Editor’s Note From Laura Bailey: Brian Pinz was a student at Northwest Connecticut Technical Community College when this article was originally written in 1997 for the Winsted Post. He tragically passed away on March 10, 1998, just two weeks before his 25th birthday, after enduring a period of homelessness.
In his memory, Brian’s mother, Pat Stebbins, founded the nonprofit Brian’s Angels. The organization was created to support the homeless population in Bristol, Connecticut, and is dedicated to Brian’s honor and legacy. Since its founding in August 2015, Pat, volunteers and community members have come together to assist the homeless in Bristol and surrounding areas. Over the years, Brian’s Angels has provided critical support, helping thousands of residents facing homelessness and food insecurity.
By Brian Pinz
It looks like the drug legalizing debate has ended. Our politicians are afraid to make the streets safe to walk again and may actually find amusement in watching people killed because of drug prohibition.
Gun control is nothing but a political charade to cover up our politician’s inability to tell the public the truth, which, as Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders announced, is that legalizing drugs would greatly reduce crime and violence.
Drug traffickers are looked up to by the poor, and for many, dealing in drugs offers the only way of gaining more than $5 an hour for the rest of their life. They refuse to throw down their guns when there is half a trillion dollars to be made yearly. Amazingly, the drug lords have indoor shooting ranges, spas, tennis courts, yachts, huge pools, saunas, race boats arcades, and free money to give away to entrepreneurs.
We have more nonviolent people locked up in prison for drugs than we do for homicide and all other violent crimes combined it will cost America about 40 times the present prison space to lock them all up Colombia has already proven that gun prohibition and drug prohibition will never work we want martial law such as they have there in an article for the Wall Street Journal headlined hemp plants yield marijuana but Guru Jack Herer sees lots of Commercial uses.,” staff reporter Sonia L. Nazard wrote; “Mr. Herer spent years researching the fibrous stalks native to Asia. Mr. Herer has documents purporting to prove that the real reason the United States outlawed marijuana in 1937 was that a hemp-harvesting machines has so enhanced the plants commercial possibilities that it threatened the politically powered producers of wood pulp.
One acre of hemp produces the same amount of paper as 4 acres of trees the rest of the non-medical purposes may seem insignificant compared to eliminating the sulfuric process that continues to turn the forests of America into stumps and sawdust, but here are a few anyway.
Hemp can be used as a fuel for cars and one of these cars is actually operating today. A food paste can also be made similar to tofu and can be used to feed the perpetual poor cheaply. It can also be used to produce clothing and makes an excellent rope. Marijuana has many political qualities, but it is unavailable to people today who need it since it is illegal to own or possess marijuana. Marijuana is a natural way to relieve glaucoma and overcome nausea. Some health risks would warrant putting certain generals warnings on recreational marijuana products.
The United States is currently one of the only remaining countries not reaping profits from cultivating hemp.
Right now, we have $20 billion for drug war enforcement and only one third of our 6 million addicts are helped. Not only that, but our prisons are full, and we have to stop that revolving door for violent offenders.
A lowball estimate if marijuana is legalized is an additional 20 billion from sales, (paper, etc.) and revenue (taxes on marijuana products) would give us a low estimate 40 billion to be used in such areas as education and treatment, say 20 billion towards our souring education, and $12 billion towards treatment (methadone clinic, etc.).
give us a low estimate of $40 billion to be used in such areas as education and treatment say $20 billion toward our souring education, and $12 billion toward
treatment, (methadone clinics, etc.). The leftover $6 billion per year would clean up our polluted waters and land over a long period of time and give our future generations a healthier earth to live.
The peace that would come out of legalizing certain drugs would be tremendous. Would it not be better to solve this crisis in a more peaceful, civilized and dignified manner? Legalizing marijuana would create thousands of jobs. Imagine the economic stability that would result from not relying on Third World countries for gasoline.
The cry was for peace in the ’60s and we gave them hell. We live in hell today. Legalize drugs and make America a safer place.
Laura Bailey can be reached at lbailey@bristoledition.org
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