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Retired Cop Saddles Up To Protest Drug Policy, Lakewood Police Force Tall Texan from High Horse, and Letters to the Editor
US OH: Retired Cop Saddles Up To Protest Drug Policy URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n1402.a08.htmlPubdate: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 Source: Beacon Journal, The (OH) Copyright: 2005 The Beacon Journal Publishing Co. Contact: vop@thebeaconjournal.comWebsite: http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/6Author: Beth Rankin RETIRED COP SADDLES UP TO PROTEST DRUG POLICY Cross-Country Rider Urges U.S. Lawmakers To Legalize All Drugs FAIRLAWN - Retired police officer Howard Woolridge is fighting the war against drugs. But he's not fighting in it, he's fighting against it. Woolridge, along with his 11-year-old paint horse, Misty, has spent the last six months traveling across America and pushing an unconventional message: Legalize drugs now. The two made a stop Sunday in Fairlawn, where Woolridge shared his message at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron. "The nation's policy on drug prohibition is a catastrophic failure and bad public policy," said the 54-year-old former Michigan police officer. Woolridge is a member of the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a national organization of former police, judges and other past and present law officials who believe that legalizing drugs is the solution to America's substance abuse problem. The organization, created in 2002, maintains that the prohibition of drugs causes a "multitude of unintended harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs," according to its mission statement. The group uses speakers and lobbyists to try to legalize drugs, a move it says will drastically reduce violence and crime in the nation. This is Woolridge's second cross-continental trip. For this trip, he's riding his horse from Los Angeles to New York City to share his message. Clad in a cowboy hat, spurs, Wrangler jeans and a T-shirt reading "Cops say legalize drugs," this cowboy said his crusade won't end until all drugs are available at your local pharmacy. "I don't know what it's going to take besides a cattle prod to get politicians to talk about this," said Woolridge, who compared himself to a modern-day Paul Revere. The retired police detective said he travels about 30 miles per day on his horse. He's followed on his journey by a fellow LEAP member who drives a recreational vehicle full of supplies. His trusty horse Misty doesn't seem to mind the long days on the road -- or the endless attention and affection from the new people she meets every day. "I learned quickly that riding a horse across America gets you a lot of attention," Woolridge said. Susan Davis, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron and the person responsible for bringing Woolridge to the area, said she hopes his message will sink in with those he meets. "I believe in the same thing that they do," she said. "I think something has to happen. I'm delighted to have him here." Not surprisingly, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has taken a strong stand against groups that advocate legalizing all drugs. According to "Speaking Out Against Drug Legalization," a pamphlet released by the DEA, "legalization of drugs will lead to increased use and increased levels of addiction." The pamphlet also states that crime, violence and drug use are all connected. After his stop in Akron, Woolridge will saddle up and head east, finishing his 3,300-mile journey five weeks from now in New York City. Misty will be with him for the entire ride. "Unlike my former wife, it'll be till death do us part," Woolridge said.
US OH: Lakewood Police Force Tall Texan from High Horse URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05.n1443.a03.htmlWebpage: http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/home.php?which=1&article-id=125Pubdate: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 Source: Lakewood Observer (OH) Contact: letters@lakewoodobserver.comAuthor: Kenneth Warren Note: A webcast of the interview is here http://lakewoodobserver.com/misc/LAKEWOOD POLICE FORCE TALL TEXAN FROM HIGH HORSE Lakewood Police forced tall Texan Howard Wooldridge from his high horse Sam on August 29. A former law enforcement officer himself, Wooldridge is "riding Sam across the country America from Los Angeles to New York to bring awareness that the nation's policy of the war on drugs -drug prohibition - is a catastrophic failure." Wooldridge is a member of the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), an organization of current and former members of law enforcement who support drug regulation rather than prohibition. Wooldridge has logged 5,500 miles across America on two trips so far. Lakewood marks his first close encounter with police concerned the Paul Revere horse ride through this densely populated packed city could have been broken a law. "This is first time I had patrol officers literally jump out of the patrol car to stop me and to see if what I was doing was breaking the law. It was quite a shock," says Wooldridge. The officers consulted supervisory staff about laws concerning horse-riding in the city. There was nothing on Lakewood's law books to stop the Tall Texan from continuing to ride his horse Sam. Wooldridge, who served as a police officer in Bath and DeWitt Townships, near Lansing, Michigan, rides approximately thirty mile each day. He expects to reach New York City by October 1. The war of drugs, says Wooldridge, has increased the rates of crime death and disease, while filling our kids world with drugs and drug dealers. "It's a failure on all its aims and objectives." "Drug abuse is a health matter best handled by professionals in that field, not by police and prisons," says Wooldridge. "The police cannot protect people from their own stupidity. It hasn't worked in 35 years and won't work in 2005." Wooldridge wants government focus resources on those drinking and driving and child molesters. "Protect and Serve is in my blood," declares Wooldridge, "and now that motto takes the shape of ending prohibition and promoting personal responsibility for those who choose to use any drug."
War on Drugs isn't working very well at all Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Dr. Phil McGraw is famous for his line, "And how's that working for you?" - a question that invariably brings out the truth that the individual has been engaging in a totally unproductive and usually harmful behavior in a vain attempt to solve some personal problem. On Sunday night, I heard Howard Wooldridge, a retired police officer, ask an audience the same question about the "War on Drugs." Wooldridge is riding his horse, Misty, across the country to help people understand that we need to try something else, because the criminalization of drugs isn't working for us. He is a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), which is made up of current and former members of law enforcement who support drug regulation rather than prohibition. Wooldridge made a lot of sense when he pointed out, among a host of other evidence, that drugs have become cheaper, more available and more potent than they were in 1970. Prohibition of alcohol did not work in the 1920s, and the war on drugs (really a war on people) isn't working for us now. How's the war on drugs working for us? Shouldn't we try something new? Caroline Cook Medina
© 2005 The Plain Dealer
Letter to the Editor (submitted)
It is too bad that Howard Wooldridge, the self professed ‘troublemaker’ has the label troublemaker in the first place. It is a sign that our society accepts nothing but the status quo.
If anybody has a new idea or way of thinking, they are looked upon as a radical. It seems to me that the drug war is a total failure, often causing much more harm than good.
Consider that drugs are more potent and also more abundant than ever, but we are still arresting record numbers of people for merely participating in the market that is created solely by the demand for illegal drugs. Whether one sells or possesses them, they are charged as a felon. What is even more perplexing is that my wife and I are also caught up in the same system that is trying to stop the black market trade in drugs. You see, my wife found out that marijuana helps her medical condition, RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy). In order to treat her condition we grew our own cannabis and are now going to trial to fight the 5th degree felony charges we received for cultivating nominal amounts of the herb. Since the price of pharmaceutical drugs is so high, we did what we had to do. Now that we are out on bond and subject to weekly urine testing, she is on prescription Marinol. Marinol is a synthetic form of ‘medical marijuana’ in a pill form. While it is a legal drug, its costs far exceed that of black market marijuana, costing more than $1250.00 for a one months supply. My only hope is that someday lawmakers will ‘wake up’ and realize the mess that has been created by the war on drugs. Not only is my family nearly devastated by the war, people like Mr. Wooldridge are labeled troublemakers for trying to right the wrong. Joseph Zoretic Executive Director Ohio Patient Action Network P.O. Box 770409 Lakewood, OH 44107
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