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Police, DAs speak out against marijuana ballot question
Police, DAs speak out against marijuana ballot question
WEST SPRINGFIELD - Law enforcement officials from throughout the Pioneer Valley gathered here this morning to voice their opposition to Question 2 on the November ballot, a measure that would decriminalize possession of an ounce or less or marijuana.
"Ballot Question 2 is a green light to drug dealers to target young children, especially high school students, to buy and use drugs," Hampden County District Attorney William M. Bennett said during a press conference held in front of West Springfield High School.
Others who spoke out in opposition to the ballot question were police chiefs Anthony R. Scott of Holyoke, Bruce W. McMahon of Easthampton and David F. Guilbault of Greenfield, Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr., Berkshire County District Attorney David F. Capeless, and Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel.
Question 2, if passed by voters Nov. 4, would replace criminal penalties for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana with a $100 fine.
Capeless said that under current state law, a first offense by a juvenile will not result in a record and a first offense by someone 17 or older is automatically continued for six months and, if the person stays out of trouble, a dismissal follows.
"Question number 2 would send a very wrong message to our young people that smoking dope is OK," Capeless said. Police, DAs speak out against marijuana ballot question ... more -
Robotic Arm Lends A Hand
Discovery-News.com: Discovery's Tracy Staedter and Matt Danzico visit University of Massachusetts Amherst to meet a robot that interacts with foreign environments. Discovery-News.com: Discovery's Tracy Staedter and Matt Danzico visit University of Massachusetts Amherst to meet a robot that in... more
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Pro-pot backers aim high
Boston, MA -- Activists who want joints sold over the counter like cigarettes are bankrolling a Bay State pot referendum backers claim will simply clear the air of piddling marijuana cases choking the court system.
The Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, which placed Question 2 on the November ballot, collected from the Marijuana Policy Project $200,000, about 30 percent of its total. Indeed, about 90 percent of the $635,000 the committee has raised comes from people who live out of state.
On its Web site, the marijuana project’s mission statement states clearly: “Adults who use marijuana should be able to obtain it from legally regulated establishments and not from illegal drug dealers.”
Woody Kaplan, a Hub real estate developer and self-styled “provocateur” who donated $10,000 to the state ballot initiative, also backs the call for legal pot sales.
“I believe taxing and regulating is a much better way than what the ballot question proposes,” said Kaplan, who held a $250-a-head fundraiser for the Marijuana Policy Prject earlier this month.
“This is government making a choice that something that is clearly destructive - alcohol - is OK, but somebody smoking marijuana isn’t,” Kaplan told the Herald.
Daniel R. Lewis, 62, of Coral Gables, Fla. - the scion of the Progressive Insurance fortune and a self-confessed former toker - also would like to see grass legalized and regulated.
“I think it’s a relatively harmless drug, as compared to alcohol,” said Lewis, who gave $5,000 to the pot project.
The group also counts among its backers actor Jack Black, talk show host Bill Maher and former wrestler and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, and uses Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion for its lavish fund-raisers.
If passed, the ballot initiative would make having an ounce or less of marijuana a civil offense punishable by a $100 fine. Minors’ parents would be notified, and the kids would have to complete a drug awareness program.
Middlesex County District Attorney Gerard Leone slammed the pot activists as out of touch and predicted the measure would be a gateway to weaker drug laws.
“Question 2 will allow a foot in the door to people with a misguided, radical agenda,” Leone said.
Whitney Taylor, campaign manager, pointed to a Suffolk University poll that showed 72 percent of voters support the ballot question.
“They are not out of the mainstream,” Taylor said. “They are the mainstream.”
Kaplan, a 66-year-old board member of the Godless America PAC, which “mobilizes nonbelievers for political activism,” said he’s heard it all before.
“Same-sex opponents said if you allow same-sex marriage, people would marry dogs,” Kaplan said. “Yeh, right. It’s just fear tactics, and it’s absurd.” Boston, MA -- Activists who want joints sold over the counter like cigarettes are bankrolling a Bay State pot referendum backers claim... more -
Measure to decriminalize marijuana goes on Mass. ballot
While a recent poll showed that more than two thirds of Massachusetts voters favor relaxing laws against marijuana, State Representative Will N. Brownsberger ’78—a drug addiction and enforcement expert who represents parts of Belmont and Cambridge—said he has grave concerns about the wisdom of a November ballot initiative that would decriminalize possession of the drug.
The initiative, championed by the Committee of Sensible Marijuana Policy, would replace criminal penalties for possession of an ounce or less of personal use marijuana with civil penalties.
While penalties for selling, growing, and trafficking marijuana would remain unchanged, possession would be punished by a combination of a fines starting at $100, community service, and drug awareness programs. Marijuana possession would also no longer be recorded in the oft-maligned Criminal Offender Record Information system.
While some academics have come out in favor of the measure, Browsnberger called it “a side show” because the “real issue is cocaine and heroin.”
“That’s what people are going to jail for, that’s what people are dying from,” Brownsberger said, adding that the ballot measure on marijuana is “not worth pursuing.” [more] While a recent poll showed that more than two thirds of Massachusetts voters favor relaxing laws against marijuana, State Representati... more -
Massachusetts Question 2 induces Reefer Madness Hysteria
On the ballot this November in Massachusetts, voters will have the opportunity to become the 13th state to decriminalize personal possession of marijuana. The initiative, known as Question 2, would make possession of an ounce or less of marijuana a civil fine of $100, and those under 18 have to complete a drug education program and community service, or else the fine goes as high as $1,000.
Most of all, the offense would not be listed in the Criminal Record Information System (CORI) database. Drug warriors like to say “nobody goes to prison for marijuana“, but the harm from a criminal arrest is bad enough. Once you’re in this CORI database, it’s a red flag that hurts you in getting jobs, housing, loans, security clearances, and more. Plus there is the time and money - about $30 million a year - that Massachusetts wastes busting people for small amounts of pot.
Since the measure is enjoying huge support in the polls, the drug warriors have banded together to mount a media offensive. And by “offensive”, I mean the offensively repugnant stench of reefer madness…[more] On the ballot this November in Massachusetts, voters will have the opportunity to become the 13th state to decriminalize personal poss... more -
Best Buy Cancels Your Order As You Stand There Shouting "Stop!"
Best Buy didn't want to honor the sale price of the 2GB flash drive Matt ordered through their website, so when Matt arrived to pick-up his purchase, the store's assistant manager called customer service and, pretending to be Matt, asked to cancel the order. Best Buy didn't want to honor the sale price of the 2GB flash drive Matt ordered through their website, so when Matt arrived to p... more
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Letter: Reefer Madness
Patricia Schwarz
September 18, 2008
Boston Globe (MA)
I would like to throw my whole-hearted support behind Adrian Walker in his crusade against marijuana. Marijuana is much more dangerous than people realize.
For example, recent government studies have shown that marijuana users are able to uproot and demolish entire city blocks when they're high.
More than 100,000 potheads celebrated Hempfest in Seattle last month. Has anyone heard from Seattle since then?
The truth is, the potheads destroyed the entire city. Marijuana has reduced Seattle to a pile of rubble, and the media are covering it up.
Just ask Adrian Walker. He knows the truth, and he's not afraid to tell it. Patricia Schwarz September 18, 2008 Boston Globe (MA) ... more -
Marijuana Bill Brings Out Strong Emotions
After supporters of a plan to decriminalize marijuana cried foul over their opponents’ fundraising tactics yesterday, a powerful group of law enforcement officials and religious leaders stood before the State House and denounced the proposal as "dangerous" and "insulting."
Question 2, if passed, would reduce possession of up to an ounce of marijuana to a civil offense punishable by a small fine, rather than an arrest that straps simple offenders with criminal records and — according to backers of the plan — crowds prisons.
According to the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, the Massachusetts District Attorney Association and its team of Question 2 opponents raised funds for their campaign before official recognition by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
CSMP campaign manager Whitney Taylor said such actions make yesterday’s show of force a nonfactor and called remarks by opponents "scare tactics."
"I’m surprised in the first place that they broke the law," said Taylor, who has filed complaints.
Among those opposed to the initiative are all 11 of Massachusetts’ district attorneys, Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Those on the front line, however, were there to deliver their shots at the proposal.
"To see all the young black boys I’ve had to bury ... because of drug-related violence," said Rev. William Dickerson of the Greater Love Tabernacle in Dorchester. "Show me how marijuana can improve someone’s judgement, how it can bring families together, how it can curb the violence that plagues our society. I’d like to see it."
Suffolk County DA Daniel Conley and Middlesex County DA Gerry Leone both detailed recent cases involving marijuana-related crimes and pinned marijuana as a gateway drug that can lead offenders to more serious crimes.
Taylor said there is no link between marijuana use and criminal activity, except under the current law itself. After supporters of a plan to decriminalize marijuana cried foul over their opponents’ fundraising tactics yesterday, a powerful group... more -
Marijuana Proponents Take On State Attorneys
BOSTON — A group supporting more lenient marijuana laws is trying to turn another law involving campaign financing against their opponents — the state's district attorneys.
The Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, which supports a ballot referendum that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot, filed campaign finance complaints yesterday against organizations and individuals opposing their ballot question, including the Massachusetts District Attorney Association.
The complaints, filed with Office of Campaign and Political Finance and the Attorney General's office, allege that opponents of the marijuana ballot question committed 14 infractions of fundraising laws and another violation of campaign laws by allegedly publishing false statements.
"I find it quite egregious that people whose sole job is to uphold the law chose to break the law for political campaign means," said Whitney Taylor, the executive director of the pro-marijuana committee.[more] BOSTON — A group supporting more lenient marijuana laws is trying to turn another law involving campaign financing against their oppon... more -
Officials Fight Pot Initiative
BOSTON — Some of the state’s leading law enforcement officials, including Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. and Worcester County Sheriff Guy W. Glodis, yesterday ripped into the ballot proposal to lower penalties for marijuana possession, arguing that use of marijuana leads to harder drugs and violent crime.
But proponents of the referendum that would eliminate criminal penalties for marijuana and reduce personal possession to a civil offense with a $100 fine, accused critics of using “scare tactics” and untruths in an attempt to defeat the measure.[more] BOSTON — Some of the state’s leading law enforcement officials, including Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. and Worceste... more -
Runaway Reptile Caught After 4 Days On Lam
A 4-foot-long lizard that was on the lam for four days in Salisbury has been caught, according to the Newburyport Daily News.
The 20-pound Nile monitor lizard, named Scully, escaped from a home at 37 Elm St. on Friday. The lizard is not poisonous, but can bite.
A Ferry Lot Lane resident spotted the lizard on Monday crossing Mudnock Road. The resident called police and animal control officers, who captured the reptile. It was taken to Rainforest Reptile in Beverly, the newspaper reporter.
Last week, police seized a Savanna lizard from the home where the other lizard escaped. That lizard was also taken to Rainforest Reptile.
Both types of lizards are illegal to keep as pets in Massachusetts. The homeowners, Frank and Calandra Pinette, are each being charged with one count of importation of illegal wildlife.
Nile monitor lizards are usually found in western and central Africa and can grow up to 6 feet. A 4-foot-long lizard that was on the lam for four days in Salisbury has been caught, according to the Newburyport Daily News. ... more -
John McCain’s Hypocrisy Regarding Women
Stephanie Cutter on John McCain’s hypocrisy on women.
“I have never heard such a circular argument in my life,” said Cutter. “This is a completely fabricated controversy and I have a hard time believing women are offended by this. People use this saying all the time. I have to wonder why John McCain would want to raise something like this. And maybe [former Massachusetts Gov.] Jane Swift [who appeared earlier on MSNBC] doesn’t know his record but I wonder where her outrage was when John McCain said he was going to beat Hillary Clinton like a drum. Or participated in an event where one of his participants called Hillary Clinton a bitch. Those are direct comments targeted at somebody’s gender. And I didn’t hear any outrage then… They are having a false offense on putting lipstick on a pig, when John McCain doesn’t even stand for equal pay for women, doesn’t stand for children’s health insurance, thinks the economy is just going fine when millions of children are going without health care. I mean where is the offense at that?” Stephanie Cutter on John McCain’s hypocrisy on women. ... more -
9/11 Memorial Dedicated in Boston (photos)
Photos from Logan International Airport in Boston, MA on Tuesday, September 9, 2008.
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Tom Brady Injured; May Miss Rest of Season
Tom Brady went from the disappointment of a Super Bowl loss to the devastation of an injury that could keep him out for the rest of the season. Tom Brady went from the disappointment of a Super Bowl loss to the devastation of an injury that could keep him out for the rest of th... more
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Gay Marriage Opponents Seek to Reinstate 1913 Mass. Law
The gay marriage fight in Massachusetts might not be over after all. Opponents of same-sex marriages are seeking a ballot question that would prevent gay and lesbian couples from getting married in the state if their union wouldn't be legal in their home state.
Brian Camenker of the group Mass Resistance said Friday that lawmakers and Gov. Deval Patrick bowed to the will of the "gay lobby" last month by approving the repeal of a 1913 statute that banned such marriages.
Patrick, the state's first black governor and the father of a daughter who recently announced she's a lesbian, said the 1913 law had racial undertones from a period when interracial marriage was discouraged.
"The legislature and the governor changed our marriage laws to please the well-connected minority and force a social experiment into other states that's very offensive to a majority of the people, at least the way the votes have been going," Camenker said, referring to recent votes in favor of gay marriage bans in other states.
He was particularly critical of an emergency preamble attached to the repeal. It bypassed a normal 90-day waiting period and made the law effective immediately. Opponents typically use the 90 days to present signatures and delay the law until it can be put to a ballot vote.
"The fact that this happened the way it happened just adds to the sense of sleaziness and underhandedness of the whole process," Camenker said.
The group will need about 32,000 signatures to get its question on the ballot.
Gay marriage advocates who had celebrated the repeal said they were disappointed but not surprised by the petition.
"I've learned that when it comes to equality for gay and lesbian people, the struggle is never over because there are certain people that are just strongly opposed to any rights for gay people. It's never shocking; it is disappointing," said Marc Solomon of MassEquality. The gay marriage fight in Massachusetts might not be over after all. Opponents of same-sex marriages are seeking a ballot question tha... more -
Gay Marriage Fight in Massachusetts Might Not Be Over After All.
BOSTON - The gay marriage fight in Massachusetts might not be over after all.
Opponents of same-sex marriages are seeking a ballot question that would prevent gay and lesbian couples from getting married here if their union wouldn't be legal in their home state.
Brian Camenker of the group Mass Resistance said Friday lawmakers and Gov. Deval Patrick bowed to the will of the "gay lobby" last month by approving the repeal of a 1913 statute that banned such marriages.
Patrick, the state's first black governor and the father of a daughter who recently announced she's a lesbian, said the 1913 law had racial undertones from a period when interracial marriage was discouraged.
"The Legislature and the governor changed our marriage laws to please the well-connected minority and force a social experiment into other states that's very offensive to a majority of the people, at least the way the votes have been going," Camenker said, referring to recent votes in favor of gay marriage bans in other states.
He was particularly critical of an emergency preamble attached to the repeal. It bypassed a normal 90-day waiting period and made the law effective immediately. Opponents typically use the 90 days to present signatures and delay the law until it can be put to a ballot vote.
"The fact that this happened the way it happened just adds to the sense of sleaziness and underhandedness of the whole process," Camenker said.
The group will need about 32,000 signatures to get their question on the ballot.
Gay marriage advocates who had celebrated the repeal said they were disappointed but not surprised by the petition.
<more at link> BOSTON - The gay marriage fight in Massachusetts might not be over after all. ... more -
Gay marriage opponents seek to reverse new law
BOSTON (AP) -- The gay marriage fight in Massachusetts might not be over after all.
Opponents of same-sex marriages are seeking a ballot question that would prevent gay and lesbian couples from getting married here if their union wouldn't be legal in their home state.
Brian Camenker of the group Mass Resistance said Friday lawmakers and Gov. Deval Patrick bowed to the will of the ''gay lobby'' last month by approving the repeal of a 1913 statute that banned such marriages.
Patrick, the state's first black governor and the father of a daughter who recently announced she's a lesbian, said the 1913 law had racial undertones from a period when interracial marriage was discouraged.
''The Legislature and the governor changed our marriage laws to please the well-connected minority and force a social experiment into other states that's very offensive to a majority of the people, at least the way the votes have been going,'' Camenker said, referring to recent votes in favor of gay marriage bans in other states.
He was particularly critical of an emergency preamble attached to the repeal. It bypassed a normal 90-day waiting period and made the law effective immediately. Opponents typically use the 90 days to present signatures and delay the law until it can be put to a ballot vote.
''The fact that this happened the way it happened just adds to the sense of sleaziness and underhandedness of the whole process,'' Camenker said.
The group will need about 32,000 signatures to get their question on the ballot.
Gay marriage advocates who had celebrated the repeal said they were disappointed but not surprised by the petition.
''I've learned that when it comes to equality for gay and lesbian people, the struggle is never over because there are certain people that are just strongly opposed to any rights for gay people. It's never shocking; it is disappointing,'' said Marc Solomon of MassEquality.
Gay Massachusetts residents have been allowed to legally marry since 2004. Opponents, such as former Gov. Mitt Romney, said the 1913 law prevented Massachusetts from becoming the ''Las Vegas of same-sex marriage.'' California also permits same-sex marriage and has no restriction on out-of-state couples.
Mass Resistance filed paperwork with the secretary of state's office on Wednesday. The measure has been forwarded to the attorney general's office for review.
The state constitution prohibits referendum questions on subjects that relate to religion, judges, the courts, particular localities of the commonwealth, state appropriations and certain provisions of the constitution's Declaration of Rights. Attorney General Martha Coakley has 14 days to review the proposed question. BOSTON (AP) -- The gay marriage fight in Massachusetts might not be over after all. ... more -
Hong Kong emigrant's death attracts scrutiny of U.S. detention system
Hiu Lui Ng, a computer science engineer who worked in New York for the Empire State Building, died two days after his 34th birthday in custody at Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a Rhode Island hospital. His death was an unexpected final stop after consulting with officials about his green card with immigration officials last summer in New York, although his visa had lapsed years ago, and he was subsequently jailed and held in detention ever since.
Reporter Nina Bernstein, in her contribution to the International Herald Tribune ("Hong Kong emigrant's death attracts scrutiny of U.S. detention system", August 13, 2008) writes about the investigation surrounding Ng's death -- his body "riddled with cancer" untreated and undiagnosed for months, and a spine fracture which he suffered from in July before his death. His attorneys have initialized a criminal investigation in a letter to U.S. and state prosecutors in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, and the Department of Homeland Security. Court affidavits say, Bernstein writers, that "guards at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, dragged him from his bed on July 30, carried him in shackles to a car, bruising his arms and legs, and drove him two hours to a U.S. government lockup in Hartford, Connecticut, where an immigration officer pressured him to withdraw all pending appeals of his case and accept deportation."
Photo: Rhode Island Hospital where Hiu Lui Ng died after being diagnosed with cancer and a spinal fracture. Credit: Steven Senne/AP, image courtesy of findingdulcinea.com. Hiu Lui Ng, a computer science engineer who worked in New York for the Empire State Building, died two days after his 34th birthday in... more -
EXHIBITIONS > Gateway Bombay
The art exhibition "Gateway Bombay" offers diverse perspectives about Mumbai in contemporary art from India at the Peabody Essex Museum -- on view through December 7, 2008. Most of the works in the exhibition are from PEM's Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection of contemporary Indian art spanning four decades of work. The art in the exhibit explore city's everyday realities, its people, and urban cultural life, and include painting, photography, works on paper, and mixed-media installation. All of the artists live and work in Mumbai. Visit the Peabody Essex Museum's web site for exhibition details.
Image: Two Men with Handcart, 1979, Gieve Patel (b. 1946), courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum, pem.org, Salem, Massachusetts. The art exhibition "Gateway Bombay" offers diverse perspectives about Mumbai in contemporary art from India at the Peabody E... more -
Massachusetts Transit Authority prevents DefCon Hackers from Presenting
Three MIT students probably won’t be giving their scheduled Defcon speech on getting free subway rides. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority – the agency in charge of the Boston T subway – sued the trio for computer fraud and requested a temporary restraining order to prevent them from presenting the talk.
Zack Anderson, RJ Ryan and Alessandro Chiesa are researchers and students at MIT under the instruction of the famous professor Ronald Rivest who helped create the RSA security algorithm. Their talk, which was scheduled for Sunday, was supposed to demonstrate how the subway’s “CharlieCard” could be hacked into giving free subway rides. These hacks could conceivably be used on other subways.
According to the talk description, the trio used software radios and FPGAs to circumvent the protection mechanisms and to prove the point, they were going to do a live demo of the hack in action.
We give the nod to Dan Goodin at The Register for getting the scoop on this story. Anderson told Goodin that the team never intended to release tools for hacking into subway systems and had tried to warn the Transit Authority of vulnerabilities in their system. Three MIT students probably won’t be giving their scheduled Defcon speech on getting free subway rides. The Massachusetts Bay Transit... more
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