Posted June 9th, 2011 by hiwayhowie
COPs on the Hill
Your Voice in the United States Congress
Thrown off the horse? Get back on! Recall that my last full day in the House before vacation, I struck out in some 54 offices, except one. It was absolutely discouraging.. Was I or my message losing its touch? Going door to door is a tough path, but it had always yielded close to my max of seven (7) presentations per work day. (note: doing more than seven = my brain could not remember what I had said to an aide= sounding foolish)
My first day back scored 6 presentations, all excellent and I took a shot of Crown Royal tonight to celebrate.
Rubbing elbows with VIPs: Two years of attending Grover Norquist’s brunch continues to pay dividends. This week I asked a member of the Republican National Committee to help me with messaging for the LULAC conference (League of United Latin American Citizens) later this month in Cincinnati. We chatted in Spanish for five minutes. He agreed with the messages I had going in: 1) Drugs are too dangerous to leave in the hands of criminals. 2) To protect teens, they should not have the job option to sell drugs. 3) Kids will have better educational opportunities and scholarships, when we don’t waste money on MJ. 4) Arrest more bad guys who hurt children by not wasting time on adults using MJ…..He liked those four and gave me this one: Too many Latinos lose their right to vote, due to a drug conviction.
Not only did I receive a new nugget* and positive feedback, the chat probably reminded him that this topic needs to be addressed. NOTE: I have been a bit surprised that the four Latinos from whom I have asked for messaging help, none have mentioned the horror of Mexican deaths.
Will it make any difference?: This week the Global Commission on Drug Policy published a 24 page report of their findings. The executive summary starts out: “The global war on drugs has failed…..” Heavy hitters were on the commission including Paul Volcker (ex Federal Reserve Chairman), George Schultz (ex Secretary of State under Reagan), John Whitehead (ex Dep. Secretary of State under Reagan), ex-presidents of three countries –plus-the current president of Greece & more. Will such voices make current politicians move off the dime?* Previous panels like this have had little to zero impact. Full report: http://globalcommissionondrugs.org/Report
*nugget = gute Idee
*move off the dime = eine neue Politk einführen
COPs 2nd year stats to date:
137 presentations to Congressional staffers: 6 this week
TV appearances: 11 (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, cable)
Newspaper stories: 7 dailes, 3 weeklies
Radio appearances: 8 ( this week)
Published LTE: 14 (this week)
Other media (bloggers, cable TV, minor publications, etc): 12 ( this week)
(Member of Congress) contacts: this week
5 other VIP (MD state Senator & Rep):
Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. Your support keeps the COP voice loud and strong in the halls of the United States Congress. We 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 772
Buckeystown, MD 21717
Posted May 9th, 2011 by hiwayhowie
COPs on the Hill
Your Voice in the United States Congress
How does one talk to an armed citizen?: This weekend I attended (first time) a three day conference of the NRA – National Rifle Association. Conservatives are roughly two to one against the COP position. Ergo, go to where folks need to be educated and or pushed to question their current position.
As I have been a small-time shooter since the age of 9, I believed – incorrectly – I would feel right at home. Who knew 20 odd companies made assault rifles, beside a couple of dozen pistol makers? We could have started and won a war with just the guns in the conventional hall. The COPs t-shirt attracted many stares and about 30-40 people per day asking me why. Of the estimated 70,000 attendees about 5 to 9,000 read the shirt. I also was on the local FM talk radio station for the afternoon (due to a relationship between the radio host with a COPs member) + 3 other print media interviews. I was pleased with the impact of the effort. I am seriously considering having a booth next year.
The first half of the first day I answered the ‘why’ question with the standard answer of ‘protect our children better by not wasting time on Willie Nelson and college kids.’ It worked as always but I felt a need to speak the NRA language better…voilá. My follow-up question was: ‘We all believe passionately that adult citizens should not only be allowed to own a gun but that we should be allowed to carry deadly force wherever we go. Since we trust ourselves with a gun, why do we not allow the same citizen to own a bit of green plant in their house?’ Poof….the unassailable* analogy. That question won over the few that were undecided that I spoke with. Women especially liked the ‘protect our children better’ line…thanks Karen (my better ¾).
Good police work? On the last day a Pittsburgh police sergeant in uniform asked me why. We had the usual 3-4 minute good chat with him already agreeing with the COP position. When I offered him my card, he declined, saying he already knew who I was and had been to the COPs’ website. Yikes! or know about the person you are about to talk to!
The next conference is in late June –LULAC – League of United Latino American Citizens – I will try to come up with a Latino line of argument before I arrive. Know one? in Spanish? Mejorar la protección de los niños en vez de malgastar tiempo con hierba!”= protect our kids better by not wasting time on MJ.
*unassailable –unangreifbar
COPs 2nd year stats to date:
TV appearances: 11 (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, cable)
Newspaper stories: 7 dailes, 3 weeklies
Radio appearances: 8 (one this week)
Published LTE: 14 (one this week)
Other media (bloggers, cable TV, minor publications, etc): 12 (3 this week)
127 presentations to Congressional staffers:
8 (Member of Congress) contacts:
5 other VIP (MD state Senator & Rep):
Consider being a member of COPs at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. Your support keeps the COPs voice loud and strong in the halls of the United States Congress. We 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 772
Buckeystown, MD 21717
Posted May 8th, 2011 by hiwayhowie
PURSUIT OF DRUG USERS WASTES POLICE RESOURCES
Speaking as a retired detective, I don’t care whether drug courts are effective. My problem is that either way, you will have my profession wasting precious police time chasing the Charlie Sheens and Willie Nelsons of Georgia. As the Thin Blue Line gets thinner, and pedophiles are thick in the chat rooms trying to meet teens in real life, chasing drug users is simply insane.
Who still believes that the government can fix stupid? Families should look after loved ones with a drug issue.
Howard Wooldridge, Albany
Posted May 6th, 2011 by hiwayhowie
BLAME DRUG PROHIBITION
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, and The Dallas Morning News don’t have a clue on how to solve the horror and misery that is Mexico today.
They naively believe that tougher penalties will have an impact? Please. As a retired detective, I know that drug dealers accept, as a condition of employment, death and long prison terms.
Drug prohibition is the cause of all the beheadings. To end Mexico’s death and misery, we need to repeal our drug prohibition just like we did in 1933. As women and children are shot dead every day in Mexico, it is immoral for our country to continue this failed, trillion-dollar modern prohibition.
Howard Wooldridge, Dallas
Posted May 6th, 2011 by hiwayhowie
Your voice in the United States Congress
Stories from the week of April 15, 2011
Know your history: Waiting to cross the last street before entering the Longworth building, I noticed the gentleman’s folder with the title: Armenian Issues. I asked if that was his purpose going to the hill. He replied his constituents wanted justice on the issue. I gave him my basic understanding of the forced march during WWI of the Armenians by the Turks and the estimate of perhaps one million died.
We kept chatting into the bldg. I gave him a one sentence of my advocacy before he by-passed the metal detector. Chatting with a Congressman is always a great start to my day.
Be a (Texas) gentleman: Passing Congresswoman Schmidt (R-OH) in the hall on Friday, I tipped my hat to her. That triggered a 30 second chat. She was the first Member I ever spoke to after my arrival in the fall of 2005. I had not seen her since.
Modern, free marketing: This week at Grover’s Brunch came a woman who is an expert on how to use Facebook for pushing an issue. Free, expert advice for a free and effective marketing tool works for COPs limited budget. She is first on my list next week to contact.
NOTE: I will be away the next 10 days taking care of my mom = driving her up to and settled in her summer home in Michigan. On my way back I will attend the 3 day NRA (National Rifle Association) conference in Pittsburgh.
COPs 2nd year stats to date:
TV appearances: 12 (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, cable)
Newspaper stories: 6 dailes, 3 weeklies
Radio appearances: 6
Published LTE: 14 ( one this week)
157 presentations to Congressional staffers: (12 this week)
14 (Member of Congress) contacts : ( 2 this week)
5 other VIP (MD state legislators):
Consider being a member of COPs at $30.00 or more per year. Your support keeps the COPs voice loud and strong in the halls of the United States Congress. We 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 772
Buckeystown, MD 21717
