Former Congressman Bob Barr on Bipartisanship
In the 90s, Congressman Barr was one of MPP’s most aggressive opponents. He authored the Barr amendment in 1998, which for 10 years has blocked Washington, D.C. from implementing a voter-approved medical marijuana initiative. In recent years, however, Congressman Barr has changed both his position and his party affiliation — and has worked with MPP to eliminate the amendment that bears his name.
This talk from early July deals with bipartisanship in drug policy reform and conservative arguments for changing our marijuana laws.
Tagged with: Barr amendment and Bob Barr by the author
24 comments
I know nothing about this man, but if what this article suggests is true, this is absolutely amazing. To watch former prohibitionists turn anti-drug war is just about the best sign that we’re winning this thing one battle at a time.
glad to see he’s finally removed his head from his ass. hopefully the others will follow suit. i sure hope this steamroller keeps rolling!
Bob Barr is forgiven b/c he is trying to amend for the harm that he has caused. If only more government officials could stop thinking about their own political careers and start being more concerned about what We the People want and need. One step at a time… it’s coming folks – change is really coming.
This gives me a little hope.
As Mr. Barr said, small bites. We have been forcing our leaders to take small bites of this shit sandwich they support for a long time. They apparently dont like the taste either and are slowly changing their minds . Also as Mr. barr said. Medical Cannabis reform is a spearhead to wider drug policy reform. Change is coming as long as the ‘dictators’ dont try stand up against this wave.
It’s important to remember that pragmatism has been a rallying cry for drug law reform for many years. But prohibitionists — being severely non-pragmatic — have yet to be swayed by reason. They drag their skewed moral arguments out every single time. Cannabis is BAD, well, just because it’s bad….It’s a gateway drug…What about the children?…On and on and on.
Now, maybe a gray haired man in a dark conservative suit can begin to penetrate their excessively thick craniums? I would like to think so. But I suspect they will feel this poor man has fallen off the righteous path — and the war needs to continue unabated.
Part of me feels that it’s now a war of attrition. That a certain generation of people just needs to die off before we can make any serious legal headway. Some people will NEVER come around or be convinced that a change in drug laws makes sense. Eventually they will be overtaken because their herd will be naturally thinned. I just hope it doesn’t take too long.
Now we need other congressmen who is not for the cause to get their heads out of the sand box and work with those who are supportive to legalize and tax mj and finally end this prohibition.
@HW: Yeah the age thing is huge. I think the baby boomers are really the last generation of true moralizers out there. Once Gen X is in the driver’s seat, Gen Y is making inroads, and the digital natives are starting to vote, you’ll see huge shifts away from political moralism.
Barr is an interesting guy; the Barr amendment was a disastrous piece of legislation. Not only did it block the specific DC medical initiative that received overwhelming public support, but it completely prevented any subsequent attempts at relaxing cannabis law.
I would be interested to hear his tale of redemption. What exactly made him change his mind? How long between when he had his first inklings and when he started to publicly change his position? How does he carry the lessons he learned in his personal life into the conversations he has with his fellow politicians? It would be cool to find out more about his transition.
i don’t really like barr, but this makes me think i should reconsider my opinion. his points sound like a blue print for arguing against prohibiton. it isn’t good enough to go around screaming legalize. you have to choose your words carefully. if you do these things you can change the mind of hardened prohibitionists.
E-MAIL I RECEIVED FROM SENATOR SAM BROWNBACK:
“Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts on our national drug policy. I appreciate hearing from my fellow Kansans on issues that impact all of us.
The danger presented by illegal drug use is a terrible reality in our nation. The actions of those who choose to engage in this behavior reach far beyond the individual to the entire society. When I talk with a parent whose child’s death resulted — either directly or indirectly — from illegal drug use, I am further convinced that we must maintain our national position on drugs.
This includes marijuana, which is a mind-altering (psychoactive) drug that affects the brain, impairing short-term memory, perception, judgement and motor skills. While some advocate legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, there is no medical use for crude marijuana.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), pure THC, the main active chemical in marijuana, can be used to treat nausea and vomiting, associated with certain cancer treatments when it is manufactured into a pill, available by prescription and taken orally — not smoked. The same NIH publication (No. 98-4036) goes on to say that: “According to scientists, more research needs to be done on marijuana’s side effects and potential benefits before it can be recommended for medical use.” Indeed, there is no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment for any disease that involves smoking medicine. Marijuana is a dangerous drug, and I will not support any attempt to declassify it as an illegal substance.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me, and please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.”
Now see people…Ben @ #10 Is showing what just really bothers me. I too have gotten back similar letters back from my reps on many many issues I have written on. They always say THEY dont support my view and will not support it. Now how many thousands, or millions for that matter,have gotten the same letters. Now correct me if Im wrong but they are there to support us and our voice, NOT for us to be silenced by thier voice and veiw. I feel our political process as taken an about face and is going in the wrong direction. Ya ya ya , I know ,vote them out. How many times have these people been voted out just to be replaced by someone else that does the exact same thing? Its like once they get their position they become a deity and look down on us like piss ants! We need a political revolution in my view. I mean really.If they only listen to those that will help their postion and wallet or has the same view as they do. Where do we get our representation? As stated above, Its an age thing. I dont know if the next generation will do any better,greed is greed and power is power, I dont care who you are. Guess we’ll see.
write back to that sob and let em know you’ll help to make sure they are not reelected. greed or not we all still only account for one vote
They don’t support marijuana (”illegal drug use”) due to special interests. Russ Feingold (Democrat – Wisconsin) sent me a letter similar to that, it was sending the wrong image to our youth.
I have you know Russ Feingold is divorced after his wife found out he was committing adultery. Hmmm what kind of messages are we sending our children!?
@ 13 Political Sense: that hypocrisy, double standards, and that shoving ‘holy-than-thou’ morals onto others are okay.
Time is a coming – change is a coming. Keep up the good fight everyone! This is not just about a select group of people we are fighting to liberate but rather a mission to save our nation from madness, insanity, and corruption.
Here’s a letter response I received in the mail today which might encourage some of you…
“July 14, 2009
Dear David,
Thank for contacting me regarding your support for legalizing marijuana. I always appreciate hearing from my constituents.
I support and have supported the production and use of hemp products, as well as the use of marijuana for medical purposes. I believe this is an important health and quality of life issue for many people. Appropriate health care requires flexibility, particularly with respect to pain management. We should be open to treating people with what works best for them. I have cosponsored bills on both of these issues in the past, as well as signed letters to the President encouraging him to change Federal law to permit states to adopt the medical use of marijuana without federal interference.
Use and possession of marijuana is currently illegal under federal law, as is selling it. I understand your concern with this law. However, until the law changes, citizens are required to abide by it. I hope the Obama administration will move the country forward in support of treatments that are effective for patients.
Thank you again for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Mark Miller
State Senator
16th Senate District”
BOB BARR you have helped the other side what makes you want to change now ???? what ever we are watching you . and we are watching the folks in america fighting for our lives to stay alive ….i guess that there is more money on this side and he wants a peice….just fun’in with ya BOB BARR AS LONG AS YOUR ON OUR SIDE ALL RIGHT …
I write my congressman ( a republican) in Missouri and has told me that medical marijuana exists for patients with aids, and other chronic diseases which it is approved for. As for the legalization part both he and her my states senator (a democrat) give me the same head up their ass response each time. I see no change in Missouri except to vote them out of office if most Missourians can get their heads out of their asses. This tells me that both parties in Missouri think that most Missourians are against legalization and therefore are against it. My vote will tell them different.
If congressmen want to do what they are doing as what post#10 mentioned “I will not support any attempt to declassify it as an illegal substance.” or even are for legalizing and taxing mj then as #11 did say “vote them out” . I simply say we put them into office and if they do not want to declassify at the least if not legalize and tax mj then what we should do is not vote them into office when election time comes around . Remember one persons vote means little but 10,000 peoples votes means the difference between being put into office and not. We have the numbers on our side and if they want to play hard ball lets play and show them fine that is their choice as for our choice we shall wait till election time comes around and show them that are choice is to not elect / re-elect them into office.
we must be doing something right if we now have someone of his oppositional stance to pull a 180. it feels VERY strange to me (in a good way) that we are making so much headway in such a short amount of time (I MEAN THIS MAN’S NAME IS ON A MEDICAL MJ BILL) but i am DEFINATLY GLAD WE ARE FINALLY BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY ( i may be 24 but a few years back even i was wondering if we would make any progress in my lifetime) this says a hell of a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LEGALIZE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bob Barr is the real deal,if he can turn around anybody can,he specifically talks about what changed him somewhere i dont remember where i saw it,but if you look up his history you can find,this guy has more guts and common sense then 20 others put together as our reps,i’d vote for this guy anytime.Hopefully he can talk some sense into the many other knuckleheads he deals with.
This is how they all should be acting right now. They best relize how the public is ahead of this issue and they are the ones dragging their feet, they will be dragging their feet home after losing their seat next time around!
I smoked my first joint in n.y in 1964 while waiting to go to Germany. Had top secret crypto security clearance, and was a little paranoid when our host pulled out a joint and says want some? I said sure. Hit me hard and fast. Couldn’t do it much after that until Jimi Hendrix came to Berlin in 68. We all met before the concert and smoked some good hash and then had a blast! After I got out in 69, I smoked every day until I had a stroke in 2002 And no it wasn’t the pot that gave me the stroke. 1 thing I know, is that they Barr Obama et.al. say what they think we want to hear to get reelected
I voted for Barr in the Pres election, he ran as Libertarian, he was going to repeal the prohibition, shame we couldn’t get that message out more. I live in MA, we decrimmed, we got B. Frank working with Ron Paul to end prohibition, we here are doing all we can. Tell them MA can do it, and the sky has not fallen. Tell them you will take your bussiness and productivity to the north east, where they understand logic and liberty. I am not slighting the people forced to live in Draconian states, you have my empathy.
We just NEED more lawmakers like RON PAUL. We need everyday bums to run for office. Hell, I say if you’re out of a job, get a job in your local government. There’s a great start to turn these things around.
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