El Paso Council to re-vote on marijuana legalization, mayor calls out the “potheads” who support it
Tuesday, January 13th, 2009 at 8:45 am | By: Radical Russ
KVIA.com El Paso, Las Cruces – Weather, News, Sports – Day before re-vote, mayor’s e-mail says ‘potheads’ have had sayEL PASO, Texas — City Council is poised to re-vote Tuesday on a drug war resolution that includes the controversial request for an open and honest debate on the prohibition of drugs.
Mayor John Cook quickly vetoed the resolution after city Rep. Beto O’Rourke added that request at the last minute.
Monday, an e-mail from the mayor surfaced, urging those who are against the resolution to make sure they are heard, because “the pot heads” have sent their message.
It states: “I can tell you that all the pot heads have sent their e-mails and they are encouraging the reps to stand by their decision. But why does the silent majority remain silent? We have certainly attracted attention to our city, but I don’t think the attention is positive.”
Cook told [reporters] the e-mail was private and not meant to be forwarded to others. “Specifically, I was referring to one individual who happened to write an e-mail to me saying that he’s been smoking pot for over twenty years and he thinks we should legalize marijuana in the United States … So if calling that person a pot head is insulting to him, then I apologize.”
O’Rourke had this to say about Cook’s remarks in the e-mail: “I’m sure the mayor probably didn’t mean for everyone to read this, but I was concerned that anyone who might support having a national open discussion on our best options in the drug war would be described as a pothead.”
The vote to override Mayor Cook’s veto of the resolution on the drug war in Juarez is scheduled for Tuesday.
Mayor Cook, did you ever stop to think that the people who want to at least talk about alternatives to the prohibition of drugs are the majority and aren’t being silent?
Or is that too difficult to handle when you haven’t even mastered the difference between the plural (”all the pot heads have sent their e-mails”) and the singular (”if calling that person a pot head is insulting to him, then I apologize.”)
It is insulting, Mayor Cook, to me and to all the people who support the El Paso Council’s unanimous vote to begin a new discussion on the War on (Certain American Citizens Using Non-Pharmaceutical, Non-Alcoholic, Tobacco-Free) Drugs, to call us “potheads”. (I call myself a “pothead”, but that’s because I wear a 100% hemp cap with a pot leaf on it. Literally: pot on head.) It’s the kind of word we can use amongst ourselves with good friends (think “n-word”) but is automatically offensive when used by outsiders to describe us.
Won’t it be something if later today that council overrides his veto? The city that started this stupid War on Drugs almost one hundred years ago could be the city that begins to end it.
The whole city is pretty much run by two people, Silvestre Reyes and John Cook. Those two have the most “influence” on any committee. If only El Pasoans could get rid of those two, the legalization debates could actually continue and probably get somewhere.
it actually offends me even coming from another pothead :)
I suppose the “$ilent majority” spoke after all. To think I was starting to get high hopes for change.
I would argue to change a viewpoint, sometimes you must change the language. I think Cannabis is the term we should use.
In describing someone that uses Cannabis, I would have to say asshole, or not an asshole.
OK, “Pot-head” will work, so will “Gear-Head”. As long as I’m not called a “Dick-Head” like the mayor, I can live with that.
and what about those of us who *don’t* consume marijuana, but who believe that it should be legally produced and sold to adults by reputable and licensed businesses in safe and attractive establishments in order to end the brutal murders and mutilations currently occurring at the hands of the Cartels to protect their drug incomes from selling marijuana into the U.S.?
..are we potheads too?
I never understood the big deal with the word “pot head”. Ive always been proud when I was called a “pot head”, Im like “Hell ya”, thats me!!!! I listen to Heavy Metal also so I can also be referred to as a “Metal Head” and thats not offensive to me either. Some people like to be called “patients” and some people like to be called “pot heads” or “Heads” for short, whats the difference besides one is legal and one isnt?
Now if the very “smart” mayor preceded to call me a “burn out” or “druggie” or something, than we might have a problem.
Hey Mayor – get used to it, pot heads and patients arent going anywhere and were gonna keep coming at you til you quit locking us up…