COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of October 19, 2012

COPs on the Hill

 COP in the battleground state of Colorado

Stories from the week of October 19, 2012

Misty still has star power:  3  1/2  days travel brought us to Denver and a meeting with the coordinators of Amendment 64; legalize, regulate, tax marijuana.  It only took a few minutes to agree to wear their orange T-shirt, when I am ‘on duty.’  We agreed to an outline of where/when I would spend the next 3 weeks.  It was a pleasure to again see Brian Vincent, Mason Tvert and a nice surprise to see my former colleague from LEAP, Shaleen Title.

 Next day in Fort Collins generated one excellent CBS TV interview + fotos for the local, daily paper and the college paper.  Moreover, the cell phone cameras were out in force, averaging 3 fotos per minute. On the other hand, my cell phone fell off my hip and I barely found it + I left my head set/reins on the side of the road – lost forever.  This experience plus some other boo-boos sobered my passion and plan to work w/o a break for 3 weeks….I am taking Sundays off….damn the too many candles on the birthday cake!

URL for TV piece:  http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20121016/NEWS01/310160021

Friendly crowd? I arrived at 0830 = 3 hours before the arrival of VP Biden’s rally in Greeley.  Windy and cold it was.  Misty & I showed the Amendment 64 placards (see foto below), as the crowd came into the parking area.  My bonus was the arrival of a national, NPR reporter who was doing a story on the 3 states who will vote to legalize marijuana.  We did a 12 minute interview, allowing me to make all my major points.  The local, daily paper also snapped a foto and we had a 5 minute chat.  They published the foto and small article.

 The group was mostly supportive, though I did receive a couple of thumbs down.

 General: – It goes without saying, I am having a dozen + chats everyday with folks on the street. It is always a joy to engage and help move this terrible policy into the history books.   If you feel these efforts and media exposure are worthwhile, please support Misty and me with a donation.  Send to:

 howard wooldridge

POB 543

Buckeystown, MD 21717 

Always good for my morale: The Wall Street Journal published my LTE this week.  This national, conservative newspaper continues to publish views in conflict with their editorials.  On average one in ten of the LTEs I write is published.  Feels good, every time.  The LTE is below.

***************************

Dear Editor,

Writing as a retired Michigan detective, I fundamentally disagree with my colleague Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske’s belief that the police should be involved with drug abuse issues.   Even he agrees that drug abuse is in  part a health issue.

My question to him and President Obama is:  what other health and medical issues should our profession inject itself into, in order to help citizens?  Obesity comes to mind.  Should we take into custody people who are too heavy, place them in a government facility to lose weight and become healthier?   If we follow Chief Kerlikowske’s philosophy, that is where we would go.  However, most police officers would rather catch bad guys. 

Detective/Officer Howard ‘cowboy’  Wooldridge (retired)

Drug Policy Specialist, Citizens Opposing Prohibition

Media this week:

4 newspaper articles

1 radio interview (NPR national broadcast)

1major TV interview