Profiles in Courage
During a quick stop at the on-line Fullerton Observer I read an article by Jane Rands about a dope forum held by the folks at NUFF – an organization of mostly geriatric liberals whose mission seems to be to promote safely pro-government candidates and causes. Aha, thought I, perhaps someone will stand up for the rights of the people of California who have voted twice for marijuana legalization and twice have been thwarted, whenever possible, by the Drug Warrior/Prison Industrial Complex.
The three members of a panel, selected by who knows who, were Ahmad Zahra, Temp Fullerton Top Cop Bob Dunn, and some dude named Richard Ham about whom I know nothing.
Whatever hopes I had about this get together were quickly dashed reading the article. Smilin’ Zahra, it seems, once got a prescription for medical weed for his fibromyalgia, but was too chicken to try it. Scary stuff. Ever the wordy equivocator, Zahra seemed to be all for lots of regulation because gosh darn it, the kids have already been exposed to cannabis by illicit shops popping up next to schools.
The large and seemingly self-satisfied Chief Dunn, who used to be a spokeshole for the notorious Anaheim Police Department, gave the usual cop-blather about the evils of drugs (kiddies were getting into mom and dad’s digestible stash!) and reminding Fullerton’s tremulous seniors that drug driving is a crime. In typical police fashion he suggested that a confused public causes his boys “a lot of effort with little return.” Same ol’ bullshit the cops have been peddling for 60 years. In a grand gesture of philanthropy, however, he did let it be known that he and his posse intended to follow the law. Gee thanks, Bob.
The third member of the Dope Troika was Mr. Ham, a Korean business guy in some sort of hotel business. Good thing he was there, because somebody was able to point out the all the flaws in the present system where cities are allowed to opt-out of legalization and the ultimate consequences of California ridiculous 2016 referendum: the maintenance of an illegal, underground system of cultivation and distribution.
Zahra proclaimed the meeting a “good start” begging the question of why in the world anyone needs to start considering these issues. Why there is any confusion about marijuana in this state after over twenty years of legalization? It’s because the cops and the cowardly politicians don’t want clarity, they don’t want freedom and they don’t want to be deprived of the seizure asset income they get from the War on Drugs.
Mr. Zahra did accomplish one thing. Because of the presence of Mayor Jesus and Jan Flory he warned of the dangers of a Brown Act violation, chasing our stalwart mayor out of the room.
Zahra: “I didn’t even inhale because I knew I wouldn’t like it!
“geriatric liberals”
Um. That’s a deliberately obnoxious phrase. Is their age really relevant? I mean you already hate them from “liberal”
“begging the question”
Doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Hmm, you might be right. Instead of “begging the question” I suggest adding a question: why is Zahra such a disingenuous little weasel pretending that he is something other than what he is, i.e., a disingenuous little weasel. Get the point?
As for “geriatric liberals,” um, I simply describe a demographic category: old liberals who got their civic tutoring during a distant time in the past when Adlai Stevenson convinced them of how superior they were. These are the same sclerotic ninnies who trembled behind their chintz curtains when the cops murdered Kelly Thomas.
Twit
Old, check. The average age of the NUFFster is 73 years old.
Liberal, check. Look who they support as a political action committee. And look who their front man is – Gas Tax Newman.
They are not non-partisan and they are not cogent. The truth hurts. I get it.
A bunch of retired government workers and other government camp followers put out to pasture.
But Mr. P, we are from the Greatest Generation. You know, we fought in the good war. We only take drugs that are manufactured by companies with pensions like the ones we worked for. Booze is good! All youngsters like you think of is SEX and drugs and rap music.
Nice touch.
Actually, their ilk are the offspring of the greatest generation so they were heavily inoculated with FDR socialism and Kennedy Baloney Vision. Their high water mark was hit about 1970 when the real world of cavities and crabgrass pulled them back into the morass. They kept repeating the rote-blather and they kept voting for asshole losers like Hubert Humphrey but their heart wasn’t really in it.
I hate brain-dead liberals stuck in 1963, so yes, I guess that’s fair comment.
Does Ham live in Fullerton? In District 1? If he does I’d vote for him!
a bitch, is a bitch.
Here is the video if you would like to listen to the discussion.
https://youtu.be/aJJbSzU8gEg
I watched the first 30 seconds, Josh Newman claims to never having consumed pot. Really? How can you trust someone who’s never dabbled in wacky tabacky?
What a boring town. Why can’t Fullerton be more like the city of Commerce?
First of all, please see the end of this comment re: a free public discussion about this over a beer in downtown Fullerton on 5/28!!! So, Mr. Peacock…you’re a pithy writer, and I enjoyed reading this; however, even though I adore hyperbole and generalization for rhetorical and comical effect, I don’t think you really summarized anyone’s position accurately. I was there, and I’m a few decades from the average age you cite, and politically all over the board, so don’t lump me in with the crowd as you read MY summary, which goes like this:
1. police chief: “we enforce the law, and based on the 2016 symposium about the problems in WA and CO, it’s gonna be trouble and more work for the police, and also I’m just going to be cool when the biz guy corrects my woefully inadequate understanding of current pot laws.”
2. city council guy: “I want everyone to like me, so I’ll tell you I considered pot, but only because of an illness, and then I ended up not using it, but I’m a doctor and I know science, but my ‘short’ 6-minute(?) intro has nothing to do with what I’m about to say 100 times in this meeting–‘we need revenue’ and I’ll say it over and over again so you know I’m all about the good of the city, so don’t get mad at me, because I’m on everyone’s side.”
3. Ham: “I smoked it, I still smoke it, I like it, but more important is that I’m making a sh** ton of money off pot in the legal market and through investments and pot real estate and-etc. and I know a LOT about the biz, and basically don’t care if Fullerton gets on board or not, but you’re idiots if you don’t.”
I don’t personally use marijuana (tried it, not my thing). Having said that, I’ve been researching the topic and networking with the industry for a year, and I simply can’t uncover a downside for any city or municipality in a pot-legal state who grants local licenses. The voters have spoken–in fact, 64.51% of Fullerton voters marked “legalize weed” on their ballots.
If you’re interested, please come to Bootleggers on Tuesday, May 28th at 7:00 where I’ll share what I know and try to facilitate a friendly discussion with those who attend. Wish me luck on that last part. RSVP 714-617-2240
Who is Mr. Peacock?