I have always said that each of us can make a difference and that when enough of us stand up and speak with one voice, public sentiment will be recognized and prohibition will cease. Since I learned about HR 1523 I have been moved to find a way to move people to let their voices be heard. For some reason I have heard very little about this from any other group so it’s on US!
Several members have been actively reaching out to their representatives and their stories will be featured as this tale unfolds. Jason Andrews has been actively lobbying his representatives local, state and federal for several years. He has expressed frustration as so few of “us” are willing to take the first step…
“When I call my Representatives office they say hello Jason. The other day I asked how do you know it is me when I call, They said they have a machine that keeps track of who calls about what issue’s.. I say nice, How many people call about Medical Marijuana? Not allot. You are one of the Few!”
The ultimate Action when letting your voice be heard is a face to face meeting.
‘So yesterday, I met with Young Kim, She is the Chief of staff and Director for Asian affairs for Congressman Ed Royce. We talked about H.R.1523 as she was pretty sure the Congressman hadn’t heard of it. She was very personal and seemed genuine in her concern for patients rights. I believe that if enough people were calling there Congressman and Woman, There would be more changes.”
the message is clear and even if you “only ” talk to the chief of staff, you may be able to have a serious impact.
I posted the latest update regarding HR 1523 and in the post links to all the members of both committees and both subcommittees the bill needs to clear. Most of the members of these committees, are not co sponsors and without our efforts, I fear that this landmark bill will die.
Several negative comments regarding the likelihood of this bill moving forward moved me to show how it’s done. I began by going to the Judiciary committee link on the post and clicked on the chairman “Bob Goodlatte” link. I went to the contact us page and typed this message…
Dear Mr Goodlatte,
I am writing you today to urge your support of HR 1523 the Respect State Marijuana laws act of 2013. As Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary I believe that you are in a position to help push this bill forward.
This bill was submitted by conservative republican, Dana Rohrabacher and I believe that because of the elegant way this was written, it has the ability to bridge the huge gap between federal law and State’s rights.
I realize that many representatives do not wish to promote any legislation that seems “soft on crime” but this bill will only affect those citizens following state laws. Our Federal Government and Congress especially has the lowest approval rating in recent history. I believe that respecting the “Will of the People” in states that have passed medical marijuana laws and even recreational use will reconnect the disconnect perceived by many of Americas citizens.
15 representatives have currently co sponsored H.R. 1523 and I am hoping you will step up and join them. I represent a group of voters across the country that are upset at the huge waste of taxpayer funds imprisoning non violent drug offenders, especially those that were following state laws. As our deficit continues to rise, we need to be mindful where our taxes are being spent.
Although I am not a resident of your district, your support of this bill Will affect my life and those I represent. Many Americans feel that our representatives are so disconnected from the ordinary citizen that a message such as this would never be answered. I seek to show them otherwise and encourage them to engage dialogue with their local representatives.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response
Sincerely,
Joe Grumbine
It turned out that this congressman had an email setting that only accepted zipcodes from within his district so I poked around and found his facebook page and simply sent a message… I will share his response and others as I go down the list reaching out to all members of all four committees. I can imagine thousands of us doing the same and watching this bill turn into the law that will mark the beginning of the end of prohibition!
be the solution
After not much more than two hours deliberations, the jury found me not guilty.
Rancho Cucamonga Courthouse at 8303 N. Haven Ave. in Rancho Cucamonga 91730. Parking can be a problem at this courthouse, so some circling may be necessary but there are sufficient free parking lots in the area that you should be able to find a spot.
