E-mail in May for Decriminalization

The week after next week is officially "Email Chicago for Hemp Decriminalization Week". A major television station in Chicago is now online with e-mail capabilities. This station is WGN-TV, Channel 9, a networked television station that is watched not only in Chicago but in other cities around the country as well. May 14th is the "Windy City Weedfest" in Chicago, and the city of Chicago is currently considering decriminalizing possession of less than 2.5 grams of marijuana. Right now there is a $500 fine with 30 days in jail for possession of that amount. The proposal is to institute a $250 fine with NO ARREST, no jail-time, and NO RECORD. They are saying currently, these non-violent offenders are clogging the courts. The H.E.M.P. BBS (Help End Marijuana Prohibition) requests that anti-prohibitionist email users everywhere send WGN email during the week of May 7 to May 14, voicing their opinions on the War on Drugs and asking WGN to give some coverage to the Weedfest and the proposed decriminalization ordinance. WGN's email address is "[email protected]". Following is a description of the H.E.M.P. BBS, and a sample letter to WGN, written by H.E.M.P. BBS systems operator Sean Whiting.

InterNet/VirtualNet Newsgroups and e-mail access available. A service dedicated to providing important, FACTUAL information about drugs and the movement towards legalization.

We also carry current news feeds that provide us with up-to-date news events specific to the Chicago and Northwest Indiana areas. We carry every Internet newsgroup available that relates to drugs, including alt.drugs, talk.drugs.politics, alt.hemp, talk.corrupt.government, alt.lucid.dreams, and more! Converse through e-mail with people in countries where drugs have been legalized/decriminalized to find out what the real facts are. Find out how it has helped REDUCE crime. You can even send e-mail to President Clinton to let him know your views on the current drug laws.

We carry an EXTENSIVE archive site on legislation, how-to's, and anything relating to drugs, and in particular, HEMP (marijuana), and all of it's important uses.

Call Today! (219)763-2357 3-14.4bps

******************************** Immediate access available on first call! ********************************

NOTE: We do not condone any illegal activity on our BBS. We abide by all laws, including local, state, and federal. We are exercising our 1st Amendment right to freedom of expression and speech by discussing the issues surrounding drugs, both pro and con. We are not in existance to break the law, we are in existance to provide factual information, which is hard to find in this propaganda-riden country.

Dear WGN-TV,

I am pleased that your station has taken a bold step by offering your viewers the opportunity to contact you via e-mail. As such, I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss an issue the media has been so good at side-stepping. This issue is our nation's current War On (Some) Drugs.

Crime has been a hot topic lately. Everyone thinks they can solve the crime problem by instituting more penalties for offenders. However, they fail to look at the root of the problem. The problem is not by having lenient penalties, but it's a problem of where to put the offenders once they are arrested. Currently, non-violent offenders are getting mandatory minimums while violent offenders are walking.

The City of Chicago has recognized this. They are currently in the process of passing an ordinance for decriminalizing marijuana. Obviously, the laws aren't working, so it is time for a change. People might argue that more people will use marijuana, but I ask you, are the laws preventing anyway from doing it now? I think not.

I'd like to ask your station to take a closer look at the situation. Why not do a story on the TRUTH surrounding the drug issue. Dig deeper, and you might just be surprised. There are more people supporting this issue than you might first realize.

As a reminder, the Windy City Weedfest will be held on Saturday, May 14th at Cricket Hill. Can we count on your station being there?

Sincerely,

xxxxxxxxxxx, A WGN-TV Viewer.

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