Tania and I went to the rally at the Federal Court Building in downtown Los Angeles for Charles C. Lynch and for the cause of Medical Marijuana this afternoon.

I had emailed Charles to let him know we going to be there and bringing buttons to give away. The official name for the rally was “Hope for Change” – but I finished hoping on Nov. 5th – Now I’m standing up, as are many others, so we get real change that helps us as patients.

I think our fear and silence has let this nonsense go on for too long. It’s true that some of us will take a hit for standing up, but we’ll all lose if no one stands up. I really believe in medical marijuana, I really believe that marijuana is a gift from God.

I also feel like I have nothing more to say that can add to the debate over marijuana use. Over the last 26 years I’ve heard just about every argument on both sides, and frankly, I’m just tired of it… The truth has been said over and over and ignorance still rules the day.

Here’s some photos that Tania took today at the rally…

Today’s Rally:

The injustice is that Charles C. Lynch, a good community business man, is having to go through this whole stupid trial and everything else just because he choose to be compassionate, stepped forward and helped provided relief for numerous MMJ patients in his area.

But the local sheriff who does not like marijuana being legal for people with chronic illnesses, and apparently believes his opinion matters more than the law and the state constitution he’s sworn to uphold, so he called the DEA in to try and ruin this man’s life…

Here’s a bit from the MPP’s newsletter about Charles’ case:

Charles Lynch operated a medical marijuana dispensing collective in Morro Bay, Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers, that helped more than 2,000 seriously ill patients obtain their medicine in a legal, clean, and safe environment. In March 2007, the facility was raided, and federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents later arrested and charged Charles with five counts of marijuana-related federal crimes.

Charles not only complied with California’s long-standing medical marijuana laws, he was operating under a license issued by the City of Morro Bay and was a well-respected member of the local community. Nevertheless, Charles was treated like a common criminal under draconian federal marijuana laws, and the county sheriff even cooperated with the subversion of state law.

The jury in Charles’ trial was not allowed to hear any information relating to medical marijuana and his compliance with state law. Consequently, on August 5, 2008, Charles was found guilty on all counts.

While President Obama has pledged to end the raids on state-legal medical marijuana providers, that does little to help Charles. He is one several providers still facing federal charges or sentencing from raids during the Bush administration. His sentencing is set for March 23, and if the judge doesn’t show discretion because of Charles’ status under state law he could end up spending the rest of his life in prison.

I made a bunch of buttons over the weekend for the rally that look like this…

I quickly gave away all 120-150 buttons and got to walk around, talk to a few folks… I haven’t been feeling so great (the flu – almost over it now…) so we cut out after a bit. I just wanted everyone to have a souvenir of a moment, a moment when we know we stood for this movement, we stood for Charles, stood for justice, we stood for change…

For those that got a button today – Wear it proudly, proud that you stood up, proud that you’re part of the change, and not just talking about it…and I hope it brings a smile to your face when you a digging through a box of old stuff 20 years from now and find this little button and you remember those crazy days back when marijuana was illegal…

A movement isn’t just a one day event, but a series of steps to reach a goal.

Help Charles C. Lynch reach the goal of staying out of prison and getting back to his life.

Visit his website: (http://www.friendsofccl.com/) and send him a message of support today. On his site are listed a number of ways you can help. On March 23rd he gets sentenced…

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Post tags: adm, Bush, business man, cans, central coast, Change, charles c, community business, compassionate caregivers, dea, debate, email, fear, federal drug enforcement, gift from god, god, goodness, half hour, ill patients, injustice, marijuana, medical marijuana, medication, morro bay, mpp, nonsense, Obama, rally, silence, souvenirs, speeches, state constitution, tania, truth, who

Introduction

I am going to try and share a story I haven’t entirely figured out how to piece together yet, but will play out over the next few days…

I’ve watched it over and over in my head this last week… little pieces, little scenes, the same story, different play, same subject, different players….

It’s as if I’ve been watching T.V. – switching from channel to channel, but even as the program changes, the subject is always the same. Esau and Jacob, the 2008 Presidential race and the future…

It’s a story that moves and changes like a dream; like an episode of Monty Pythons Flying Circus or a History Channel documentary, loosely spliced and wandering from free association to free association like a drunken bee in a flower garden.

The Ingredients

STEW: This is a word with several meanings, from (1) cooking food by simmering or low boil to (2) fussing and fretting to (3) suffering the consequences of one’s own actions.

Beginning with the first meaning, let’s see how we go about making this particular stew.

The broth of this stew is “based on a true story” because I’ve lifted it completely from the story of Esau and Jacob in the Bible.

Notes for those following along at home: You can find this story in any standard issue Bible in the first book of the Old Testament, Genesis, ranging from chapters 24 through 27 with extra bonus reading about Esau in Hebrews, chapter 12. Hebrews is one of the books of the New Testament, near the back of the Bible.

More on the broth in a moment, but first…

The STEW Who’s Who

The main ingredients of the story consists of four people…

Esau: The older twin, the big brother, hunter, “man of the fields”, and a rough, hairy man – he’s dad’s favorite. He’s the one who should inherit it all.

He symbolizes the Republicans, the Neocons, the sold-out conservatives hanging on because of sheer loyalty, and, most importantly, “The Religious Right” with a special bonus extra credit shout out to “right wing Christians”, and Christians that call themselves “value voters”…

Esau’s nickname is “Red” and is played by John “Red” McCain.

Jacob: The younger twin. Smooth skinned and a “tent-dweller.” He’s mother’s favorite, ambitious, knows what’s at stake and knows how to get it.

He symbolizes the Democrats, but also symbolizes the future transformation of the USA.

His nickname is “Smooth” and played by Barack “Smooth” Obama.

Isaac: The Second Patriarch in a blessed line of Patriarchs. The Son of Promise that is now an old man going blind and foreseeing his own demise.

He symbolizes the good old US of A. You and me, the vast historical, mythological, cosmic and collective expression of the several centuries of this country we call home.

His nickname is “The Gipper”, and is played by former President Ronald “The Gipper” Reagan in a stunning return from the dead for one last head-shaking performance.

Rebekah: Isaac’s wife. Beautiful, rich and manipulative. She’s the mother of Isaac’s twins, but she prefers Jacob, the younger one.

She symbolizes our Constitution, our Capitalist system and it’s expression through the media (the left-wing media if it makes you feel better) in all it’s glory.

Her nickname is the “Material Girl” and is played by the original Material Girl – Madonna.

God’s Broth – or – the Blessing

Because of the mystical and symbolic nature of the rest of this story, I’m going to have to call in Professor Yarnhead to give us an understanding of the ingredients that have gone into making this broth.

Professor Yarnhead is a self-proclaimed specialist in the field of interpretive Biblical prophecy – always a recession-proof industry.

He is going to try and take us back through the grains of the sands of time…

Visuals: Still images, old-fashioned illustrations and archival clip art floats across the screen here to invoke the feeling of history and antiquity – Otherwise known as “The History Channel Collage Style.”

Professor Yarnhead begins:

It was the time of the Patriarchs, a mysterious time when Man was socially evolving from tribes to nations.

El-Shaddai – also known as God Almighty, had called a descendant from the line of Shem, one of the three sons of Noah, to come out from his family, out from his tribe and lands… and out of this one man, He, El-Shaddai, God Almighty would prepare and bring about the next step for Man.

This man, Abram, followed this call from El-Shaddai and received “The Blessing.”

When Abram received this Blessing, El-Shaddai changed his name to Abraham, which means “Father of Nations” and from this first Patriarch all the nations of the world descended and were blessed.

This Blessing is something we don’t understand anymore, nor do we know the power of El-Shaddai as Abram did…

But this was an earlier time, before many of the mysteries were forgotten, when some people still understood that the Blessing is everything.

This Blessing is not a moral prize which is won by your own virtue. The Blessing of El-Shaddai is the Grand Prize of all the possible prizes in the world, and is a prize of faith.

El-Shaddai gave the Blessing to Abraham because he believed God, and so he also became the Patriarch of western religion and faith.

Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac.

Ishmael was born first, but from Abraham’s wife’s maid Hagar (they did that kind of stuff back then), because Abraham was having trouble waiting for God to get around to doing what he promised to do – give him a son.

Thirteen years later, Sarah, Abraham’s wife got pregnant, and had the Son of Promise – Isaac.

Note: Ishmael and the results of this situation launches a whole other subject that’s too big to go into here…

It was during a traumatic camping trip when Isaac was young that he nearly got sacrificed to El-Shaddai by his father, Abraham, only to be saved by the intervention of an angel from God that pointed out a ram caught in the nearby bushes.

They sacrificed the ram instead, and made some stew… and that stew stuck with Isaac.

Years later, when Isaac had grown, Abraham decided that his son needed a wife, but not one of the local Canaanite girls…

History Flash: Canaanite Women Bad: In the Noah blessing sweepstakes (Genesis 9:25-27), Canaan was the loser, Japheth comes in second and Shem grabs the big prize blessing.

So Abraham sent his most trusted servant back to the birthplace of civilization, Mesopotamia, to find a suitable wife for Isaac from among his relatives. [See Genesis 24]

Setting: Professor Yarnhead fades out…

Well, I think I’ll let this stew simmer overnight and add some more ingredients tomorrow, stir it some more…

Tune in tomorrow for Part 2: Journey to Mesopotamia, The Twins, and more…

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Post tags: abraham, bible, bible notes, big brother, books of the new testament, Bush, Change, Esau, esau and jacob, first book of the old testament, goodness, hebrews chapter 12, history channel, images, introduction, Jacob, launch, McCain, monty pythons flying circus, neocons, Obama, presidential race, reagan, rebekah, religions, religious right, Republicans, STEW, suffering, symbolism, Twins, who

People, I Just Got To Speak About Something

I am offended by John McCain and what he has done in his craven, last-gasp attempt at the presidency  – Injecting a not-ready-for-prime-time-way-right-wing governor of Alaska into this race in an attempt to use celebrity to make people look past the reality of what’s going on, and get himself elected. I used to like John McCain, and this, my friend, is no John McCain.

Flash Back A Couple of Months…

Anyone remember a couple of weeks before the Democrat convention when the McCain campaign was making a big issue about Barack Obama just being a “Celebrity” – while Barack was out on the campaign trail everyday, talking to people, talking to reporters, discussing issues and his plans… of course Barack is no “celebrity” (a large cultural insult from the Right against the celebrity culture they hate – and crave) – and now being a celebrity is wrong? I thought our nation was crazy about celebrities… but that all aside – it was a stupid campaign trick, but here’s the follow-up…

What Has Happened Since Then…

Barack Obama has a great convention, adds Joe Biden to his ticket and beefs up his foreign policy stand, heck, I even decided to vote for Obama instead of the usual Libertarian candidate (in case you don’t know, I come from a right-wing, Christian, libertarian background – I feel especially betrayed this year).

Then John McCain has his anointing party/right-wing freak show (Drill baby, drill???) and selects who(???) as his running mate. Sarah Palin. She’s so unknown you have to wonder why ol’ John choose her. I mean, if he wanted to “out-Hillary” Obama he could have choose a number of smart, experienced, Republican women for the ticket. But he didn’t. He choose someone only the small population of Alaska knew anything about so this campaign could write the script for her, this is the McCain movie – here’s your lines.

And then they (the McCain campaign) kept her away from everyone – like some celebrity – and only allowed her to appear at carefully controlled events and interviews – like a celebrity… and then I had to watch this debate tonight.

Beauty queen recites carefully-coached lines – not answering questions (is that a celebrity or just an old-school politician?), but instead – again – spouting carefully-coached line. It’s the Stepford-Vice-President. And then when she endorsed Dick Cheney’s view of the VP job and the expansion of executive power I think I heard all I need to know about her worldview… SCARY!

Meanwhile ol’ Joe is being Joe Biden, trying to explain very complex issues in the two minutes he has while trying not to make a big gaff, not look like a mean man beating up on the delicate flower, I mean, celebrity VP candidate. I sat there watching Sen. Biden, who I have often disagreed with, and thought, this man knows what he’s talking about. Nice choice Obama.

Bottom Line

Heart beat away: Just think it through… Joe Biden or Sarah “Oh golly” Palin. Folksy may work in Alaska, but I don’t want my VP talking folksy to world leaders in times of crisis – “Well golly Putin…”. She may be a great hockey mom or whatever, but there are a ton of those, and does that make them just as qualified to be VP? I’m not sold on Palin’s credentials, but Sen. Biden – we know he has the experience.

Right-Wing Idiots: Why do the Republicans keep giving us the useful idiots? Dan Quayle, George W. Bush, Sarah Palin. I mean the Democrats don’t do so hot either (what were they thinking with John Kerry, George Dukakis…), but this year they have it nailed. But these Republicans… (sorry, I just had to go off there.)

Killing Christianity in America: As a Christian this is the hardest part for me. We are watching some of the final nails in the coffin of Christianity as we know it in America. The evangelicals have sold out the Kingdom of God for a cheap bowl of political soup. Tax rules will be changed, this power grab will be slapped down by those that are much better at this game. And the cause of Christ? Yet another betrayal by those that should know better… Churches fighting the IRS by preaching politics from the pulpit, come on. That’s just like Jesus would have done, right? (render unto Cesar what belongs to Cesar) – not at all!

Please – do everything possible to help Barack get elected, because if I’ve seen our future leader debate Joe Biden tonight, people like me (you know, those artist types) will be be enjoying the pleasure of extraordinary rendition in the very near future. I wish I was just kidding.

Rant over.

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© Jon, onehumanbeing for onehumanbeing.com, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Barack Obama, Bush, celebrity culture, debate, democrat convention, election, freak show, governor of alaska, hillary, joe biden, john mccain, libertarian candidate, McCain, mccain campaign, Obama, Palin, population of alaska, presidency, prime time, republican women, Republicans, sarah palin, vice president

I grew up as a Christian, and still consider myself one… I mean when it comes to Jesus – I’m a big fan of His work! But this strange Republican-Evangelical love-in freak show has me bothered – really bothered.

Being a Christian means something, I mean, just on the word-usage level. When you say you’re a Christian to someone who doesn’t know you, it carries a certain kind of shorthand statement about you to that person, based on what the word “Christian” means to them.

I don’t know what to call myself since the 2004 election here in the USA. I mean – those Bush Christians, and now a even worse mutation, Palin Christians, don’t resemble anything like Christianity that resembles Jesus’ teachings. Hate your neighbor, attack first, lie, take advantage of the most vulnerable in society – not your grandfather’s Christianity…

And more of the same has the Evangelical Right Wing going crazy? This is Christianity to them? I’m really confused… or they are.

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© Jon, onehumanbeing for onehumanbeing.com, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bush, christian value, christianity, christians, election, freak show, jesus teachings, love, Lying, mutation, neighbor, Palin, Republicans, right wing, shorthand, word usage