Is Marijuana Prohibition America’s ‘Berlin Wall’?
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March 1, 2009
By George Rohrbacher, NORML Board of Directors, medical marijuana patient.
The Rohrbachers, farming family feeding America since 1972.
It is said that almost everyone in the marijuana law reform movement has a seminal moment they can point to when their public activism started. My moment was in the fall, six years ago.
I’m a past president of our local Kiwanis Club. I’ve been a member for years; we meet for breakfast at 6:30am, every Wednesday morning. My fateful “activism moment” was meeting face-to-face with one morning’s Kiwanis Club program, our town’s newly acquired dope dog. Some rock-ribbed citizen had left money in his will for the city to buy a dope dog for our town of 3,000, in a county of 18,000 people. The dog’s handler and the police chief were up at the speaker’s table. I had to fight back the urge to turn around and run.
As I sat down at my usual spot, ordered breakfast and clipped on my Kiwanis Club nametag, my heart was just racing! Thank God, my neck pain had not been severe enough that morning that it had required some marijuana medication, because, I imagined, triggered by the smell of freshly consumed ganja, that huge German Shepard would have leaped from the podium to pin me down to the floor, the dog’s sharp white teeth snarling and snapping at my throat.
As we went through club business about our kid’s reading program, ate breakfast and conducted the normal chit-chat that makes Kiwanis Club so enjoyable, I slowly calmed myself. I had not been found out as a marijuana user, yet. There was no need for me to panic, because the likelihood that I would be found out now by this agent of the state, was growing smaller and smaller by the moment. But, as the primal fear drained away, it started to piss me off; this dope dog was invading my space.
The dog handler got up and spoke glowingly about his charge, the alpha male of his litter. This dog had been born of a long and impressive pedigree in Baden-something, formerly East Germany. Looking at me from across the room was the pride of the jack-booted police state, the purebred German Shepard—smart, vicious, relentless.
The dog handler went chirping on, to mostly nodding heads, about what a fantastic dog he had and how many pot busts he had already made with it. Suddenly, all I could think was: This dog was born in East Germany, it’s father could have pulled someone down off the Berlin Wall…this dog’s great-grandfather would have marched the Jews or Gypsies to the ovens at Buchenwald or Auschwitz… And now, my own little town had a new resident from the same police dog gene pool that serviced the two most brutal totalitarian regimes in the history of the mankind!
Scenes from my childhood of when German Shepards attacked the Civil Rights marchers at Selma floated before my eyes… This well-groomed dog was a tool of the modern police state in all its scariest manifestations. The more I thought about it, the madder and madder I got.
I paid my breakfast bill and left in the first wave. I drove back out to the ranch and fed our cows their daily ration of hay, all the while mulling over my close brush with the dope dog. By the time I got done with my chores and back to the house, I absolutely had to do something! I picked up my telephone and called NORML, and I volunteered for the fight that very day…our fight for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…”
Marijuana prohibition is a corrupt and evil social institution, just like the Berlin Wall was. For generations both have been symbols of the ruthless and relentless oppression of the state. Then, one day, by the sheer weight of internal political rot and thousands of little hammers, the Berlin Wall came down, and it came down virtually overnight! Marijuana Prohibition is just as corrupt and evil as the Wall, and it, also, is rotting internally from seven decades of injustice. It, too, is ready for collapse.
Help NORML take down Marijuana Prohibition…throw down some cash, send out our warriors/winners of the NORML Pro-Pot Ad Campaign for a national cable advertising campaign for as little as $.08 per 30-second ad! Please help us roll public opinion past the tipping point to legalization. The time for us to strike is now! Marijuana issues are before two-dozen state legislatures, at this very moment, California just introduced the nation’s first bill to tax and regulate pot like alcohol! Cable ad pricing has never been better than it is at this moment. We’ve now got NORML’s awesome winning video ads…you’ve got a few bucks…let’s put ‘em together and cover America with NORML ads.
Get into the Fight! Help NORML kick electronic ass!
Examples of NORML cable TV buys:
-Cable Cannabis Blitz-
33,000, 30-second TV ads, broadcast 6AM-Midnight on cable packages during programming from ESPN, CNN, CNBC, Weather Channel, MSNBC, MTV, VH-1, BET, Animal Planet, E!, Bravo and 10 other major cable programmers for the cost of…$2,750…or approximately 8 cents/per ad! This ad package will reach an estimated 1.6 million households in 187 markets.
That is right! NORML can now purchase TV spots for only 8 cents.
-Women and Weed-
Approximately 1,500, 30-second TV ads, targeting women’s programming (Oxygen, Soap, Lifetime, Style, WE, etc…) for $1,200. This ad package will reach an estimated 27.5 million households in 90 major markets. What is the cost per ad in this package?
80 cents per TV ad!
-Men and Marijuana-
Approximately 2,600, 30-second TV ads, 27.5 million households targeting men’s programming (Comedy Central, ESPN, Speed, Versus, Sci-Fi, Golf Channel, etc…) for $4,900, which boils down to $1.88/per ad.
Get out your friggin’ wallets and purses people. Get in the fight and please help us!!! NOW!
99 Responses to “Is Marijuana Prohibition America’s ‘Berlin Wall’?”
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America Must Take Down The “Berlin Wall”
Put On Tax & Let Everyone Get High To Relax… =)
I think you mean 8 cents/ad, not .08 cents/ad.
Veizon and .02 cents/KB, much?
I donated $50.00 last week and $25.00 a month before that. I’m going to try and donate more when I can.
I want to see these commercials on tv!
Just donated…..come on people, get behind this…use your voice
My wallet has been opened. Winning is the only option.
[...] Aliesa George posted a noteworthy aricle today onHere’s a small snippetI had to fight back the urge to turn around and run. As I sat down at my usual spot, ordered breakfast and clipped on my Kiwanis Club nametag, my heart was just racing! Thank God, my neck pain had not been severe enough that morning … [...]
Awesome read. I’ve spent a little over $100 since I heard about the .8 cent TV adds awhile back.
I am collecting unemployment at the moment because I got laid off about a month ago. I believe I’ll test clean this week(buy a home test kit tomorrow to make sure) and get some job interviews lined up this week. When I start to get steady money coming in, I’ll make sure to donate much more.
I am committed to do whatever is in my power to help my brothers and sisters fight these modern day witch hunts.
Thank you NORML for your guys hard work during these tough times.
Guys, I already sent you an e-mail about this, but could you construct a progress bar about donations you’ve received as well as how many ads those donations have produced? It would also be awesome to see, out of the channels that you’ve talked about, what channels have started playing those ads.
Thanks!
-Bear
made a $50 donation some time ago, hope it helps this!
Hey… Hit up famous pot smokers with lots of money.. lol. Seriously if that is all these television spots cost why on earth have i not seen one add!?!
This is truly an astonishing turn of the tides.. It now seems that all we have been striving for is coming to fruition.
It brings me to my knees and puts tears of joy in my eyes.. Mary will bring a wave of change not even O’bama can match.
those dope dogs are like some dark Cerberus or something, invading our age from a pretty repressive past
Wow, now that’s a great piece of penmanship! One of the best I’ve read on NORML in a long time. I love the connection of the ‘town drug dog’ to his exploited-by-fascists predecessors!
On another note, I feel like we are FINALLY gaining some REAL GROUND in bringing down Prohibition! The TV and Internet are growing rife with talk about relegalization.
And now NORML can purchase these TV ad spots for bargain-basement rates! Take it from a former PSYOP soldier – “win the mind, win the day…” By saturating the various media with anti-Prohibition and pro-Cannabis ads, the seed is planted and the message constantly reinforced. Common sense is stoked, and questions start rising to the surface. Help NORML buy these ads and it will go a long way in NORMLizing (pun intended)cannabis in the minds of everyday citizens in our great nation!
I’m donating, when will you?
And so it begins.
idiotic
I donated
[...] bookmarks tagged vicious Is Marijuana Prohibition America’s ‘Berlin Wal… saved by 1 others kevjumba15 bookmarked on 03/02/09 | [...]
Is it a certainty that the aforementioned cable networks would be interested in taking NORML’s money and more importantly airing the plethora of popular user-created videos?
They are so gorged with cash from anti-pot places, I would be surprised if they would risk pissing off that reliable source of income for a few NORML ads.
If you can confirm they will indeed run the ads, people would be more willing to donate. I know I would.
Well ill be getting out my wallet,but I fear not to many others will. Most talk a good game but expect someone else to do it for them.If there was anytime that we could pull it together and get public sentiment on our side now is that time.The only way to quell the ground swell of the naysayers is to let the public know the real Truth of Cannabis.Thanks NORML here is my money now go spread the TRUTH..
I feel ya I had a drug task force invade my castle on an anonymous tip…
I like your parallel of the wall you are right the war on drugs is our wall and it needs to come down.
I have other things that need my attention Universal health care, taking care of our poor and powerless, insuring our leader gets the support he needs and other important issues. The war on drugs now takes a lot of my time and I will not rest until it is over. I am so tired of our lawmakers enslaving good American citizens for making a personal choice, I could scream. Our leaders should take our money and help our people not the corporations that benefit from a war on our own people. END THE WAR AS THE MAJORITY SAY WE HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO LIKE ELIMINATE Lobbyist FROM BRIBING OUR REPRESENTATIVES. INFLUENCING THEM TO VOTE TO PUT US IN JAIL SO THEIR PAC CHECK CLEARS….
Cherokee Fred Hussein Jesus
You have my donation let us know when the ads run??
You are like a magnifying glass we are the sun lets burn somebody’s ass!!
CFHJ
Take our an insurance policy for action this year join me in Washington on July 4 2009 our year is here.
MILLION MARIJUANA MARCH
Cherokee Fred
State Rep GA
http://www.trm3-801.org/
Need help in Georgia let me know….
I agree with having a donation bar to measure our progress to successfully purchasing the ad spots. I also agree that it would be nice to hear a little commitment from the networks that they will air these. Keep on talking to us NORML, we’re listening!
I agree with the number 8 comment. A progress bar would be great! It might even inspire more people to donate. Number 17 also makes a good point.
The ADs sound cool and all; but I need to send donations regardless. SO: NORML–you guys will be receiving a money order(sorry; no chcking acct.) from SAINT RICO on Mar. 1st.
$50.oo sincerely,
RICO
Let’s all get involved and help bring down America’s “BurnOne” wall
Also, I’d like to make a comment about that dog.
The dog’s sires were used to kill people. I know that as an animal rights activist I am absolutely horrified to know that a family of dogs have been used for such atrocities. But don’t blame the dogs. It’s all they know.
Instead, blame the people who “train” them. We can get those dogs off the “dope war” and train them to help blind people or send them to loving families that will give them the life they truly deserve.
“Mr. SiliconZX Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:50 am
idiotic”
Sir, why are you posting on the NORML site at all? There’s no reason that you name to call what we’re doing “idiotic.” Go home.
“If you can confirm they will indeed run the ads, people would be more willing to donate. I know I would.”
Agreed. Also, that progress bar idea I suggested would definitely increase the donations.
Thanks for listening to us, guys!
-Bear
Making my first norml donation
I do believe marijuana prohibition will end one day. Thank you NORML for making it easier to get involved.
I’m gonna have to side with a couple of people here for a moment and put in my request that we see some sort of progress bar on where NORML stands with its donations.
Seeing the progress in action motivates us, but also lets us know where our money sits and just how much more NORML needs. It would even be nice to see an outline of NORML’s goals in this endeavor.
You are talking about 30 second adds.
If I recall it right the winner of the add contest was around a minute.
A little off the subject but , on the way down to L.A. a couple of days ago i saw a ” Budweiser beer ad ” the can alone was as tall as 6 ft. on a billboard driving down u.s. 101 ( this sends a wrong message to our children ). If , Michael Phelps has to apologize for smoking Pot who hurted no one not even himself then why don’t the alcohol companies start apologizing for all the killings on our highways and the amount of health related problems
that alcohol is responsible . KIDS SHOULDN’T SEE THOSE DRUGS neither on billboards or on the TV .
That was a great read, I don’t have much dinero right now.. But with the next month I will be sure to donate.
I agree, can we get VERIFICATION that the networks will even run these ads? I assume there’d be many more donations if we could be sure the ads will be aired.
You guys are getting my tax rebate! Great article… Keep pushing!
[...] read more | digg story [...]
I been smoking pot for 30+ years and will always smoke pot! Pot never hurt anyone!
RT
http://www.privacy-center.pro.tc
You can dance around it all you want,
IT IS CLEARLY JUST ANOTHER DRUG and as such I would like to see it eradicated. Various pot-heads just haven’t got the mental capacity to understand the implications of making it legal. Perhaps if you ever tried as a 5 year old to get your stoned mother to do something for you, but she only wanted to roll another joint then you’d get the point.. ??????????????…???????.
I can’t believe that anyone could even BEGIN to put dope against the berlin wall!! Get real people!! The only similarity is that they screw(ed) lives up!
The oppression of a people, shootings, totalitarianism, tyranny.. yeah, they’re the same as “Sorry dude, you cant light up here…”.. Wow.. some people..
Please grow up and stop thinking this is some crusade…why not put your energies into sorting out poverty? or hunger? or racism? or (shock horror) pushing our politicians to bring war criminals to justice… I promise if you sorted these out, maybe the world wouldnt be such a thing you’d want to escape
Show me an ad and then i’ll show the bread!!!
I donated, and so did many of the other commentators. My suggestion to NORML: Put a graph up of how much money has been collected; how many commercials that would buy; the date those commercials will be purchased (or the amount of money needed to reach the minimum necessary for purchase). And once those commercials start airing, when are where they can be or have been viewed; plus and indication of what feedback NORML is getting from those ads.
Yeah, Anheuser-Busch would be pissed. If pot were legal, the alcohol pushers would lose money big time.
well all i had was 2 dollars but i get paid next fri so i hope i can donate more
Okay, I just wrote out a check to NORML for $100. I am easily suggestable when I am buzzed…time for The Simpsons. Be good, all
Nice, I’m going to donate in a few days. Gotta make some money first! (Darn economy!)
What was the point of the family picture?
NICE LADY WITH A LUCID MIND; I WISH HER THE BEST AND WOULD HOPE TO MEET HER ONE DAY. I SHARE HER DESIRE TO LIVE FREE. IT IS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, CRUEL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO DEPRIVE PEOPLE OF MEDICATION THAT WORKS FOR THEM.
I agree with your stance on marijuana laws, but really the Berlin Wall? That’s just tacky.
I donated $5; it’s not much, but its something, and its the best opportunity I have to do something right now.
Anon: Rohrbacher always puts that picture in his posts, at least every time I see one he does
Norml: This is great! We’re finally getting it done! Keep pushing, something will give!
Let’s put the profits in the hands of farmers and state and federal treasuries rather in the pockets of a mob of murderous thugs in Mexico.
I do want to see some commentment from the cable networks that they will actually run the ads – but I will kick in $50 to the cause.
I had a air force fall in order at 3 pm one day and did so with my pot in my hat. That day the dogs came by but couldn’t catch my hat weed. Security police really do smoke more weed per person than any other part of the air force.