Stories from the week of February 10, 2012

COP on the Hill

Your Voice in the United States Congress

 CPAC palooza:  The annual gathering of 12,000 rabid conservatives.  And this year’s produced the most for COP by a factor of two.  My voice went hoarse on the last day which was not a huge problem = I kept talking.  Here is a sample: New York Magazine- Cowboy Cop Makes the Conservative Case for Marijuana Legalization at CPAC

 From entering the Metro subway on Thursday morn and a transit cop giving me a ‘thumbs up’ upon reading my jacket, to an on-duty cop in the hotel asking if he could take a foto of my shirt illustrated a three day love fest.   Circa 150 had a foto taken with me and the shirt + xxx taken without me knowing.  Facebook audience for the fotos is large and the size unknowable.  I also put out my first tweet! = @CannabisCop

Still don’t need no stinkin booth:  I did 8 in-camera interviews & 5 reporter/blog interviews the first day.  By Saturday night the totals were 12 in camera, 3 radio and 11 other formal interviews.  I passed out circa 300 business cards to those who asked why.  Once I had two camera crews waiting for me to finish what I was doing. (they waited!!)  It was gratifying that the topic/shirt generated that level of interest.

I was able to network better because I had a ‘Diamond’ pass, instead of the usual regular pass.  Sadly a friend and COP member Ethel Rowland had purchased the ‘Diamond’ and then was unable to attend.  She was able to transfer the pass to me, allowing access to the best seats, fancy dinners and exposure.

Run Sarah run:  I was able to secure a front row seat in the VIP section by arriving three hours early.  After Sarah Palin spoke, she came over to shake hands.  When she reached me, she stepped back, read the shirt and said, as we shook hands, “You’d like it in Alaska.”  I smiled and nodded in agreement.

NOTE:  one-two hecklers interrupted Gov. Palin half-way thru her speech.   Within five seconds we were screaming, “U S A, U S A, U S A” till the hecklers were silenced.

Nurse Karen not happy again:  46 hours of stress in 3 days did push me over the limit.  Leaving on Saturday I was a bit shaky on the left side and will take next week off from Congress.

**no more black hats per my fashion consultant = Karen

 Stats for COP’s third year, started on August 1, 2011:

254 presentations to Congressional staffers:   0 this week

6 Letter to the Editor:  1 this week (at bottom)

3 Major Television appearances (Univision, BBC):  1 this week

16 Other media (blogs, cable TV, etc):  11 this week

10 radio shows:   3  this week

12 (Member of Congress or VIP) contacts:  1 this week

Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 140 conservative VIPs.

3 Major conferences attended: Drug Policy Alliance International,the Congressional Black Caucus September conference & CPAC – Conservative Political Action Conference

Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year.   All contributions are tax-deductible.   Law Enforcement’s voice in opposition to current policy is vital on the Hill to achieve a repeal of federal prohibition.  COP provides that voice.   If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow…  Go to:

www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to: 

COP

POB 2902

Washington, DC  20013

If you have questions or comments, please send an email to: howard@citizensopposingprohibition.org

COP total stats in first two years:  August 1, 2009 thru July 31, 2011)

 649 Presentations to Congressional staffers

22 Appearances on major TV networks

10 published interviews in newspapers

12 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, etc

57 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $56,000)

19 brief chats with Members of Congress

13 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, etc.

6 major conferences attended (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, etc)

Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 140 conservative VIPs.

Website: http://www.postindependent.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/821
Author: Howard Wooldridge
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n103/a06.html

LEGALIZE POT AND GET RID OF BLACK MARKET

Writing from my perspective as a retired street cop, the Feb.  5 article by Rebecca Jones, “Valley teen: Marijuana is widely available,” demonstrated the need to treat marijuana like alcohol, that is, legal, regulated and taxed.  Kids are not selling beer and cigarettes in school, just an illegal drug like marijuana.

Drug policies modeled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black market.  Illegal drug dealers don’t ask for identification for age, but they do recruit minors immune to adult sentences.  So much for protecting the children.

No teen should have the job option to sell drugs.  To help our kids, we should repeal this marijuana prohibition today.

Howard Wooldridge

Golden