MERCY Newz, Alerts! & Announcements for September 2007

Welcome to the Medical Cannabis Resource Center News pages

In this issue:

Salem 2008 March Report.

Salem March Mission statement!

Salem March Strategy notes

more Salem March news and info

- List! - Organize your town and Join the March Poster List

Get On The List!

- NEWS and Info - Articles and Stories

Some History on the Million Marijuana March

People of All Kinds Rally for Global Cannabis Liberation

News of the the Million Marijuana March, Salem, Oregon, 2008 entry and beyond

The 2008 Million Marijuana Marches Happen In Salem, Oregon and Around the World.

For ultra-conservative, small-town Salem, it was a big turn-out, put the official number at 40. Lots of networking on medical cannabis – as the folks from MERCY were organizing it – as well as other NORML goals of hemp and ending prohibition in general. A good action item and the best Million Marijuana March in MERCYs now six-year history of organizing them in Salem. They look forward to building up to next years event with poster parties and such, culminating in every one of last years participants bringing at least one other with them for 2009. Wednesdays at the Coffeehouse Café in Salem at 7pm, is a good starting point.

The Million Marijuana March is an annual global event celebrating the benefits of cannabis and hemp that takes place, for most participants, on the first Saturday in May. On that day – referred to as Jay Day by some organizers – people in hundreds of cities around the world rally and march in unison for cannabis law reform. A peaceful party to celebrate our gains and to re-energize for the next steps. The main purpose is to raise awareness about the issues, to inform and educate thru the publicity involved. Secondly, we want to register every person there and further empower them by providing whatever is needed to getting them to the voting booth at the right time. Also we want a good show, a nice time for every one - entertaining as well as informative. And, at the same time, we can also raise a little money and fund some projects for the cause - like sponsoring OMMA patients who can't afford a fee or a Hemp Initiative. We pick up steam every day, we gain more sponsor$ and other support each time we talk about it.

Also, different groups with related agendas can be represented. We can use this opportunity to stand united as one voice.

Assembly for the 2008 Salem MMM starts at 11:00am, Saturday, May 5^th, 2008, at the “corner” of W. Summer and Center streets, at the far end of the Mall from the Capital Steps.

Next is May 2nd, 2009. In Salem, they will start at 11am - Assemble, Rally and March at High Noon as part of this action item, at the far end of the mall across from the steps of the Capital Building.

March Route map At High Noon (sharp!) they proceed down W. Summer thru the Mall to the corner of W. Summer and Court. Then west down Court Street on the north side-walk. They most likely will not have permission ($!) to use the street, so must stick to the sidewalks and obey pedestrian rules. They will check on being able to have bicycles and pace vehicles on the street beside them. They’ll be sure to not block traffic or impede other citizens attempting to use the walkway. They’ll march, proudly, politely and peacefully, down to Liberty Street and turn right. Then go north up Liberty to Center and turn right. Going east down Center Marchers will come to W. Summer (the Mall), returning to their original rally point. Those unable to go the distance will be holding the Assembly point and waiting for the Marchers there. Then a post-March Rally at Wilson Park. See directions at –

http://mercycenters.org/events/MMM.html

Marchers hand out flyers to passer-bys, recruiting more marchers and demonstrating to folks driving by.

Marchers rally at the corner of Summer and Center streets in Salem, Oregon, first Saturday in May, 2008.

The March starts down W. Summer, the “alley” on the west side of the Capital Mall.

The March proceeds to Court street from assembly point on Center street.

Salem MMMarchers turn onto Court street.

In 2008, during assembly, an Oregon State Trooper showed up due to a report he received about a Smoking March that was happening. We informed him that we weren’t prepared for or planning any acts of civil disobedience this occasion and educated him on the March strategies, goals and objectives in general. We then had an interesting exchange as we commented on whether or not Patients would be medicating and the issue of public view. He made a statement to the effect that if Patients were walking along smoking, it would be a “gray area”. An interesting viewpoint we had no intention of testing this year.

Our purpose is to rally, register to vote, sign petitions and encourage everybody we know to do so also. The goal is to allow individuals to come out and – by doing so - make a statement in the company of like minded citizens. Share, learn and grow as we promote ending cannabis prohibition - and freedom in general. This is to raise awareness about cannabis as medicine, the value of industrial hemp and voter empowerment in general. This is about our rights and responsibilities as Americans. This is our opportunity to unite, stand together and be counted! Every city in Oregon should be represented. Talk it up, be there and help make it happen!

Mission objectives & goals:

(1) the March (and thru publicity about & during the March raise awareness and followers)

(2) Registering Voters (thru the Rally) and …

(3) signing any petitions available at the time …

(4) empowering (tools & tool building 'kits') them thru Literature and Contact info.

(5) sign up contacts and generally gain support & We do this for the cause in general and to get the most resources to best insure we …

(6) fundrai$e. ('cheap, good, on time' paradigm)

(!) and, at the same time, build alliances and network to an overall activist community.

Salem MMM Marchers parading down Court street on the side-walk. Drive-bys continue to show support with honks, thumbs-up and various shouts of encouragement.

Strategy issues:

(1) Family Affair

(2) Accentuate the positives, 'information stations' at all four corners

(3) communications, volunteer training

(4) know our rights and options - can squads of cops just stroll on thru with frothing dobermans and loiter at leisure? (not that we object, heck give them the mike!)

In 2008, the Marchers are not able to take to the streets due to the prohibitive costs the Salem police put on escort and “security” needs. So we use the side-walks … in batches. This year, for the first time, They had the wonderful problem of being too long and needing to wait for the end to catch up before crossing streets.

The March continues down Court to Liberty in downtown Salem, Oregon.

more of the MMM on Court Street - on their way to Liberty (!) - in Salem, Oregon in 2008.

Drive by networking. For the 2008 March in Salem, Sign making material was on hand and last minute attendees were able to make effective signage there and then. It didn’t need to be a perfect presentation, the message was simple and getting out, as evidenced by the response from drivers. The “Honk For Hemp” on the back of the above example got a lot of “votes” from driver-bys. A notable unsolicited observation was the broad spectrum of society showing support. “Man, what a variety of people. There was folks of all colors, old and young, rich and poor looking [cars], soccer-mom’s with vans full of kids and hard-hats on their way to a job” commented one participant.

Poster parties leading up to next years March anyone? See you at the Café!

Carrying placards and signs and wearing T-shirts that show off well on TV. The media should be interviewing patients and well spoken representatives of the MMJ movement. That big red cross with a green leaf "Healing for Patients" clearly in big letters,or something similar. Some may want to carry large blowups of patients they are representing that day.

Spread The Word! Wherever two or more of the faith are gathered or likely to. Tell your friends and families. Tell all the MMJ and MJ forums that you are on. Post it on ANY web site that will allow you to.

Marchers stopped at major intersections to demonstrate to drivers and passer-bys, getting a over-whelming positive response.

The March continues from Liberty up Center street.

… back to the assembly point at W. Summer and Center.

If you can't make it to one of the cities listed, stand in front of your local city hall, LEO, court house, parks and show your support for this. Register Voters and Collect signatures in your home town as you educate locally on this event and the issue. If there is a street fair, try to get a Booth that will be up for that weekend. utilize the media to the maximum. Most small town newpapers and even Time magazine do not cover this issue enough. Few are expressing OUR ideals and success stories. Fill the Letters to the EDITORS on all venues that this is happening and your opinions and positive testaments on it.

One strategy is that sick people be forefront in this show of strength. The focus chould be on the ill and the benefits MMJ has brought to them. Wrap your heads in bandages and arms in slings so the media will have this in the FRONT PAGES and to show your support. Wrapping in bandages it is a symbolic gesture to show support for the Medical Cannabis agenda and Theatrical expression is a magnificent part of effective protesting. Just as many people supported Ghandi by wearing handspun cotton and MLK Jr by peaceful demonstrations. Respectful non-violent demonstration worked for GHANDI and MARTIN LUTHER KING JR and it can change the world.

Local media was represented by MERCY-TVs P.K. Kramyer. Footage of the March can be seen in the Salem-area on cable at Capital City TV’s channel 23 on TUE @ 10:30 pm, THU @ 2 pm, FRI @ 11:30 am -or- SAT @ 8:30 pm.

Be the BEST that we can to bring these compassionate needs to the public eye. Work to change the LIES that perpetuate the Drug War Propaganda. Change the TERRORISM the government inflicts on citizens and families because of a plant with the beneficial properties that MJ has had for a millennium or more.

Urge everyone who participates not to publicly do anything to disrespect the movement. Certainly no violence and any pot-smoking, especially by “kids”, will be EXTREMELY detrimental and counter-productive.

Bring out those who will sign petitions and vote and those that are riding the top of the fences. The purpose is to encourage individuals to come out and make a statement in the company of like minded individuals. Share, learn and grow as we promote ending cannabis prohibition - and freedom in general. Talk it up, be there and help make it happen!

Important: get your city on the list for the Global Marijuana March, May 2, 2009! If you’d like your action item to be listed on the poster, or organizer Cures-Not-Wars webpage, etc., or talk to them about the event, please contact them by phone (212-677-7180) or email (dana@cures-not-wars.org) or website - ( http://www.cures-not-wars.org - and specify that your group has decided to do a march, rally, forum, vigil, festival or other pro-cannabis event in conjunction with Global Marijuana Day. Even if you were listed in 2008, if you do not contact them by email or other, they may not list you. Bad experiences due to listing cities wholesale without their explicit authorization have convinced them that new, updated commitments are necessary for every participating location.

Please be sure to update emails, phone numbers, website and postal address--and supply local contact person info if possible. If you cannot do it on the first Saturday in May --if for instance you or anyone you know in another city is doing something around 4/20, or in early June-- that's fine, just let them know your alternative date, so they can put it on their website and other media.

SOME HISTORY

The MMM is an event that has been going on for somewhere around 25+ years and has years of tradition of which many are unaware. It started as the Yippie! organized "May Day 5th Avenue Pot Pride Parade" in New York City and in 1996 became known as the Million Marijuana March. Even though the event still occurs on the first Saturday in May, it has now established tradition of its own, spreading beyond NYC.

The emphasis of the following years events are turning from that street party into a productive political venue that the NAACP and the ACLU would be proud to co-sponsor. We folks in Salem are doing this successfully, we believe. Let's honor our counter-cultural elements, history, heroes and activists, but at the same time be aware that we need to better coordinate our efforts for the maximum politically-positive media spin and potential resulting benefits for our on-going political efforts.

Ours are not the minds we need to be concerned with. Its success depends on our ability, each and every one of us, to become a teacher.

For more info >> LINKs >
MERCYs MMM page > http://mercycenters.org/events/MMM.html

Prohibition was introduced as a fraud; it has been nursed as a fraud. It is wrapped in the livery of Heaven, but it comes to serve the devil. It comes to regulate by law our appetites and our daily lives. It comes to tear down liberty and build up fanaticism, hypocrisy, and intolerance. It comes to confiscate by legislative decree the property of many of our fellow citizens. It comes to send spies, detectives, and informers into our homes; to have us arrested and carried before courts and condemned to fines and imprisonments. It comes to dissipate the sunlight of happiness, peace, and prosperity in which we are now living and to fill our land with alienations, estrangements, and bitterness.
It comes to bring us evil --only evil-- and that continually. Let us rise in our might as one and overwhelm it with such indignation that we shall never hear of it again as long as grass grows and water runs.
(From an 1887 speech by Roger Q. Mills of Texas; quoted more than once during the alcohol prohibition debates in Congress. He proved to be a prophet, as the years 1918-1933 taught us. We're learning the truth of this prophecy again in the so-called "war on drugs".)

Click here for a printable MERCY News Report with these stories. Click here for MERCYs Calendar of Events.