From: tmiller@camms2.caos.kun.nl (Todd M. Miller)
Subject: Re: Carter and decrim (was: Re: Advertisement in the UK Times..)
Organization: University of Nijmegen
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 08:03:26 GMT

stevea@bullyrag.ugcs.caltech.edu (Steven C. Anderson) writes:

>In article <1992Jul25.190603.24961@ddsw1.mcs.com> zane@ddsw1.mcs.com (Sameer Parekh) writes:
>>	The President doesn't make the laws.. Congress and the states make
>>the laws. (The states make the state laws.) I think under Carter MANY states
>>decriminalized marijuana.. (I am unsure on this tidbit-- anyone know for
>>sure?)
>>
>>  _Sameer_Parekh_zane@ddsw1.MCS.COM_zane@infopls.chi.il.us__________________
>> / STOP The War on Rights          | | Restore liberty in the United States \
>> | "Specialization is for Insects" | | Vote Libertarian 1992          ______/
>> \________- Robert A. Heinlein_____/ \_ap.2363@cupid.sai.com (anon)__/

>Yes, I am sure it is true, but I am not sure of the name of the book that told
>me.  It was a history of NORML in the 70's, a very good and interesting book.
>It told when all the states entered decriminalization.
>Look for NORML or marijuana law in a subject search, and you'll probably come
>across it.  Anyone out there remember the title?
>Carter came close to pushing for national reform in marijuana law, but the
>political atmosphere around NORML got too hot for him.

My personal account follows:

It was the middle of the seventies, Ford was president, after Nixon's Watergate,
and doing about as good a job as Qualye would do today if Bush bit the dust.
The Democrates finally won the election because the Republicans were such
crooks nobody would vote for them.  Carter had made statements early in his
political campaign about legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana.  Naturally
in those days people like John Lennon where already saying the same thing.

Carter was destroyed by economic problems and never had the luxury of
getting to the really stupid laws.  On top of that NORML was advocating
the legalization of every drug under the sun, not just marijuana like they
do now.  The marijuana part was the part even Carter could agree with.

Most states did decriminalize marijuana in the 1970's.  But Reagan returned
us to the medieval thinking in 1980 in order to save the military complex
at the expense of the federal deficit.   And all the things that people
want to do today like saving the environment and improving the quality
of their daily lives were part of the federal government.  Big business
didn't like working for the good of the people, they want only to work for
the good of themselves.  So they did everything they could to hurt the economy
and get Carter out.   

	Of course Bush was in the CIA at the time, Carter was cutting the 
military establishment to pieces, how could Carter be stopped?  Many
people speculate that the Republicans made a deal with the Iatolla Komeni
to grab hostages and release them after the elections.  How could Republicans
manage that?  Well, until Carter changed government policies Nixon's 
administration was running the puppet government of the Shaw in Iran.  They
still had things in place to pull of a mission such as what happened 
at the Embassy.  And don't you know it, the hostages were released at 
moment Reagan took his oath of office (what a coincidence).

	So after four years of being screwed by big businesses (because
they really have all the power - they make or break the economy) the people
just said stop, its better to have the real crooks in office.  Kind of
the same arguement for legalizing weed in some people's minds, at least you
can keep an eye on it because you know its going to happen anyway.

	This year?  Who wants to get another oil shortage or who knows what
else if we elect a democrate or even a third party candidate?  Big Business
is running the US and until they come under more government control (which
wasn't possible in Iran) they continue to hold the pleasure and punishment.
And we're not talking about ma and pa's store, I mean joe conglomerate who
shuts down a plant in Ohio because he doesn't like Carter's new tax 
proposal designed to make business pay their fair share. 

	Anyway, Carter was pro-legalization/pro-decriminalization.  The 
rest is speculation, although I think it makes a pretty good sequel to 
the JFK movie.  Throw in the assasination of John Lennon by a guy who 
didn't even know who he himself was (ala CIA brainwashing) and you've 
really got a story.  John Lennon was a thorn in the side of everyone who 
supported the military complex.  He was always insisting on peace (not
to mention legalizing marijuana), he was not a member of the grey suit 
crowd and he was usually highly visible.  Of course his death early in 
the Reagan years changed all that.  When he got shoot we knew we were 
in for real trouble, and we got it too.  



						Yours,

						Todd M. Miller

Happy election year!
--

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