Pubdate: Fri, 26 Apr 2002
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Chuck Beyer

POT LAWS PERPETUATE TYRANNY

Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP Keith Martin is right. We really must question 
the nature of democracy in Canada.

Seventy-six per cent of Canadians no longer believe it is the role of the 
state to criminalize their brothers, sons and daughters for smoking pot.

Yet the Liberals wish to keep the "Dante's Inferno" called the War on Drugs 
going full throttle.

If it was to appease the American Drug War monster, where imprisoning their 
sons and daughters has become the biggest industry in the U.S., the 
Liberals missed an opportunity to say to the U.S. that it is not acceptable 
to treat citizens like animals.

This disregard for Canadian citizens' wishes may have more to do with the 
prime minister. Maybe a new social reality requires a prime minister a 
little younger, a little more able to deal with the fact that in a 
democracy you only have criminal law that is supported by the people, and 
that the present state of affairs -- a law supported by only 30 per cent of 
Canadian citizens -- is a tyranny.

Chuck Beyer,

Victoria.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart