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From: [b--n--o] at [ix.netcom.com] (bongo man )
Newsgroups: alt.activism,alt.hemp,alt.drugs,alt.hemp.politics,alt.politics.radical-left,
Subject: Grassroots Party Strategy for Cannabis Legalization by 2000
Date: 31 Oct 1995 20:47:25 GMT
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The Grassroots Party-
A Political Approach To End Cannabis Prohibition.
For the last sixty years a war of intentional extinction has been waged
against
cannabis and the people who use it. For at least thirty years people have
organized to repeal this cruel and counter-productive law.
There have been petitions and protests, phone-ins and smoke-ins, letters
to the editor and letters to the President. Luminous names from medicine,
science and academia have been among those who called for legalization.
Judicial battles have been fought and won, only to be ignored or
overturned.
Millions of Americans now understand that this law must change, but the law
remains. Why?
The Hemp Movement is factional and disorganized. Though there are groups
that seem to be on the forefront of legalization, they have not been able
to
supply the leadership that is needed to bring this struggle to an end. The
well-known personalities and institutions of the Hemp Movement have shown
a disturbing lack of political focus and strategy, which has resulted in
missed
opportunities and setbacks for the efforts that have been made. Considering
the thousands of years of prison time being served for "marijuana", and the
citizens regularly shot and killed in raids that net minuscule amounts of
pot,
missed opportunities and setbacks are political luxuries we can ill afford.
Americans are being slaughtered by SWAT teams because of the laws
against cannabis. The federal penalties for marijuana distribution now
include the death penalty. Ex-Chief of L.A.P.D. Darrell Gates seriously
advocated that casual pot smokers be "taken out and shot". Republican
Newt Gingrich has actually suggested "executing drug dealers 35 at a time".
This is a war, comrades, and the machine guns are pointed at you and me.
We have a grave necessity and a great opportunity to end cannabis
prohibition
in the next five years. The time to act is now, but we must have a cohesive
strategy and a unified front. The goal is the total legalization of cannabis
and
the release of all pot prisoners. This can only be achieved by bringing
together
the entire Hemp Movement, as well as all the people who aren't activists, but
would support the cause with their votes if a pro-hemp candidate were to run.
That's where the Grassroots Party (GRP) comes in.
2
The primary goal of the Grassroots Party, as stated in it's constitution, is
"The total legalization of all forms of cannabis, and the pardon and release
of
all prisoners held on marijuana charges". Our party logo shows a bald
eagle clutching an American flag and a hemp leaf. Every vote for the GRP
is a vote specifically for legalization of cannabis. It's why the GRP exists.
Business alliances like BACH and IHA are incapable of leading
a political movement, being corporations and associations motivated by
profit. The same goes for High Times magazine. Educational groups like
NORML and the DPF are specifically set up as non-partisan, apolitical
organizations. But cannabis prohibition is a political problem, and it
requires a political solution. Once Americans become educated about
the need for marijuana law reform, what is the next logical step?
Unlike the Libertarians or the Greens, who have some type of cannabis
law reform among their various platforms, the Grassroots Party symbolizes
the cause of legalization, and is a political focal point for the Hemp
Movement.
The GRP has also set the example as one of the most dedicated and effective
organizations in this struggle.
The Grassroots Party was formed in 1986 to oppose the War on Drugs,
especially the war on cannabis. The GRP's first candidate was Dr.
Derrick
Grimmer, for the office of Minnesota Attorney General. Dr. Grimmer was
our only candidate that year, and got over 16,000 votes on election
day.
16,000 votes may not seem like much, but it was more than any other
3rd party candidate got in Minnesota that year.
In 1988, the GRP ran several candidates in Minnesota, including Jack
Herer for President and Dana Beal for V.P. 1988 saw the GRP vote
totals grow, and we remained the strongest 3rd party in the state.
The 1990 elections marked the first campaigns of the Iowa GRP,
for State Treasurer and Secretary of Agriculture. The Party maintained
it's pre-eminent position among 3rd parties in Minnesota, fielding 8
candidates, and getting more votes than all other 3rd parties combined.
Colleen Bonniwell, the GRP candidate for Mn State Treasurer, got
84,914 votes, (4.9%).
In 1992, there were GRP candidates on the ballot in Arizona and
Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota and Iowa. "Prez Bob" Kundert ran
for US Senator in Wisconsin, and the GRP Presidential ticket of
Jack Herer and Derrick Grimmer was on the ballot in Minnesota,
Iowa and Wisconsin. GRP vote totals continued to grow.
3
1994 saw the founding of the Vermont Grassroots Party, whose
candidate for Governor, Denny Lane, got over 4% of the vote in
his first race for political office. In Minnesota, the GRP had a
candidate on the ballot for every state-wide office, something that
an independent political party had not done in half a century.
In Minnesota, the GRP again got as many votes as all other 3rd
parties combined. We also raised over $20,000 which we turned
into 330,000 votes for the GRP on election day. We ran radio,
television and print ads, and even got an article written about us
in the Washington Post.
1994 was the best year yet for the GRP.
But now it's almost 1996, and we all find ourselves in a serious
situation. The Grassroots Party has experienced strong growth,
while the Hemp Movement as a whole has stagnated. The laws
against cannabis remain on the books, and good people are still
being killed and imprisoned. The time has come to do something
effective and permanent, that will bring us all the way to liberation.
The Grassroots Party is an organization with a lot to offer to
hemp activists who are ready to make a real difference.
These are some of the advantages of the GRP:
1) The most important aspect of a Grassroots campaign is the
permanent record, in the form of vote totals, of the political
support for the issue of legalization. Votes affect the laws, and
the politicians who make the laws. GRP candidates have a
direct impact on politician's ability to get elected, and that's
what politicians care about the most.
2) As a political party, hemp activists can gain access to
general election funds and income tax contributions. The GRP
of Minnesota expects to raise at least $50,000 from these
sources in '96. You could be doing the same. Think about it,
using state funds to accomplish hemp law reform...
There's a delicious irony to it, don't you think?
3) As a political party, hemp activists have access to the media
guaranteed by law. Not only do we get media exposure through
candidate forums and debates, voter's guides and reviews, but
most importantly, we are guaranteed by law that our candidate's
commercials will be aired, and at the lowest rates available.
4
The educational efforts of the Hemp Movement have met with
some success. Millions of Americans, activists and non-activists,
have learned the truth about hemp and marijuana prohibition.
But what are they to do, now that they know?
How can we harness the support for legalization into a force
capable of achieving social and political change?
How do we unify the Hemp Movement into an organization
capable of actually accomplishing our goal of hemp legalization?
Let's take a lesson or two from history.
Previous social movements, such as the abolition of slavery,
alcohol prohibition, and the repeal of alcohol prohibition,
were successful when their cause started to be reflected
in the elections. Labor unions had some success in the early
years, but I doubt anyone believes the AFL-CIO will be
the ones to legalize cannabis.
The wave of protest in the 60's was a powerful social force
that succeeded in stopping an unjust war, but at what cost?
Remember the show-trial of the Chicago 8? Remember
Kent State? The effort was a success, but too many
activists were killed or sent to prison. Does the present
Hemp Movement have the mass numbers of the progressive
forces of the 60's? No. Does the Hemp Movement have
activists willing to face machine guns or prison in order to
accomplish the objective? Precious few. And this is 1995,
not 1968, both the state of the Movement and the state of
the world preclude the realization of our objective through
an attempt to repeat 60's style protests.
We must become more sophisticated.
We must use the system against itself.
The system is corrupt. The Grassroots Party is not corrupt.
Our platform and our accomplishments speak for themselves.
There are really only two methods for achieving serious social
change, the ballot and the bullet, and we don't really even have
a choice. If we fail at the first, we will be forced into the latter.
Advocacy of any other method is an invitation to a giant game
of "Let's Pretend". Our efforts must be as real as DEA bullets,
as permanent as prison walls. The time to act is now.
5
The Grassroots Party is just that, grassroots. We're not asking
you to work for us, we're saying that if you want to legalize hemp,
we can help you. If you need money to finance your legalization
efforts, we can help you get it. Need media exposure? You got it.
Would you like to get right up in an incumbent's face and ask him
about the war on drugs, in front of an audience, instead of getting
a form letter from a staff member, filled with inaccuracies and
fascist rhetoric? We do it all the time. You can too.
A GRP campaign is a serious matter. It takes work, lots of
time, and dedication. GRP candidates raise their own funds
through the efforts of their own staff, there is no political
gravy train in the GRP. Vote totals are a direct reflection
of a campaign's efforts and effectiveness.
Grassroots candidates span the spectrum of society, from
Sunday school teachers to pot smugglers, physicists to
forklift drivers. Environmentalists, 2nd Amendment advocates,
feminists and communists have run on the GRP ticket.
What they all had in common was a comprehensive understanding
of the hemp/marijuana prohibition issue, and a willingness to put
that issue first in their campaign. Being a GRP candidate does not
preclude advocacy of other progressive issues, as long as they are
compatible with the GRP's core principles of Equality, Justice and
Non-Aggression. In fact, being a GRP candidate is a great way to
get exposure for other good causes.
The strategy of the Grassroots Party includes doing what we've
done in Minnesota, in at least half of the states in America. The
GRP puts it's candidates on the ballot by petition. Some hemp
activists advocate petitioning for ballot initiatives instead of
political candidates. They have expended great effort in the
past, but have yet to succeed. Here's a good reason why:
In Washington State, for example, it takes 2,000 signatures
to put a candidate on the ballot. It takes 200,000 signatures
to put an initiative on that same ballot. Even if the initiative is
passed, it is non-binding because federal law supersedes.
The law must be changed at the national level, and the GRP
has the potential to do exactly that.
6
The GRP has identified the following states as potential
areas of development:
(state / # of signatures required)
Alaska/2,000 Arkansas/0 Colorado/5,000 Delaware/170
Washington, D.C./3,500 Hawaii/3,750 Kansas/5,000
Kentucky/5,000 Lousiana/0 Mississippi/0 Minnesota/2,000
Nebraska/2,500 New Hempshire/3,000 New Mex/2,292
New Jersey/800 North Dakota/4,000 Ohio/5,000
Rhode Island/1,000 Tennesse/25 Utah/300
Vermont/0 Washington/200 Wisconsin/2,000 Arizona/5,000
All the above states require 5,000 or less signatures to
put a candidate on the ballot for state-wide office.
Information on ballot access for a specific state can be
obtained from the GRP or that state's Secretary of State's
office.
The goal of putting GRP candidates on the ballot in these
states is realistically achievable. let's break it down:
a good petitioner can get 30 - 50 sigs an hour, depending
on circumstances, so we'll use an average of 40.
10 petitioners X 40 sigs each = 400 sigs/hr.
2.5 hr X 5 nights = 12.5 hr.
12.5 hrs @ 400 sigs/hr = 5000 sigs.
This is the bottom line- ten people, organized and active,
can put a GRP candidate on the ballot in any of these states
by petitioning for two and a half hours per night,
in less than a week. Once the candidate is on the ballot,
the work is over, and the fun begins.
Getting a GRP candidate on the ballot is a victory in itself,
because it goes beyond simply educating the public, it
educates and activates. It tells the public what's wrong,
and to gives the voting citizen a chance to do something about it.
If the 25 states listed above put GRP candidates on the ballot,
and do as well as Minnesota GRP did in 1994, in '96, then
on November 9, there will be 8.25 million votes for the total
legalization of cannabis and the release of all pot prisoners.
Let's do it. Or let's hear a better alternative.
7
For more information about the Grassroots Party, check out
our web page at: http://www.winternet.com/~grp
E-mail: [g r p] at [winternet.com] or [b--n--o] at [ix.netcom.com]
Phone: (612) 822-3394 or (612) 722-4GRP
FAX: (612) 729-2048
Write: The Grassroots Party P.O. Box 6197
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406-0197