December 11th, 2002:
Christmas cheer for drug war POWs

Busy, busy, busy, this time of year! Trimming our Christmas trees, stringing lights on our porches, getting our homes ready for the holidays, wrapping presents for our loved ones, sending cards to our friends, baking Christmas cookies, making eggnog, taking our kids and grandkids to the mall to see Santa.

Imagine for a moment that you ... or one of your loved ones ... could take no part in the holiday season, because you or they were a prisoner of the unjust War on Drugs, spending this Christmas behind bars. Not able to even see your families or talk to your loved ones, perhaps for many, many years.

You think it couldn't happen to you or your family? Take a look at some of the stories of the drug war prisoners collected by Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Human Rights 95, The Committee on Unjust Sentencing and the November Coalition. Harsh, irrationally long sentences for very minor offenders is the rule, not the exception.

And even if, for some reason, you think that prison is the best place for drug users, many of these prisoners are not even drug users or drug sellers. The draconian drug laws can reach out and entrap even innocent bystanders. Read the story of Kay Tanner, a 56 year old who was indicted for "Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine" because of her former tenants' activities, or John Avery, age 58, serving 20 years because he owned land on which marijuana was grown.

For an idea of how many people are being arrested for drug offenses, take a look the War on Drugs real time clock -- hard as it is to comprehend, someone is arrested for a drug related offense every twenty seconds.

This week, let's send some Christmas cheer to drug war POWs; a Christmas card, or even just a warm note, to let them know that they are not forgotten. Project 420 is compiling a list of drug war prisoners' addresses, and also asks you to send in the names and addresses of any drug POWs you know so that they can be added to the list.

Another group that drug war POW addresses available is HR 95 -- see their "action" page. You may also want to contact the November Coalition Regional Chapters to see if any Christmas visits have been scheduled for POWs in your state, or for POW addresses.

If you're interested in taking this a step further, check out "Adopt a Green Prisoner," started by Will Foster, a medical marijuana patient who was sentenced to 93 years for medical marijuana cultivation (for plants he grew to treat his own rheumatoid arthritis). Foster won parole in 2001 through the efforts of those who wrote letters in his behalf, and now devotes his efforts to helping other drug war prisoners with their cases. "Adopt a Green Prisoner" is a non-profit organization whose mission is to assemble volunteers who will "adopt" a marijuana prisoner currently serving time in prison and write the prisoner, as well as politicians and numerous newspapers throughout the state to bring out the facts of the prisoner's incarceration and when the prisoner will be eligible for parole.

Let's not forget our fallen comrades in the War on Drugs this Christmas. Let's become more active n the fight against the War on Drugs next year. Remember, next Christmas, it could be you or your family member who won't be able to celebrate the holidays with loved ones.

Til next week

For Freedom
Mary Lou

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