Plod sends a great squad to destroy the grass because of man’s wickedness and because the earth is corrupt. The Grass Spirit tells Baldy, a righteous man in his generation, to build a large protest to save both his extended family and a representative collection of the world’s animals. The Grass Spirit gives detailed instructions for the Protest, and after its completion, sends all the animals along. Plod then sends the great squad to cover all the mountains and animals with cautions and fines. Then the “Grass Spirit remembers Baldy,” the squad fails to make a dent, the fines abate, and hope reappears. Baldy, his extended family, and the animals leave the Protest Park, and, in our dreams, Plod enters a covenant to never again send a squad to destroy the grass.
Prohibition is a sickening horror and the ocean of incompetence, corruption and human wreckage it has left in its wake is almost endless. Prohibition has decimated generations and criminalized millions for a behavior which is entwined in human existence.
Based on the unalterable proviso that drug use is essentially an unstoppable and ongoing human behavior which has been with us since the dawn of time, any serious reading on the subject of past attempts at any form of drug prohibition would point most sensible people in the direction of sensible regulation.
By its very nature prohibition cannot fail but create a vast increase in criminal activity, and rather than preventing society from descending into anarchy, it actually fosters an anarchic business model – the international Drug Trade. Any decisions concerning quality, quantity, distribution and availability are then left in the hands of unregulated, anonymous, possibly ruthless drug dealers, who are interested only in the profits involved.
Many of us have now finally wised up to the fact that the best avenue towards realistically dealing with drug use and addiction is through proper regulation, which is what we already do with alcohol & tobacco –two of our most dangerous mood altering substances, the two with the most deaths caused. But unfortunately policy is dominated by those who will no doubt remain sorely upset with any type of solution that does not seem to lead to the absurd and unattainable utopia of a drug free society.
There is an irrefutable connection between drug prohibition and the crime, corruption, disease and deaths caused. If you are not capable of understanding this connection, then maybe you’re using something far stronger than the rest of us. Anybody ‘halfway bright’ and who’s not psychologically challenged, should be capable of understanding, that it is not simply the demand for drugs that creates the mayhem; it is our refusal to allow legal businesses to meet that demand. No amount of money, police powers, weaponry, diminution of rights and liberties, wishful thinking or pseudo-science will make our streets safer; only an end to prohibition can do that. How much longer are you willing to foolishly risk your own survival by continuing to ignore the obvious, historically confirmed solution?
If you still support the kool aid mass suicide cult of prohibition, and erroneously believe that you can win a war without logic and practical solutions, then prepare yourself for even more death, corruption, terrorism, sickness, imprisonment, unemployment, foreclosed homes, and the complete loss of the rule of law and human rights.
“A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.” (Abraham Lincoln)
The only thing prohibition successfully does is prohibit regulation and taxation while turning even our schools and prisons into black markets for drugs. Regulation would mean the opposite!
The MardiGrass Organising Body (MOB) are on the ball early this year with Lismore Council and Police insisting on bringing us into the ‘new world order’.
After a few meetings in Lismore already we were rescued by our angel Anna who is kindly volunteering to submit a 5 year event development application (DA) to Council. The infrastructure costs involved in putting this event on for the community is ever increasing it seems and this year we need everyone’s assistance. Anna will be approaching all businesses later this month to discuss their needs that weekend and our needs. Any business supporting MardiGrass will be recognised during the event and in the programme which is handed out all year in the village.
The focus over the next 5 years is for ‘free-flowing’ walkways to ease congestion on footpaths. ALL activities within the village are required to be registered with MOB for the purpose of the Council DA. Anyone trading on the street without approval will be subjected to ‘move on’ orders from police. There will be no street (footpath) trading apart from Sibley St, Peace Park and specified venues. The ‘blister’ area and the Museum laneway is clear of any activity except acoustic music with a drumming circle permitted. More venues advertised closer to the event.
There will be at least a dozen busking venues so we don’t have dramas with the police like last year, with the winners vying for the most coupons received from visitors. There will be a blackboard at each venue to chalk up your time to play. As soon as MOB gets approval of these venues there will be notices in the next Goodtimes editions and around the town informing residents and visitors of the DA changes.
Restricted/no parking will be in place in the village from 12 noon Friday April 30th to 11pm Sunday May 2nd. Below are areas of concern: cross02
* Sibley St will be closed to traffic from Cullen St intersection to Thorburn St. Residents in Sibley are asked to limit any vehicle traffic over that weekend from 12 noon Friday. * The central section of the village will have no car parking this year. Chill Central safety zone will have no cars from the ‘blister’ outside the Museum to the garden before the pedestrian crossing. On the eastern side there will be no parking permitted from the Hotel all the way to Perceptios. jman * There is also no parking on the southern side of Cecil Street from the Showgrounds to the creek to allow pedestrian traffic easy access to a new proposed pathway from 12 Cecil St to the Town Hall parking area. This will have security and lighting and ease the pedestrian traffic along the footpath around the Hospital. * No parking at the top of Cecil St at the Cullen St intersection (Sunday only) on the southern side for 50 metres to allow for the rally assembly. * Thorburn Street from Silky Oak Drive will have a road closure managed by the Backpackers to ensure clear access to and from the campsites and their parking. * The western council carpark is to be free of any camping – all camping is to be directed to the Showgounds or Backpackers camping sites. Roadside camping is not permitted.
Vehicle parking paddock areas are to be managed by the Headers Sports Club this year with all profits going to the Club. They need volunteers and paddocks close enough to town. The MOB sincerely request anyone with suitable land near the village for parking to contact us. All parking areas will be slashed with provisions for toilets and waste amenities and MOB promises them to be left cleaner than before the event!
The MOB wishes to extend a welcome and many thanks for those who donate their time and finances during this event, without you it could not happen. All volunteers should register with the Hemp Embassy leaving a contact phone or email in the shop. MOB meetings have sort of started and you will find key organizers in the Hemp Bar from 4.20pm on Fridays.
Event tickets including a campsite are already for sale for the weekend of May 1st and 2nd, 2010 ………. Not so far away now.
