A New Hampshire state representative who last week said he would vote against a marijuana decriminalization bill and suggested in an e-mail that a constituent should “snitch” on his friends for smoking marijuana now says he’s open to discussing the issue, after the e-mail received nationwide attention.
Toby Iselin of Keene had written state Rep. Delmar Burridge (D-Keene) to ask him to pass the bill out of committee so that it could be debated by the full state House. In his e-mail response, Burridge said he had forwarded the message to the Keene Police Department and that Iselin should become a snitch.
“It is thrilling to dime on your so-called friends,” Burridge wrote.
The e-mail generated a firestorm of controversy across the Internet after it was picked up here, at Reason Magazine’s Hit and Run blog, at digg.com and elsewhere.
“This is a learning process for me,” said Burridge, who has received dozens of calls from as far as Florida, Missouri and California. “I’m certainly learning the power of blogs. … It’s fascinating.”
When the Internet storm dies down, Burridge would like to meet with Iselin to discuss the issue further, he said. “He’s certainly a very energized and passionate young man.”
Iselin said he would be open to a meeting, as well. He is even hoping that Burridge might appear on his television show.
“I was just trying to get in touch with him in the first place,” Iselin said. “That’s what this whole thing was about.” — Keene Sentinel
TheSentinel also quoted regular reader BelchSpeak, as well as yours truly.
If you can’t contact your representative and know he will give your viewpoint due consideration, then how can it be said he’s representing you? That is what this whole thing is about. (Don’t get me started on Congress…)
And for the record, I don’t smoke marijuana.
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Karl Marx would love the popular moves among politicians in various state governments and the federal government to ban so-called "junk" food in schools, and to "put healthy food in" convenience stores and on the tables of those they define as poor. It's a very elitist and arrogant mindset that promotes this ideology, and it needs to be addressed.
Ultimately, the war supporters in Congress prevailed in the vote on the resolution. Still, the vote was significant because it places every member of Congress on the record as supporting or not supporting the unconstitutional, costly, violent occupation of a country that never attacked us. This vote should serve as an important reminder to the American people of where their representatives really stand when it comes to policing the world, empire building, and war.
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Slim
Jan 21, 2007
Would any of this happened 10 or 20 years ago? I really doubt it. The Internet and blogging has given everyone a voice. We are no longer satisfied with the trash that the major media tries to feeds us.
I wonder how many other people have been investigated because they contacted their representatives and voiced their opinions. How many lives have been destroyed? How much of our money has been wasted? Pissed down a rabbit hole that has no end.
Q
Jan 21, 2007
probably me, considering the messages I send my reps.
tyler
Jan 22, 2007
Not suprising. NH is all about the liberty march or whatever – of course their officials are going to be trying to bust those college kids of keene and restore ‘order’ to the free state
more people need to realize how much NH does good for keeping our liberties intact
V
Jan 22, 2007
Hopefully the storm doesn’t die down and the N.H. constituents run this clown out of office.
Intimidating voters because he doesn’t agree with their opinion?
Who does he think he is, George Bush?
David
Jan 22, 2007
He never replied to my email, the dbag
Joe Liberty
Jan 22, 2007
Heard about this on Free Talk Live podcast. It is insulting if you read the politician’s arrogant letter, only to now have him calling Iselin a “energized and passionate young man”. Amazing the change of personality he gets from a little media attention, eh? Backpeddler.
nikolai
Jan 22, 2007
There are still plenty of ignoramuses out there. I live in AZ and One of the marijuana laws here is that if an adult sells pot within 200 ft of a school and is caught and convicted, he will be sentenced to a MINIMUM of 5 years in federal prison, period. NO EXCEPTIONS. What this means is if a kid who is 18 and has graduated a year ahead of his buddies goes back to his old alma mater to sell his former schoolmates a couple of joints and is busted, he will spend 5 years in federal prison. Can you imagine a naive 18 year old kid being sent to the pen for 5 years for such a victimless crime? I have spoken with a lot of people about this law, and there are those both young and old, who actually AGREE with this law! I bet they’d think differently if it were their kid or relative who was going to prison for such a minor infraction. To sum it up, the bottom line is that this very flawed law is supported by a lot of our elected officials now in office in the state of AZ, just like this jerk Burridge.
vemrion
Jan 22, 2007
I can’t believe this guy said it’s “thrilling to dime on your friends.” I don’t know what’s more idiotic, his embrace of the NARC/weasel mentality or his attempt to use the word “dime” in a hip, street sense. Then, of course, forwarding the kid’s letter to the cops is the really low blow, as if we don’t even have the freedom to disagree with the law anymore. This guy is a democrat?! For shame!
The time for decriminalization has come. This fraudulent and wasteful war is destroying the Tree of Liberty and turning us against each other. Let’s see if the power of blogs can turn the tide.
Why IS pot illegal, anyway?
booyaka
Jan 22, 2007
New Hampshire is full of neo-conservatives and representatives who know nothing.. They all run around with polls up their asses.. Live free or die baby.. Smoke some weed
name
Jan 22, 2007
Ever hear this song?
Pack, pack, pack a bowl,
light it with a match,
take a hit,
that’s good shit,
now go and get some snatch
somellama
Jan 22, 2007
www.leap.cc
BelchSpeak
Jan 22, 2007
So after the meeting, the rep will still say “After careful consideration, the answer is still no.”
paulie cannoli
Jan 22, 2007
Belch,
You wish.
We’re having a real effect…
My blog was one of many, like the MassCann blog,
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=51591607&blogID=218635852
which experienced the most traffic we ever had due to reporting this story, and (just like us) suggesting ways people both in and out of NH can take action. This blog, like ours, has many good ideas and templates for letters you can use in the comment section.
Going beyond what is reported in the Sentinel, the MassCann blog reports:
“State of NH had a decrim meeting today. LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) spoke. Delmar (Burridge) was at the meeting. He has listened and talked to many of his constituents over the last few days and he is now publicly pledging to support marijuana decrim and will vote for it.”
Sweet!
Let’s keep in touch with Burridge, make sure that this is true and if so, that he keeps his word.
paulie cannoli
Jan 22, 2007
By the way Belch, c’mon by and visit us.
Latest:
http://lastfreevoice.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/burridge-gets-big-bloody-red-nose-starts-taking-off-ass-clown-costume/
paulie cannoli
Jan 22, 2007
If the following bill passes, Iselin’s letter would in fact have been an admission of commiting a crime:
“Congressman Sensenbrenner knows how to win the Drug War. He wants to forcibly turn us all into Deputy Dawgs. His bill, introduced last May, would require every person in the USSA to rat out everyone who has ever so much as copped a contact high from a wayward puff of pot.
Anyone who fails to fink on family or friends lands in lockup. If Men won’t inform on their Moms, if Dads don’t denounce their daughters, if Lilo flinches at snitching on Stitch – and then won’t help convict them – they become prison fodder themselves.
So you thought we won the Cold War against International Communism? Our Wisconsin Warrior dreams of a Soviet-American society where comrade squeals on comrade and little Ivan informs on his Father. Thought we won the World War against Hitler? Now we’ll be expected to narc out our neighbors for the crime of being individuals instead of being Jewish.”
Read the rest at
http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=481#more-481
NHMan
Jan 24, 2007
Checkout http//:infantrydad.blogspot.com for more on this subject and leave your opinions. Many more blogs about Bush and his grand ideas for Iraq as well. When you think about legalization of Marijuana step out of the smoke for a second and think of what this might cause. One thought it would definetly cause yet another government entity. Would the freedom to smoke pot without legalization realy be a benefit or a cause of bigger problems? I personally feel that we face much larger concerns as a region and as a country then Pot. We need to set our priorities straight and tackle issues in some manner of order.
Lebowski
Jan 24, 2007
Anybody mind if I do a J
Hope
Jan 24, 2007
NHMan. Good grief! It’s not about the pot. It’s about what the government, the police, the prison industry and forfeiture are doing to people and this country because of pot. It’s insane and unjust and wrong.
Mary
Feb 02, 2007
This is all just a huge misunderstanding, Obvisouly Rep. Burridge was stoned when he strategized his reply.
Personal liberties are the issue, feds seem to get just a little pushier every day.
Anonymous
Feb 05, 2007
No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we’re looking for the sources of our troubles, we shouldn’t test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power. ~P.J. O’Rourke
“Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use.”~President Jimmy Carter
Instead of all of this energy and effort directed at the war to end drugs, how about a little attention to drugs which will end war? ~Albert Hofmann
Cory
Jun 26, 2007
How did Ryan not find this and comment yet…?
Cory
Jun 26, 2007
SEE YOU ON SUNDAY TOBY XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Cory
Jun 26, 2007
Haha, can I say fuck on here?
socialflea
Jun 26, 2007
The person who is snitching is smoking it to possibly.
Feb 15, 2008
State rep just says no to common sense - Homeland Stupidity