Coverage by BBSNews

BBSNews - 2003-08-11 -- Recently in the news the Bush administration has once again made it clear that it is jail for medical marijuana users. Even a doctor discussing marijuana as a medicinal herb is planned to be a federal offense. It's been said that states cannot "cherry-pick" which laws will be followed. It is decreed by law that the plant, marijuana, has no medicinal benefit. In 1971. It is common knowledge now that this is ludicrous. Most Americans know this. That's why the polls show about seven out of ten are in favor of medical marijuana. What people have to understand here is that hurting and in pain folks are being terrorized and arrested by prohibition agents. How can it possibly be good public policy to cage people who are simply trying to seek some relief from their various and frail physical conditions?

Malcolm and Ellen Kyle and their daughter.

BBSNews ran an editorial about the possibility that the Volstead Act, or known in many circles as Prohibition I, may have had a very real effect on the economy and it's repeal may have had a positive effect. It was written by Malcolm Kyle. As always we requested photos. Kyle sent a family photo that simply begged the question. How has such a beautiful family come to speak out against the War on Some Drugs?

So we asked and what follows is the answer from the Kyle family:

We are, I think, just like so many others like us, exasperated by the ignorance and lack of compassion shown by the so called Drug Warriors who, whilst claiming to have our best interests in mind, are as we see it, actually the very people responsible for turning a large number of our inner citys into war zones; criminalizing large numbers of our young people and ruining race-relations by their targeting of ethnic minorities.

We are moved and humbled by the fine work of brave and selfless volunteers engaged on our behalf in organizations like Human Rights Watch And The Drug War; The November Coalition, The Media Awareness Project, Teachers Against Prohibition, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and even entire Church Organizations who have risen up in opposition to this insane War on ourselves and on our fellow Human beings. We are especially alarmed and disgusted at reports of terminally-ill people being violently hoisted from their sickbeds at gunpoint because they feel they need marijuana to alleviate their suffering. Surely the only criminal activity here, is being committed by the people wearing the masks, whom, ironically are "public servants sworn to protect the innocent." And who can be more innocent than a suffering or dying person?

We feel we can not stand by any longer, bearing witness to such barbarous scenes of cruelty and must now do everything within our power, to support by all means possible, the above mentioned organizations and all others like them, in ending what will one day surely be seen as one of our worst chapters of history.

Lastly, on a brighter note, we both feel that the grotesqueness of the present situation may be a sign that things are about to change. There are many more people now than ever, who understand what`s going on and are willing to speak out against the atrocities of the War on "Some" Drugs. This gives us hope that our daughter may get the chance to grow up in a world which is not lacking in either love nor compassion and one that makes a lot more sense than the present.

God Bless!

Malcolm, Ellen & Daughter Kyle