Dear prohibitionists: Please stop 'helping' us

THE Associated Press now reports that cocaine use is on the rise on the Big Island -- again! I have a sincere message for all prohibition-minded citizens, lawmakers, police, D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), the Drug Enforcement Agency and others who profit from the failed war on drugs: Please stop what you've foolishly and unconstitutionally been doing to us for decades. Give up and turn yourselves in for treatment. Your addiction to a failed social policy plus your continuous promotion of disinformation about cannabis is killing Hawaii's right to privacy, domestic tranquility and security. Your services are no longer welcome.

Look at the results. You have done more damage to Hawaii than all of our so-called enemies put together. Terrorists? Osama bin Laden? North Korea? China? Russia? You prohibitionists have them beat by a mile. You couldn't be bigger failures at protecting us if you tried.

Gov. Linda Lingle, Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona, state Narcotics Enforcement Division chief Keith Kamita, Big Island Mayor Harry Kim, Hawaii County Councilman James Arakaki, Dr. Fred Holschuh, Larry Burnette and the Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Agency, just to name a few, the community can't take your "help" any more. Now the Legislature has taken away our precious constitutional right to privacy for our electronic communications because of your -- and their -- policy failures. Why should the good people of Hawaii be made to suffer the loss of freedom for your prejudice and stupidity?

Hawaii used to be lovely. Marijuana cultivation and enjoyment was a key part of that loveliness. Prohibition destroyed it. You blew it. We all know that marijuana is at least medical, yet the Honolulu Police Department's Web site still doesn't acknowledge this fact. Marijuana is still scheduled in Hawaii law as having "no recognized medical value." How can that be, six years after the medical use of marijuana became legal here?

Prohibitionists created, supported and funded the Green Harvest marijuana eradication program, which caused a substitution factor of marijuana users turning to crack, heroin and crystal meth, or "ice." Simple as that. Then you exported this failed policy to other jurisdictions, which now also suffer ice epidemics. If a criminal is one who commits a crime or causes one to occur, you are the biggest criminals in Hawaii history.

How many of our children have you caused to be attracted to ice and crime? Who knows? You refuse to account for it in program reviews or any official studies or reports. Who can blame you for that? I can. Too many of our neighbors and relatives rot in prisons here and on the mainland, yet you're hoping to retire comfortably with big, fat pensions and cushy health benefits.

On your watch and because of your policies the people of Hawaii suffer for decades. No one gets fired for this, and you keep the failed programs going. I will do my best to keep shining a light on your malfeasance until this situation is healed once and for all.

Prohibitionists, you have stolen the liberty, the freedom, the health and the hope of our good people. Now we want it back.

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