Why I Love Ethan Nadelmann

Back in July I wrote a post featuring Ethan Nadelmann's moving speech from the last NAACP Conference: Ethan Nadelmann Delivers the Truth: Human Rights, Racial Justice and the War on Drugs. Last week at the opening of the 2009 Drug Reform Conference Mr. Nadelmann once again gave a rousing speech, proving he is a true leader in the movement to reform our draconian drug laws. One of my favourite parts of the speech? Calling out Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for following down the failed path of US Mandatory Minimum Sentencing.

The video is a little over half an hour, but well worth the time! I think all politicians should listen to it, so they know that we are here raising our voice and we will never, ever stop fighting to end prohibition!

Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance at the 2009 Drug Reform Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico: "Right now the wind is at our back" from Hungarian Civil Liberties Union. Thank you to the HCLU for filming, please visit their link for more pictures and info about the conference.

UPDATE: And even more awesomeness from Ethan Nadelmann, I really just can't say enough about how much I respect and admire all of the work Mr. Nadelmann puts forth towards reforming our drug laws and ending prohibition.

Leading drug reformer from U.S. visits injection site

Mexican Drug Policy Reform Movement Takes Shape

Update #2 - My Testimony to Congress on the War on Drugs By Ethan Nadelmann

"The U.S. House Domestic Policy Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), held a hearing Wednesday April 14th. on the White House's drug war budget and forthcoming 2010 National Drug Control Strategy...." Read Mr. Nadelmann's testimony, as always, he's brilliant.

You can also "Follow" Ethan Nadelmann on Twitter.

Ethan Nadelmann Delivers the Truth: Human Rights, Racial Justice and the War on Drugs

Ethan Nadelmann Speaks at the NAACP Conference: Human Rights, Racial Justice and the Drug War

Ethan Nadelmanns' speech for the NAACP Conference is honestly one of the best speeches regarding The War on People and prohibition I have ever heard. I'm sharing this video with everyone I know.

I was fortunate to hear Marc Emery speak last night, and we would be wise to listen to people like Ethan and Marc. We all have to speak up and make our voices heard - in Washington, in Ottawa, everywhere. Americans and Canadians should be rising up together to get our drug laws changed, it will benefit all of North America.

Mr. Nadelmann is right, we have never been a drug free society and we never will be. Humans aren't perfect so it's quite astonishing that our politicians demand just that of us - perfection. Yes, while drugs are sometimes abused, the Drug War has been a complete tragedy and causes more harm to peoples lives than the actual substances themselves.

By luck President Obama never got busted. How different our world would be if he had been caught using cannabis or cocaine. How he can sit in the Oval Office while people sit in jail cells for doing the exact same thing he chose to do is beyond me. I honestly believed he would be a leader of drug reform once elected. Sadly, he seems to be content to ignore this Human Rights atrocity taking place in his very own country, perpetrated against the people of the very nation he leads.

In Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is an ideological aggressor, trying to change Canadian drug laws to reflect those that have led to the mass incarceration of over 20 million Americans. We know the damage the drug war has done to the States, why our Canadian politicians would push down the same failed path is nothing short of insanity.

Stand up everyone, if we're going to change things, we all have to do our part. Share videos like these and it doesn't cost you but the price of a stamp to write a letter and mail it to your congress rep or member of parliament. It's a start. Assure them that they will not lose your vote if they work for the people to strike down prohibition.

We the people vote politicians in to office, and it is their duty to represent what the people want - and we all know, it is undeniable, that our current system, this war, just isn't working - and we want change.

Yes We Cannabis.