Help from a new direction?

Thought this was interesting reading. As always, "Hope springs eternal"...

-------- Forwarded message --------
Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 09:47:51 -0400
From: Charles Thomas
To: drugpolicyupdates@uudpr.org
Subject: STRAT: Great news! UUA's drug policy Statement of Conscience passes intact

Dear friends,

I'm still here in Quebec City, where the UUA passed the drug policy
reform Statement of Conscience yesterday. While a few UUs made a
sincere attempt to defeat it and/or delete the most favorable parts,
UUDPR successfully persuaded the necessary two-thirds majority of
delegates to vote to pass it intact.

There were some minor word changes in some parts, so the final version
will not be on our web page until this evening. However, the best
excerpts appear in our news release, below.

We'll be faxing our release tonight and pitching reporters on Monday.
Please flood your local newspapers with letters-to-the-editor this
week. (To learn the most effective ways to right letters-to-the-editor
on the drug issue, see http://www.mapinc.org ).

Many thanks to all of you who helped to make this possible.

Now the real work begins: public advocacy of the UUA's positions,
including outreach to other denominations and working with the drug
policy reform movement on local, state and national endeavors. Our new
full-time communications director, Rose Deavers, and I will be e-mailing
and calling you when there are important opportunities for you to take
action!

Peace,

Chuck Thomas, executive director
Unitarian Universalists for Drug Policy Reform (UUDPR)
http://www.uudpr.org
301-270-1209

For Immediate Release June 24, 2002

Unitarian Universalist Association Breaks New Ground in Drug Policy
Reform

Denomination Calls for an End to the Drug War: "Remove Criminal
Penalties"

June 22, 2002 The Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
passed a Statement of Conscience calling for "Alternatives to the War on
Drugs." The religious denomination representing more than 1,000
congregations throughout the United States declared, "We do not
believe that drug use should be considered criminal behavior."

The comprehensive Statement of Conscience was passed at the 2002
General Assembly of the denomination (headquartered in Boston,
Massachusetts) by a two-thirds majority of delegates from the
congregations. Recognizing that "the consequences of the current drug
war are cruel and counterproductive," the Statement calls for
"alternatives that regard the reduction of harm as the appropriate
standard by which to assess drug policies."

The denomination's Principles recognize the "worth and dignity of every
person" and advocate "justice, equity and compassion in human
relations." The Statement of Conscience declares that the punitive,
coercive drug policies of the United States violate these core religious
principles.

Specific proposals include:

-- "Establish a legal, regulated, and taxed market for marijuana. Treat
marijuana as we treat alcohol."

-- "Remove criminal penalties for possession and use of currently
illegal drugs, with drug abusers subject to arrest and imprisonment only
if they commit an actual crime (e.g., assault, burglary, impaired
driving, vandalism)."

-- "Drug use, drug abuse, and drug addiction are distinct from one
another. Using a drug does not necessarily mean abusing the drug, much
less addiction to it. Drug abuse issues are essentially matters for
medical attention. We do not believe that drug use should be considered
criminal behavior."

-- "Make all drugs legally available with a prescription by a licensed
physician, subject to professional oversight. End the practice of
punishing an individual for obtaining, possessing, or using an otherwise
illegal substance to treat a medical condition," and allow "medically
administered drug maintenance" as a treatment option for drug addiction.

This groundbreaking Statement of Conscience goes beyond what any other
religious denomination has thus far adopted. Unitarian Universalists
plan to encourage other people of faith to follow suit.

"We are hopeful that this powerful Statement will pave the way for
other denominations to join the movement for more just and compassionate
drug policies," said Charles Thomas, executive director of Unitarian
Universalists for Drug Policy Reform, the denomination affiliate that
facilitated the congregations' study and development of the Statement of
Conscience. "Drug abuse can be a serious problem for some people, but
it should be dealt with as a health issue, not a crime."

 

USA, for now KronosX. I'm sure that if it catches as they hope, Canada will be next...