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Rick Steves
Guidebook author and travel show host
NORML Advisory Board Member
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Researching my Europe guidebooks, leading tours and producing travel shows for public television, I spend a lot time in Europe. I'm just back from some great travels and it seems I learn as much about my country by traveling as I do by staying at home.
Europeans know America arrests 700,000 people a year on marijuana charges. The Danes tell me they need to arrest a few pot smokers every year in order to maintain favored trade status with the United States. (Accurately called "token arrests.") The statistics are in, and after a decade of not arresting adults for responsible recreational use of marijuana, the Dutch have concluded that use by minors has not gone up and neither has hard drug abuse. Even Holland's conservative law enforcement people agree it's smart to decriminalize marijuana use and focus their resources on real crimes. My friends in Europe remind me that a country needs to make a choice: tolerate different lifestyles…or build more prisons. While America (with 4% of the world's population and 25% of its prison inmates) ratchets up its war on soft drug use, Europe and Canada are heading the other way-ending the counter-productive "prohibition" of our generation.
I support the decriminalization of marijuana for many reasons. I consider my activism a matter of good citizenship. And I consider the work of NORML an important service-one that I'm enthusiastic and proud to support.
Thank you for your strong support of civil liberties and NORML's tireless work to reform America's antiquated marijuana laws. Unfortunately, this battle too is another "long slog." I just sent in my annual membership donation and I'm asking you to join me by doing the same. If you're a traveler, I'm giving NORML some autographed books to help you "get off your good intentions."
 Send NORML $100 and I'd love to personally thank you with an autographed copy of a new guidebook: Europe Through the Back Door 2004 (a 500 page collection of all the most important skills enabling you to enjoy maximum travel thrills per mile, minute and dollar on your next trip); Send $200 and also receive an autographed copy of Post Cards from Europe (my autobiographical, anecdotal storytelling book lashing all my favorite experiences…and I mean ALL…into a fantasy three-week trip); or for $300, add an autographed copy of Rick Steves' Amsterdam 2004 (everything you need to enjoy that city's many unique charms!).
I think I'm in for a long afternoon of autographing with this initiative. And every time I sign a book, I'll know there's a good person out there willing to get involved to end something future Americans will look back on as a costly and ridiculous prohibition-much as we look back on the prohibition of alcohol back in the 1920s.
I joined NORML, and soon after the NORML Advisory Board, because I believe in NORML's mission to end the practice of arresting responsible adults for using marijuana. Since 1970, NORML has worked long, hard, and effectively to explain to our government that the people of America are tired of making responsible adult pot smokers criminals.
With the financial help of people like you and me, NORML has built an impressive network of chapters, activists, lawyers, business and religious leaders to develop a credible and sustained marijuana law reform program.
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This really is a long Alp Horn and not what you're thinking! | |
I'm honored to serve on NORML's Advisory Board with the likes of notable Americans such as: ACLU president Nadine Strossen, author/essayist Barbara Ehrenreich, Academy award winning director Robert Altman, Harvard Medical School's Lester Grinspoon, MD, satirist and TV show host Bill Maher, former NFL great Mark Stepnoski, actor and environmental activist Woody Harrelson and American music icon Willie Nelson.
It's my privilege and honor to publicly represent supporters of marijuana law reform like you, your family and like-minded friends. Sure, it raises a few eyebrows. But I feel curiously empowered-strangely patriotic…actually really great-to stand up publicly for something I believe in so strongly.
This next year, a presidential election year, is a huge year for the issue of marijuana law reform, especially patient access to medical marijuana. Most democratic candidates support state's rights when it comes to the use of medical marijuana. The Bush Administration is committed to overriding state laws when it comes to its war on marijuana. (As usual, their stance is a crass political calculation. Wouldn't it be great if we could prove Karl Rove and company wrong.)
With my board membership, I've enjoyed getting to know the staff, interns and volunteers at NORML. Their hard work (for very little-if any-pay) is inspirational. If you knew how your membership dollars powered their work, you'd feel great about every penny you give. Consider my gift of a guidebook as a personal challenge from me to you to dig as deep as you can. Please be generous and make an end-of-the-year, tax-deductible contribution to The NORML Foundation today.
Thanks for caring about marijuana law reform. And thanks for supporting NORML and The NORML Foundation. By speaking out on this issue, getting active politically, and powering NORML with our financial support, together we can end this mad war on marijuana.
Thanks a lot and happy travels (even if you're just staying home),
Rick Steves
Guidebook author and travel show host
NORML Advisory Board Member
Edmonds, WA
www.ricksteves.com
P.S. Check out my latest essay, Innocents Abroad.
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