From BestofNewOrleans.com:
Q: (New Republic editor) Leon Wieseltier said about you and Ann Coulter recently, “They share the assumption that the most extreme formulation of an idea is its truest one.” Your retort?
MAHER: My retort would be, he sounds like he’s expressing one of the problems with the media, which is what I call “fake fairness.” Sometimes the truth is all on one side. One of the problems with our media is that they don’t really know what’s up, so they always have to posit the idea that everything is a 50/50 situation. You’ll see a cover story in Time or Newsweek on legalizing marijuana, and they’ll give the pros and the cons. Well, you know what, be honest with yourself. There really aren’t any cons. It’s one of the most benign drugs in the world. Pharmaceuticals and liquor kill hundreds of thousands of people a year; marijuana doesn’t kill anybody. This is, I think, the biggest cash crop in America. But of course it’s all going to drug dealers and illegals instead of the government. It’s really a no-brainer issue, but it’s not treated that way in the press. So I would say to this guy, to paraphrase Barry Goldwater, “Extremism in the defense of truth is no vice.”
Q: Are you still on the board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)?
MAHER: You know, that’s a good question. I haven’t had much contact with them in recent years. I was a little disillusioned. I’ve always said, one of the reasons there’s been so little progress on the marijuana front is that what the movement needs more than anything is some kick-ass, take-no-prisoners, Karl Rove-type lobbyist, you know? And that just never happens, because it’s all a bunch of stoners. You got to get up for that 8 a.m. breakfast meeting with the congressman on Capitol Hill!
Gee, Bill, thanks for the help. We’ve got NORML Chapter volunteers who drive an hour or two to get to their state capitals by 8am for those breakfast meetings with representatives, senators, and assemblypersons at the state level. We’ve got Keith Stroup working in close contact with Reps. Barney Franks’ and Ron Paul’s offices at the federal level. We’ve gotten the first marijuana legalization bills introduced in California and Massachusetts and thirteen medical marijuana states and thirteen decriminalization states all from “kick-ass, take-no-prisoners” lobbying. We’ve got activists who don’t get paid a dime to collect signatures, write letters, and march in protests to show Americans “there really aren’t any cons” to marijuana legalization.
You know, just “a bunch of stoners.”
Every year I hear from regular cannabis consumers — you know, Bill, the ones who actually get busted for pot and don’t have the celebrity connections and money to get out of it — who complain, “How come we can’t get Bill Maher (or Woody Harrelson or Willie Nelson or Tommy Chong…) to do a commercial for NORML, or appear at a rally, or speak at a conference?” (To your credit, you spoke at the 2002 NORML CON.)
Apparently you don’t want to associate with “a bunch of stoners.” (I know… maybe it’s because this “bunch of stoners” doesn’t throw lavish parties at the Playboy Mansion so you can find your next hook-up.)
So if you’re wondering why “it’s really a no-brainer issue, but it’s not treated that way in the press,” let me explain. If the highest-profile political talk show host supporting marijuana law reform thinks reformers on his side of the issue are “a bunch of stoners”, why should they take the issue seriously?
Sorry, man, I love your comedy and your politics, but I have to admit, I’m feeling “a little disillusioned” with you right now.
Todd, I am four years your senior. You can lay off the ad hominem “dear boys” and “dear lads”. I have tried to maintain respect and decorum toward you during this entire conversation, but you’re making it increasingly difficult.
Here’s WTF, in simple language:
Bill Maher calls NORML “a bunch of stoners”.
I object, because I represent thousands of volunteer grassroots activists working hard to make Bill’s weed legal, and they are not “a bunch of stoners”
You defend Bill by claiming that NORML’s leadership and current state of affairs deserve criticism.
I respond that that is a separate topic in no way redeeming the original “bunch of stoners” line.
You continue to trash NORML and in the process throw ad hominem insults toward me and my friends and co-workers.
I defend NORML’s work and point out that if it weren’t for NORML, you’d have to find someone else to launder money for your defense fund, and that your demeaning of NORML seems like a strange sort of gratitude.
You continue to call me “foolish” and claim I’m making excuses.
Again, for anyone who has lost track, the original point of this “all about Todd McCormick and how much he hates NORML” thread was that a high profile celebrity who is on NORML’s Advisory Board was trashing NORML publicly and I thought that was quite unhelpful to the movement. Can you please step away from the Todd McCormick Fan Club long enough to recognize my point which is, once again, “my lad”, that to the volunteer NORML activist working in Not California, who hears “stoner” hurled at him from rednecks, cops, and politicians, and who looks forward to HBO on Friday Nights to listen to one celebrity unafraid to call for an end to prohibition madness, to read that celebrity call him and the group he works for “a bunch of stoners” is very disheartening.
That’s it. That’s my point. One YOU have been very persistent on “making distractions” from to turn this thread into “Everything Todd McCormick, with his 15 years seniority and ability to bring 40,000 people to the LA Convention Center to look at glass and figure out how they can, too, cash in on the green gold rush that charges patients $15/gram for a weed, hates about NORML.”
Comments on this post are now closed because, frankly, I’ve heard enough from you trashing the fine organization that provides this very forum for you to trash it. Get your own freakin’ blog.
What is your point? That you lose debates poorly dear boy?
Well then, job well done; have fun ranting about nothing that matters.
As I think I have earned my right to speak my mind dear lad, I truly do.
WTF my legal defense fund has to do with the current norml state of affairs is beyond anybody reading; though thanks for proving I have had a long an intricate relationship with norml and may have just a little more information and reason to criticize than your four years has allowed you to see.
Best thing you could have done was inquire about the areas that need improvement instead of trying to create a distraction and making excuses.
Exactly my point. The way you thank an organization that helped you move $167,000 “for tax purposes” is telling. Which you are correct about saying “was [n]ever intended to fund anything other than my defense in the federal case.”
NOTE: NORML has never used money from donors to fund my defense fund: ever.
TRUTH: Some of the $380,000 that we spent on my defense in 1997 and 1998 went through the NORML foundation for tax purposes. Which is legal due to the scope and nature of my prosecution. None of the money that was used on my defense was ever intended to fund anything other than my defense in the federal case.
Russ, you really should not speak about what you obviously know nothing of, nor seem to understand. Your foolish comment about my defense fund over 11 years ago only confuses readers of this page and members of the organization. Why you are even mentioning it I simply don’t understand.
I am so over telling you that our concerns have nothing to do with you.
Have whatever kind of day you like~
See you there, Todd. Thanks for all the info. Stop on by the next time you need $167,000 for your defense.
Well to be honest, we could sure use Bill Maher’s help over here in his home State of New Jersey. We have worked hard to put together quite an impressive NORML-NJ Board, full of talent and wisdom; and we have a quickly growing membership, we are close to passing a medical marijuana bill, we have a network of volunteers effectuating a low-priority ordinance program and we have just begun to take our fundraising to a professional level. A little boost from someone as popular as Bill would likely do wonders for us right now– as it feels as though we are reaching critical mass in our State.
NORML-NJ is very ready to explore novel “Bill Maher-approved” methods of marijuana reform because we agree that past reform practices are just not cutting it… a combined effort between us (NORML-NJ & Bill Maher) could prove highly effective in yielding pragmatic results..that is if Bill really felt correcting our idiotic marijuana policies was worth his admittedly valuable time, other than that 1 minute of prohibition-bashing he does every other show– bashing which is great fun to listen to, but which is far and away the absolute MINIMUM of which Bill is obviously capable from his tremendous pulpit. I wish Bill would join us in NJ for a good brain storm. In fact, if I could speak to Bill for just 15 minutes, he would realize that NORML-NJ is worthy of his assistance. The marijuana reform movement really needs his full attention and I hope he answers the call. Bill, we are ready when you are!
Frederic DiMaria, Jr., Esq.
Chairman, NORML-NJ
Russ,
You really know not of what you speak. Erotica had no where near the attendance of the THC EXPO; our line of ticketing was so long on Saturday that the THC EXPO ticket line blocked the main entrance to Erotica three times and annoyed the Erotica owners so much that the Los Angeles Convention Center had to move our line down the main stairs; at which point it caught up to Erotica’s registration line and actually passed it going out the front door! Ask anybody who was there Saturday, they will glowingly tell you how much more popular THC was than sex at convention center that weekend. If you were to call the union who was responsible for all of the move in’s and move out’s and decorating, they would tell you that they think we had over 50,000 people there on Saturday alone (gate crashers), because that was what they were telling me that evening. The FREEMAN Co. told me that we blew away most, if not all, first time conventions they had done and the LACC told me we had less incidents than the Gift convention (Gift convention serves alcohol). We had many 20’ wide isles that were 300’ long and packed! You also have no idea of what we did in marketing; 1.8 million imprints of our LA Weekly ad over 8 weeks, over 80,000 stickers were passed out by various ‘street teams’, 450 commercials on LA’s largest rock n roll radio station KLOS for 3 weeks, ads in ever major (and many upstart) cannabis magazines (7 magazines made their debut at our expo), OC Weekly, IE Weekly and also 35 billboards throughout LA.
We had over 300 exhibitors, companies from 7 countries and well over 40,000 attendees that were not spill-over from the Erotica expo, trust me when I tell you that the old guys with the big bellies carrying cameras going into the Erotica expo were easy to spot.
Initially we thought it would be a good idea to pull from their audience, but in reality they brought nothing to the table. You far underestimate what is happening in the movement here in California when you said that you don’t think as many people would’ve came; there are over 500 clubs in LA alone now, you seem to have no idea how large the movement has grown, though I can understand that considering the organization your working for is shrinking. Just wait until next our next expo, I am not doing it next to Erotica and I will guarantee you I will blow away this years amazing attendance.
Again, I think I have to tell you that Bill’s criticisms and my complaints have nothing to do with you or your performance, you are not NORML and I doubt that any of the “billionaire donors” who you speak of that don’t bother to give to norml even know who you are. I am really not here to talk about you, as you are hardly the problem; keep on keeping on. But instead of making excuses, why don’t you just take a moment to stop and reflect? I believe there is always room for improvement in everything we do, I hardly think any organization is perfect, especially the one you are currently working for; I will reiterate that I am glad you are there doing your job and I wish there were more organizations like NORML, MPP, ASA, SAFER, LEAP, MAPS and more, I wish we could all work together because I think we all have the same goal.
Good luck at what you are trying to accomplish, we all want to be effective, we all want to see change happen, even Bill, myself and your proverbial “billionaire donors”.
And I have never used stage time to talk about the performance of a non-profit, there is far too many more important topics of conversation surrounding this movement. So I guess I will se you on the common this year~
Gee, Keith, you sure you want Todd speaking at a NORML event? Sounds like he wouldn’t have much good to say about your org…
Now, Todd, do please mention when you tout 40,000 at your Expo that it was right next to the Erotica Expo that was very heavily promoted. I’m not saying that what you’ve done wasn’t hella cool and really good promotion, but I don’t think 40,000 would’ve stopped by if the Home & Garden show was next door. Just sayin’.
Your “one man show” comments discount the work a lot of NORML activists in California are doing that aren’t “California NORML”. Besides, California is pretty well represented by many orgs doing work there.
As for “lack of support for local chapters”, please give me a little bit of time on the job to prove you wrong. I think if you polled the chapters they’d tell you I’ve been pretty involved in helping them organize (a little too involved in one case, maybe). The position of chapter outreach has gone unfilled for lack of a person of talent and communications who can afford to take the job at the low non-profit salary, and my hiring was a leadership decision by Allen to address this very complaint.
If it fits your personality and character more to throw stones, so be it. I’m not concerned about past sleights, perceived failures, or superstar egos. I’m here now and it is my goal to fertilize the grassroots and coordinate with the grasstops. Think what you will about the org, but please have the open-mindedness to believe that things can improve. It won’t happen overnight, but already I’ve been instrumental in developing chapters in places not as utopian as California (Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Denver, Columbia College [Chicago]), a couple new ones in California (High Sierra [Paradise] and San Luis Obispo), and I’m even getting people organized in the US Virgin Islands, Australia, and Mexico. I’m developing new procedures for chapter affiliation, new guidelines in selection of leaders for chapters, new requirements for chapter participation (i.e., no legal hotline referrals without actually tabling and being a community organization), and writing a guidebook for chapter operations to help new chapters become effective cells of activism. I’m also working with IT to create centralized NORML website on our server, so as to provide a state chapter network (ca.norml.org, or.norml.org, ut,norml.org, etc.), a simple turn-key website operation complete with online donations and membership, as part of my fifty-state strategy to have a highly-functioning chapter in every state by 2012.
I will give you credit – despite the bad economy, which causes our funders (unlike billionaires) to tighten their pockets a bit – we do need to raise more money. As we build more chapters and I continue outreach, people will see the value in NORML and will gladly donate, I’m betting my reputation on it.
One more thing about the Hollywood event: a young well-intentioned promoter Jonathan Burchell approached NORML about organizing a benefit for NORML. He’d pick up the costs. After a couple of stabs at making it happen in New York, Jonathan booked the show at the Avalon in LA instead, believing there was more talent out there and he was right, because with Bill, Tenacious D, Fieldy from Korn – I forget who else was on the bill – Jack Black, B-Real, Pauly Shore, Bill and his girtlfriend, Kyle Gass, Jack Herer. That’s a lot of star power for a an underattended event. In fact it was a really great show and Bill gave an awesome five-minute speech. The really sad part – besides NORML not making any money from the event – was that Johnathan, who flew planes in Africa tracking lions, crashed his plane and died shortly after the benefit. So I just wish people would remember the effort and money Jonathan poured into that show on behalf of NORML.
I actually don’t work for MPP, I’ll actually work for any organization in the movement that is being effective; I do my activism not for a paycheck but because I sincerely want to see change.
You think my comments are counter productive?
I think it’s a lot more counterproductive not to speak truth to power, I think it’s counterproductive to have a practical one man show in California NORML when there’s a population of over 30 million people, I think it’s counterproductive to have people like Alan working for the organization that don’t work well with other people and has an obvious inability to lead.
I guess all that norml wants us to do is keep our mouth shut and send in checks. I am personally tired of the lack of support for local chapters from national norml, I’m tired of Allen’s inability to raise money when there is obviously so many people donating to the likes of MPP, ASA and others. I would say that if people were not writing checks to normal it is because a lot more people are disillusioned with the organization but are apparently not saying so, they simply pulled their financial support, which to me speaks volumes.
I certainly don’t think my comments are counter productive to the movement, free speech ruffles feathers, but I certainly think there are a few feathers needing to be ruffled if we’re going to make the change we want.
And I certainly don’t think my activism is counterproductive to this movement at all, in fact, the 40,000+ people that just visited my THC EXPO at the Los Angeles Convention Center would probably disagree with you as well.
I am not loyal to any organization, I am loyal to trying to make change, excuse me if some of the people running this organization are running it into the ground.