1998 Author
Joanne Kenen, Reuters WASHINGTON - House Republicans Thursday unveiled a
package of bills to combat drug abuse and vowed to make America virtually
drug-free by 2002.

In four part harmony from the back seat we hear the children pine, "are we
there yet?"

Will Foster:

I see we are still going to be drug free in America. I have been hearing
this line for 20 years and drugs are still here as they always will be.

Celaya:

Will, Many wonder if this country is so full of self-righteous bigots and
those profiting off the drug war if there is any real hope for it. Do you
ever think of going to another country?

Gawainekaye:

Hi Will! Welcome to the new York Times Drug Policy Forum! I'm thrilled that
you are free and that you are politically active and that I am able to
communicate with you tonight! You never heard of me but I used to think a
lot about your case when you were in prison. It helped galvanize me to
speak out against the US drug policy that is so brutal and
counterproductive. I wrote a letter to your governor for your parole but I
don't think you got parole that time. I won't be here after this because I
am about to give my son a bath and spend some time with him but I am so
happy to be able to greet you and thank you for being here and being who
you are! Peace and love to you and all you touch!

Derek397:

From the inside looking out what organizations do the most good?

Will Foster:

That is a hard question Derek. I guess it depends in what area you are
talking about. Bring forth the injustice in America there's no one better
then Nora, Mikki, Chris and Virginia. Derek you have to take the good with
the bad or the bad with the good however you look at it. I feel if some one
is speaking out against the drug war they are all right with me.

Derek397:

I also have a POW-D bracelet with the #252721 on it. Your story was told
every time someone asked about it.

Darral Good:

YA Gotta Love Nora at the November coalition! http://www.november.org

Will Foster:

Well I am lost for words. Thank you Derek it is people like you who will
help stop this madness. Boy I thought I would never see that number again.

Derek397:

I still remember mine and I got out in 78! ;-)

Mary Jane Flores:

Will, how long do you think it will be before other countries are outraged
over the brutality and senselessness of our drug war? Until they start
sanctioning us because of aerial spraying of herbicide and other atrocities
that our government are committing in the name of the drug war?

Dean Becker:

Could be 2005 this might be the last stab at drug war enforcement. You know
the old saying "It gets worst before it gets better" I can't see were it
can get much worst.

Will Foster:

Take care Derek and thanks again.

Celaya:

Will I can see where it can get much worse. Think WWII Germany. You're a
better man than I. After 30 years of persecution, at the start of the new
millennium, I can no longer let the public off the hook because of ignorance.

90 percent of the population voted Democrat or Republican, in effect,
saying, "More of the status quo." My sights are on other countries. I plan
on voting with my feet. I will still be "here" (virtually) but I'm no young
buck. If I'm going to taste freedom, I've got to do it soon.

Good luck in all your efforts. If you get tired of playing the game for 15
more years, consider going north. (Amnesty awaits!)

Donald Way:

Will, I wish I could have just a tiny amount of the grace you are
demonstrating in the face of all of this.

I've got to go now, if I don't I know I'm going to type something I'll
regret. I'm glad you're out. Berkeley sounds like a great place for you to
serve out your probation, though I'd really love to see you in Amsterdam or
some other place where you can be free.

Best of luck on the web sites and the activism. Who knows, they said we'd
be drug-free in 2002... too late for that. But maybe 2002 really is the
year, but the year that we're drug warrior-free.

Dean Becker:

I agree Will, it cannot get much worse. I too hope to make the Conference
in SF this year. It should be quite an occasion, I will look you up if I
make it.

Will Foster:

"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the
leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being
attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing
the country to danger." Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, Nazi Air Force
(Luftwaffe) commander, the Nuremberg Trials 1946.

"Terrorist operatives infiltrate our communities, plotting, planning and
waiting to kill again....To those who scare peace-loving people with
phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this your tactics only aid
terrorists." United States Attorney General John Ashcroft 2001.

Celaya:

(Err.. Asylum, that is!)

Will Foster:

Statements like John Ashcroft is why I will stay and fight to regain my
country. I refuse to let bastard like this chase me away.

Ben Masel:

We lost more Liberty today. The Supreme Court used Chicago hemp Fest's case
to take another wack at Freedom of Assembly.

Dean Becker:

Will, we combine our attacks from this site to include the drug war, the
corporate war and the terror war because oft times they are led by the same
group of lying thugs.

Please come back and visit us here when you want to share some information

Zhannadark:

Didn't a marijuana ex-prisoner in Texas get a prescription for Marinol,
which enraged the parole board because they can't tell with drug testing if
he's smoking pot or not? Alan Mc...?

Will Foster:

Alan McElmore. Yes he is back in Federal Prison.

Will Foster:

Thanks for having me as a guest Dean. I am looking forward to drop in more
often. Take care everybody.

Trippin98181925:

Bye Will Thanks for stopping by and talking to us.

Dean Becker:

Thank you Will. I am proud that the America I grew up believing in still
exists, at least enough to see that keeping a man like you in prison for a
hundred years was lunacy. The greatest evil of drug prohibition is the
collusion of our government.

See you Sunday nite, same time at http://www.drugsense.org/chat

Zhannadark:

Good luck, Will. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and for being so strong
and compassionate despite all they've done to you