Legislature must listen to citizens' interests
The only opposition to the proposed legalization of marijuana for medical purposes will be from those whose agendas are financed by the current illegal status of all marijuana possession (""Medical marijuana bill deserves real consideration,"" Jan. 23). That would include law enforcement (police, courts and prisons) and the pharmaceutical industry, which resents the fact many patients prefer marijuana over high priced and addictive narcotics.
They will accuse supporters of trying to subtly move your state to full legalization for adult marijuana use, while ignoring the fact that such a move would require the support of Wisconsin's legislature. If that support even potentially existed, no subtlety would be required.
After wailing about their perception of the negative consequences from using marijuana medically and their double-speak about ""sending the wrong message,"" it should be clear what their own true message is: Citizens who use marijuana on the recommendation of their personal physician should be arrested, prosecuted and incarcerated. Any way they try to spin it, this is their fundamental belief.
Citizens and medical patients around the country watch the current events in Wisconsin with great interest. Here's hoping you choose to place rational, compassionate reason over the hysteria propagated by America's drug warriors.
UK government made Irish terrorism possible
Peter Mandelson, a former British Secretary of State, has had the good grace to acknowledge the truth that the Provisional Irish Republican Army is not a terrorist organization. He chose to describe the IRA as ""resisters"" and ""freedom fighters"" on Britain's Channel 4's television review of the year 2001.
Perhaps friends of Irish freedom should be grateful for small boosts in morale as provided by Mr. Mandelson; nevertheless, it should be pointed out that there is a certain irony in having a former official spokesperson for British imperialism absolve the IRA of terrorism in light of the fact that it is the British who have been responsible for the demoralization, brutalization and the terrorization of Ireland for over eight centuries.
Postal workers in Belfast have now been targeted for death merely because they are Catholic. One postal worker has already been killed because of his faith. Moreover, Catholic schoolchildren in Belfast are still under continuous assault by sectarian minds cursed with the bigotry that only comes with the likes of the Orange Order and Paisleyism.
We should never forget who the real terrorists in Ireland are. They include the government of which Mr. Mandelson was once a part, as it is the government of the United Kingdom that has made the sectarian murders of Catholic postal workers and continuing terrorization of Catholic school children possible.
