by: Adam Brook
Let me start by addressing an issue that was in March issue. My good friend, and MMMR contributor John Sinclair took the HASH BASH to task. Knowing John as I do, I know that while he was “cheesed off”, he was not as offended as I was. As John mentioned he has had a “voluntary commitment to the event". For that I can not thank him enough. He has been a good friend of mine for the last 15 or so years. I only hope that the actions of a few knuckleheads can be made right. John wrote that I had "tight but benevolent control” of HASH BASH.
Benevolent (def:) characterized by or given to doing good.
Control (def:} to exercise authoritative or dominating influence over; direct.
While some folks might not appreciate the way I run HASH BASH, I think that my work speaks for itself. I will not get into the things I have done for HASH BASH other to say two things; I have never told anyone who contacted me that they could not speak (based on who they were or what they had to say might effect their time allotted) and more importantly I have never upset John Sinclair. I consider him The Prophet of The Michigan Marijuana Movement. While I have some reservations about returning to the helm of HASH BASH, I see I am not left with much choice. Let everyone reading this know we will be paying for John's airfare, hotel, meals and pay him a more that fair honorarium to appear at The 43rd Annual Ann Arbor HASH BASH. I guess the reason I was so offended by this is that for the last 20+ years I worked my ass off for the HASH BASH. I get nothing out of it other than the satisfaction that I put on a great event. Don't get me wrong I'd love to get paid for the work I do, however I could never take any money knowing what it takes to make HASH BASH happen.
House Bill 4623
House Bill 4623, sponsored by and old friend of my Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, has been introduced in the Michigan house. It has two Republicans and three Democrats as cosponsors. Of course as soon as the bill was announced the haters came out of the woodwork. The saddest part about these people who have come out against this bill is that they are funded with taxpayer’s dollars. Now these people are really swine at the public trough. You will find that most of these people are past addicts who figured out how to demonize people and accept government funds to do so. These people have even enlisted the support U.S. Rep Sander Levin, Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith and Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham in their latest cause. That being an event to promote a new campaign called Mobilizing Michigan-Protecting Our Kids From Marijuana. Now, I have not seen the information about this campaign but I did read a quote from Tim Beck about it. Tim tried to sign up for the event and was turned away. (how does a group who accepts public funds turn away the public from one of their events) But Tim is smarter than the average prohibitionist and showed up, gave a fake name and participated in the event. (D’OH!) Now I agree with Tim when he says that these people "are doing the right thing" and that "no rational person who believes that marijuana should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol thinks kids should be using any of these substances. My question to these people is why do you not come out and promote the law of the State? Where is the group getting public funds to promote the MMMA? Now I saw the Governor on TV when this bill was introduced and he was asked if he would sign it if it landed on his desk? His response was that he does not respond to hypotheticals. He also said that he has about jobs. That got me thinking about how jobs could be part of such a bill. I think I got it. What if all fines under this bill, or one like it, were to be used ONLY to hire police officers. The prohibitionists believe that this is such a problem you would think they would support such a bill if they knew the funds (which they would think would be great) went to hire police officers. I just hope that the committee will pass this bill on to the full house, and that the members of the house remember how many of their constituents voted for the
MMMA.
Writing about House Bill 4623 got me to thinking about the future. If we are able to get the laws changed here in Michigan or even nationwide, what would become of HASH BASH? After all it is really a smoke-in to protest the currant laws. IF WE HAVE NOTHING TO PROTEST WOULD IT BE NEEDED? While many of you reading this enjoy going to Ann Arbor and seeing the speeches on the Diag and then moving over to The Monroe Street Fair, there are those of us who remember when we would spend the whole day on the Diag with vendors and activist tables promoting the cause. Since the University has become a hostile environment we spend as little time on campus as required to get our message out. It has dawned on me that once the laws change (which they will, as to when who knows) an event like LIBERATION DAY, which at least in name, should be our focus. Now I do believe that once the laws are changed the original concept of having multiple LIBERATION DAY events throughout the state would be a wasted effort. One event, one LARGE event, proving that people who use marijuana can gather in large numbers have fun and celebrate the change in the laws would be the way to go. While not centrally located I know that DETROIT is the best place for such an event. The currant location of the Detroit LIBERATION DAY event is somewhat limiting in how many people it would hold, there ae other options. Why Detroit, I can hear the folks to the west and up north asking? I think it's real simple. Can you name any other city where they do not have the infrastructure to stop us from holding such an event? The City of Detroit says pay your permit fees, clean up after yourselves, and get out, pretty simple if you ask me. So keep up the pressure. Call your state reps and tell them you want them to support HB 4623 It takes less than 5 minutes to make that call.
As of this writing I have just over 21 more weeks of this hell. I look forward to holding my wife, spending time with my (now) l year old son, and smoking copious amounts of marijuana, not necessarily in that order, but don't tell my wife. Matter of fact I might squeeze a little better if I have a good buzz on.
Make that call!!!
Peace,
Adam Brook #816462
Jackson Correctional Facility
