E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
theveteransforweed.com
Logos from the "Veterans For Weed" website have drawn complaints from military families.
A group of veterans calling for the legalization of marijuana plans to change its acronym after the Veterans of Foreign Wars sent a cease-and-desist order to the pot group’s organizers. But a controversial logo will remain, the pot advocates say.
The “Veterans For Weed,” a Milwaukee-based group that says “the real reefer madness” is when veterans get arrested for pot possession, has been using the acronym VFW on its website and promotional materials.
On Monday, attorneys for the venerable veterans group, which has fought for veterans’ rights to health care, education and other benefits for more than 100 years, sent an official complaint to the pot smokers.
The Veterans of Foreign War called the pot group use of the acronym “misleading and illegal,” Stars and Stripes reported.
In response to complaints, the pot backers said they removed VFW symbols as well as an online store selling merchandise from their website. They also said they would change their acronym to Veterans For Weed United (VFWU) in coming days.
As of Wednesday, however, the VFW name remained.
But the self-described group of stoners refused to take down their "POT POW" logo, which has drawn fire from veterans and military families.
The logo is a variation of the iconic Vietnam-era POW/MIA poster showing the silhouetted profile of a prisoner behind barbed wire. The original logo was created for the National League of POW/MIA Families, according to Stars and Stripes, and is not copyrighted.
Still, it is cherished symbol, and the National League of POW/MIA Families has asked that it be taken down from the website.
VFW spokesman Jerry Newberry called the pot backers' logo "disgusting" and said it has incited anger in military circles.
"I don't know if they're veterans or what, but they should respect what that symbol represents," Newberry told msnbc.com. "They are treading on memories of POW/MIA families."
The Wisconsin-based group does not show names of its leadership or members on its website. An email to the group from msnbc.com was not immediately returned.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
Leave a Comment:
Tomato tomato.
I assume they are referring to people locked up on pot convictions in the drug war being similar to people being locked up by the enemy in regular war.
My main problem is that since prisons are full, they let out people early to make room for those convicted on drug charges.
I really don't like letting people out early. The Judge/Jury sent them there for a term - they should fulfill it. Good behavior should get you out on time, not early.
My rule would be pretty simple: You cannot release a violent offender to make room for any offender in a crime where there is no victim. So if someone on pot hurts someone else )like a car wreck), they go in. If they simply violate the law, but there is no victim, then they get a fine or probation.
I refuse to see murderors and child molesters get out in order to put in some veteran who uses pot. Law enforcement is suppossed to keep people safe from other people, not themselves.
If we are going to allow moms to kill unborn children because it is their body, then we should let people smoke cigarettes or pot - because it is their body.
They should do a little more to make their logo and name different than the VFW. You will only get the respect you give.
proamerica,
The service men coming back from Viet Nam is how myself and most others back in the late 60's and early 70"s learned about pot. I do know a few since then that don't smoke it, but the majority do. And I don't mind as long as they don't try to get me to do it. One of the service men told me that it was their only excape from the horrors they saw every day, it helped them unwind and get rest so they could face tomorrow. When I was in the Navy I would guess 90% of the guys smoked.
I have no idea where Ryan was trying to go with that one. 40 million topics in one post and none of them connected.
Ranman - everything is connected. You put one person in jail, and that means you let someone else out.
Sorry, I don't have time to clean it up for you and make it into a disertation.
@Ranman87
Seemed pretty simple to me. He doesn't want violent offenders let out of jail early to make room for someone who got busted smoking pot.
They're not moms and fetus' aren't unborn children. It's all a matter of self-ownership. Fetus' graduate to child once born. Do the ladies own themselves, or are they enslaved due to their age and gender?
It is that simple. Anything else is mere rhetoric and red herrings. Do the ladies own themselves? Yes or No?
It was the same simple question before concerning many issues people tried to dismiss with rhetoric. Be courageous, and honest, and say 'yes' or 'no'.
The ATF should be the ATCF. Our society is just lying to itself about cannibis just like we did with alcohol nearly a century ago. Long overdue in a free society.
stoney, looks like you got ahold of some Tijuana Creeper mix with Paraquat
The government has lost pretty much EVERY SINGLE ARGUMENT they had for keeping marijuana a schedule 1 drug and therefore illegal to possess or cultivate!!
It is NOT a gateway drug!! That term was actually coined by a politician who had zip when it comes to education or knowledge about drug use/abuse.
After a 20 year study it has now been PROVEN that regular pot smoking does NOT harm a person’s lungs!
It is not physically or mentally addictive nor do people become dependent on it, unlike percocet, vicodin, morphine or xanax (xanax withdrawls can/will kill you if you quit or stop suddenly)
Marijuana has proven medical benefits from its consumption be it smoked, eaten or vaporized. (It reduces stress hormone levels to normal faster and 3 times better than ANYTHING that is currently made by a pharmaceutical company)
It has been PROVEN BEYOND DOUBT that it does NOT impair peoples driving after they have smoked it even though there are those who simply will not accept it and acknowledge the facts of the studies that have been done and their conclusions that they have come to!!! It does not make people careless and accident prone, it actually has the opposite effect, people become more careful when driving or performing tasks that require attention!!!
I would add more but the time does not permit me to sit and write the paragraphs that would be necessary to put the half of it down for why every argument against it from the government simply does not hold water and is geared at little more than keeping the prisons full as well as the courts and police busy with something that is only a problem because the government has made it one!!!!
It all comes down to one question. Who owns my body, me or the state?
@RC1244080
That truly is the point!! As long as what you are doing isn't bothering anyone else and you are content with yourself the more power to you!!! The government should have zero say so in your choices and keep the hell outa its citizens business!!
RC - I'd have to say the answer to your question is "the state" when you consider things like seatbelt laws, marijuana laws, etc.
I like the name UVFW( United Veterans For Weed) better, don't ya think...
I guess you CAN do an enlistment and still have no idea about honor and respect.
yeah there's so much honor and respect in treating vets like criminals just because they're self-medicating at nobody's peril...sure...
@Peanut,
What do you know about Honor and Respect?? Those men wore the unifom and served their country (which is supposed to be free). I knew plenty who smoke pot and I would go to war with them again.
@Peanut. You're a moron. And I doubt you really haven't done one thing in your life that is honorable. If they want to smoke pot let them smoke pot. They fought for our freedom so give them theirs. They deserve it. If the United States Government would legalize marijuana, our country would have no national debt. It could be grown, taxed and would create jobs for millions. It would put pharmaceutical companies right where they belong. In the poor house. Everyday you see a commercial for some kind of new wonder drug that has 50 side effects and none of them are good. Our ancestors didn't need them. Neither do we. People need to wake up and smell the coffee. Or should I say marijuana? I do agree that they shouldn't use the logo that meant so much to those who lost a loved one in vietnam. Come on guys and gals. Be creative and come up with your own. And good luck to you. I hope you get the job done.
Only the poor and unknown go to jail for drug charges. The wealthy and famous are sent to rehab all 20 or so times they are arrested. Just ask Robert Downey Jr.
I have yet to meet any veteran after and including Vietnam that didn't smoke an occasional doobie. Some pretty regularly.
Apparently you haven't met very many! Of course, junkies associate with junkies.
proamerica,
We're talking about pot, not heroin. There are no "pot junkies".
By the way, your ride back to 1967 just pulled up.
Met quite few and most did and the ones who say they didn't are probably afraid to admit it or are Republicans:-))
Junkie "A person suffering from drug addiction, most commonly used to refer to a heroin addict"
Apparently most the people at my University are junkies because they have a beer on the weekends, or most the people at my job are junkies for taking smoke breaks.
And don't get me started on those junkies at Starbucks that need to get their caffeine every morning.
Obviously Junkies associate with junkies.... There's no way you can be friends with someone that smokes cigarettes unless you smoke them as well Huh?
AND there is absolutely no way you can be friends with someone if they drink an occasional beer and you don't.
You must live in a pretty crazy part of the world proamerica.....
Well you met one now. I never smoke pot and don't care nor need to. The last thing I want is some hyped up pot head with a loaded gun standing behind me.
13 year vet who got out in 2003 and never touched weed before during or after. Glad to meet you!
Would help if the article here itself got the name right. It's 'Veterans of Foreign Wars'
A "hyped up pot head"?
No disrespect intended, but that's pretty funny ... and they're more likely to be holding a bag of Doritos.
You have no idea what pot is, do you?
There is plenty of resources available online and at your local library on the effects of marijuana on a person, so you have no excuse to be this misinformed.
If these guys made the ultimate sacrifice then they should be able to puff. I am sure once they do research they will find it treats PTSD way better than big pharma. Plus, people who smoke are not the type that go and beat their wives or committ violent crimes. If state different than you have NEVER done it your self. Alcohol is far far worse in every facet, yet that is fine for Vets. Vets+PTSD+alcohol= bad fricken situation. Even the tea baggers get this one.
I've never met a "hyped up pot head" and something makes me doubt I ever wil.....
The "ultimate sacrifice" refers to dying in action, not simply being at war.
For Black.Knight-48 Uh, yeah, so you must have bought into the whole Jack Webb Dragnet BS about dangerous "pot heads". Pot doesn't make people violent like say alcohol for instance. Nor does it make them drooling sex addicts or maniacal junkies trying to steal enough for their next "fix".
The amount of misinformation some of you people have is truly astounding.
I'm a veteran and I don't partake, but I support legalization. The war on drugs does more harm than the drugs and making pot a crime does not resemble justice.
boom! reason--actually, you might avail yourself of resources online or at your local library. Marijuana has different effects on different people just as alcohol does--some people who drink alcohol get genial and friendly and just kind of slosh about in a comic way; some people who drink alcohol get aggressive and violent. Thus, we have "happy drunks" and "mean drunks."
Similarly, some pot smokers get quite mellow while intoxicated; others get paranoid; still others develop schizophrenia and are violent. No, I would not want a pot head with a gun standing behind me if I were in war time (because the pot head might be so mellow that s/he would not protect my back). I would also not want a pot head with a gun standing behind me if that person were either a paranoid type or schizophrenic type.
It gets very old to read the nonsense from pot smokers--pot is nothing but a "natural herb" (yes, and so are nightshade and hemlock). Pot smokers cannot "overdose" on it and therefore it is "harmless" (one cannot "overdose" on tobacco either, and smoking tobacco is far from harmless). Pot smokers never get into car accidents (complete BS), pot smokers are always "mellow" (complete BS), pot has no lingering effects (apart from that little issue of cognitive impairment and aggravation of schizophrenic tendencies).
When one gets one's information from social activist sites about marijuana, one does not get good information. Marijuana is a psycho-reactive substance; like any psycho-reactive substance, it needs to be treated with caution. It is no worse than alcohol for the most part, has the same health dangers (if smoked) as tobacco, stinks to high heaven when smoked and damages property, adversely affects the cognitive abilities and aggravates any preexisting asthma for small children who are exposed to it when it is smoked, adversely affects the cognitive abilities of people who partake of it chronically, and has unfortunate side effects (such as to one's reproduction).
I find it deeply amusing that the same states which practically make smoking tobacco a crime want to legalize marijuana. I find it deeply amusing that the same sorts of far left individuals who scream about plastics being used to store food products and steroids in meat want to smoke marijuana.
Marijuana is a drug. Like any drug, it is going to affect different people differently. It has quite a few beneficial effects if consumed in moderation (but, then, so does alcohol); it has quite a few deleterious effects if consumed chronically and/or in excess.
Seriously--there is no reason for you to be misinformed either. Excellent studies have been run, and the JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine and other journals are all online for your perusal. Try looking this point up in something other than a NORML-endorsed article or website.
"Hyped" up on pot? "Hyped"? LOL
Have no fear, you will never, ever, EVER meet anyone (with or without a loaded gun) "hyped" on pot. However, it is entirely possible to meet someone "hyped" up on caffeine, standing behind you with a loaded gun... or even "hyped" up on booze. You should probably start an anti-caffeine and anti-alcohol campaign, if you are really that concerned.
Good luck with that.
To address only one thing you've mis-stated: yes, you CAN overdose on Tobacco! And it can kill you in only a few dozen hours. That's why they allow pickers only so many hours in the fields, since they fall prey to nicotenic poisoning. 7 straight work days in a tobacco field has actually killed those who were stupid enough, or cowed enough, to try to endure massive poisoning. Even 4-5 days will land you in a hospital, even with very thick gloves and overalls. While you might argue that you cannot overdose on cigarettes, I would dispute that as well. We can even overdose on too much water. That's a fact. We can overdose on many things.
That is because the preferred drug of use in Yucaipa is meth. Good ol' 909
beanathome,
Quit demonizing something you know little about. Lives are ruined by bad laws and misleading communication doesn't help.
In spite of what you wrote, there have not been many studies because the US Federal Government blocks research by not providing license.
Because of that fact scientists have tried synthesizing the main active ingredients to permit research into its benefits. Unfortunately those synthetics have put people in the emergency room. Ever hear of someone going to the emergency room because they had a seizure from smoking actual marijuana? I'll answer that for you, it doesn't happen.
Physicians also have called for marijuana to be removed from Schedule I so it can be prescribed and used but get the type of uniformed lecture you provide rather than a reasonable response.
I don't smoke it but I know its less harmful than tobacco and alcohol (you can die from nicotine overdose) and while that in itself is a weak argument, the laws do more harm than the pot.
So while you are lobbying for the police union and their number one leading revenue earner you might try doing a little reading yourself.
I'm still laughing at the hyped up pot head, and great comeback with the Doritos remark emmygee. beanathome- I'm afraid you are talking about pot soaked with pcp, for the paranoia and schizophrenia etc.. And note if your a schizophrenic, you are schizophrenic!
Detroit -- Apparently, you haven't met me or many of my shipmates who served during that time. I served from 1970 - 1993, never smoked prior to entering and haven't smoked ever. Clearly, your world of veterans is very small.
Bean,
Than don't ever take prescription drugs with that mentality.
Anything you put in your body is a personal choice and each person has the choice to research what they are doing.
My uncle has had migraines his entire life. Until medical marijuana was legalized in Michigan he was forced to live in a dark environment most of his days just to stop from throwing up.
He tried every prescription drug available for over a decade, nothing worked. Marijuana finally did. The irony is he could of done without the liver problems if people realized smoking marijuana should be a personal choice. And yes medical studies have been done in an attempt to link lung cancer to use of marijuana. All have come up negative.
By the way you can overdose on H2O, and it is also responsible for more deaths than the use of marijuana ever will.
Marijuana is similar in its effects to alcohol and the benzodiazepine tranquilizers, both of which regularly produce physical addiction, from which withdrawal can be fatal (delerium tremens), but marijuana does not cause physical addiction and withdrawl, although unpleasant, is never fatal.
As to the relative dangers of drug use, tobacco kills more U.S. citizens per year than alcohol and all other drugs combined. But it is a highly profitable domestic product and remains legal.
The illegalization of marijuana, by Commissioner Anslinger in the 1930's, had absolutely nothing to do with the drug. Anslinger lied about marijuana--on official government stationary--in order to expand his office and budget.
Current American drug laws should be changed because Draconian prohibition is not an effective or reasonable means of control, and because the arbitrary legal distinction between legal and illegal drugs is unrelated to their potential hazards. Drug laws ban natural substances and protect synthetic copies in order to protect the pharmaceutical industry--not the public.
I find it deeply amusing that the same sorts of far right individuals who scream about "small government", "personal responsibility", and "cut government spending" are the first to support MORE wasteful government spending in a failed war against a substance that is no more dangerous than alcohol.
Seeing as how you support wasteful spending, big government, and no personal responsibility in this issue... according to the GOP, you are a socialist.
I find politics amusing period. The definition for politics should be organized hypocrisy.
I can only think of one maybe two issues the right and left have never changed a stance on. One is abortion and I think this is fairly consistent. The other which is debatable would be Gun Control.
Bean@home
It's good that you went and researched this information but, I believe in the freedom to choose for self!!!!
AS AN INDIVIDUAL THIS IS ALL THAT I HAVE & I WILL BE DAG IF SOMEONE TAKES THIS AWAY WITHOUT ONE HELL OF A FIGHT!!!!
Therefore, if you make a law and accuse me of being wrong for my choice for me and place me in jail when I am a Man who has the GOD GIVEN RIGHT to CHOOSE FOR MYSELF & I know it's my individual right.
Then, you are going to have a problem all across the board with me!!!!!
What I will do is show everyone the wrong that is going on in every sector of our society and will even touch on subjects that you are doing wrong in.
If you look to take my money through this law then I will cause you to lose money not only through this law but in other areas too.
I will be your worse nightmare and I will eventually win on this subject in which I know I am right.
So the more people who rights you take away the more problems we're going to give you!!!!
GOD GAVE ME THIS LIFE NOW LET ME CHOOSE HOW TO LIVE IT!!!!
If you give me problems for my choices where I am not hurting anyone else and you involve guns and kidnapping for my ri9ght to choose then, IT"S ON!!!!!!
CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES WISELY....
I DON'T Think the government wants to continue to tread in these waters which they should not.
I like our government too but, it is those who abuse their power, who I look to come after and expose with a vengeance.
I keep reading how people are supporting pot because of pro pot sites. That is nuts. Most of what I have read are reports from the government and colleges. And all the ones done by professional reseachers show that pot does not cause schizophrenia and has been used to treat the systoms of schizophrenia. The last major report I read was a study of driving while using booze compaired to pot. The result was that when behind the wheel drivers that smoke pot biggest problem was driving below the speed limit and that while their reflex's were slowed by smoking they reacted faster behind the wheel because of being paranoid. If your going to read about the effects then read articles from unbiased research. Plus, I would much rather have a pot head guarding my back than a coffee junky that has been up for 2 days. Saw too many of those when I was in the service, they got people hurt.
beanathome:
Can you tell me what percentage of pot smokers develop schizophrenia? Because in all of my years I never run into any schizophrenic pot smokers and I'm just curious what my odds are that I will.
Huh? Do you smoke nightshade and hemlock? Tell me what kind of buzz does that get ya? Do you seriously think anyone would smoke that?
Well, there ya go! You even said it yourself: "smoking tobacco is far from harmless". Weed has shown to reduce cancer cells in lung cancer and brain cancer. And weed doesn't cause lung cancer. Sounds like to me smoking pot is way safer than smoking tobacco. So answer me this: why is smoking tobacco legal and weed is not? Why throw someone in jail over something like weed which is safer to use than tobacco? Are you for advocating making tobacco illegal, too? If so, what is your motivation?
Never say never. I'm pretty positive no one claimed pot smokers never get into accidents. What I'm real positive what they said was smoking pot has the same impairment as cold medicine and that pot isn't a contributor to this ill-perceived notion there will be an onslaught of accidents if marijuana were to be legalized. (That's complete BS.)
Where did you hear someone say pot smokers are always mellow? I do believe you are exaggerating and I can't believe anyone wouldn't see through your BS in thinking anything is always.
Again, another exaggeration. I would bet the percentage of pot smokers with these side effects is minimal. Care to give a statistic?
Why? Their scientists aren't as good as your studies' scientists? Their doctors are subpar compared to your studies' doctors? You do realize NORML isn't doing the studies themselves but using studies from universities and medical organizations? So why wouldn't it be "good information"?
How does it have the same health dangers as tobacco?
Well then don't smell it. Stay away from it and you'll be fine. And just exactly how does pot cause damage property?
How adverse? How adverse compared to alcohol?
I agree it shouldn't be smoked around kids. Just like alcohol shouldn't be consumed around kids. Oh wait...people do that all of the time and it's socially acceptable. Hmm. I guess a double standard must be adopted.
Like we need more people on this world?
I'll stop right there so you can catch up. I won't respond to your rebuttal unless answer all of my questions.
We all need to join this group and use this group for voting purposes throughout the States!!!!
“KNOW YOUR DOPE FIEND! YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT! You will not be able to see his eyes because of the Tea-Shades, but his knuckles will be white from inner tension and his pants will be crusted with semen from constantly jacking off when he can't find a rape victim. He will stagger and babble when questioned. He will not respect your badge. The Dope Fiend fears nothing. He will attack, for no reason, with every weapon at his command-including yours. BEWARE. Any officer apprehending a suspected marijuana addict should use all necessary force immediately. One stitch in time (on him) will usually save nine on you. Good luck.
-The Chief”
― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
" Onedirtyrat" You dont have to get your panties in a bunch.. Nice to know what YOUR priorities in life are ... weed weed weed weed weed weed weed weed weed weed . Get a lifeeee LOL
says the guy hunched over his keyboard...
Concerning Black knights comments - though I have never been in the military, I have shot guns and smoked weed - and you know - I agree- I would not want someone who is high (I don't care what they are high on) standing behind me with a loaded gun. Maybe I need to get out more! :~)) - is it common to go out shooting when you're high?
i have too...it's not the high you wouldn't trust, it's the person...there are plenty of stoners i'd rather trust than alot of sober people with a gun behind me...i mean come on now...and if the person is someone you don't trust, high or not, it makes no difference, i just wouldn't trust them at all. if they were drunk, i'd probably shoot em if they had a gun and was waving it around. if they were tweaking, i'd be gone. getting mad and religious, definitely wouldn't want to be anywhere near em...
getting stoned though...come on...that doesn't mean anything at all...marijuana just doesn't make you do anything you wouldn't normally do.
chuckle - good point joe - I agree with you.But then I always was stone cold sober when I worked with tools in the workshop,too .Just cautious that way
I suggest of you that you don't make assumptions about people, especially when they are unsupported by your reference material. Sorry, but your assumptions about me are incorrect.
My point was that the person I replied to has a very one-sided and sensationalized view of the drug, seemingly swapping the pop-culture understanding of crack/cocaine/heroin users with that of marijuana users. Feel free to show me your research into how many people high on marijuana rob people at gunpoint per year.
This is what is called a "straw man" argument. Nobody in wartime is permitted to use such drugs, nor would they be permitted to if it were legalized, and you could easily interchange alcohol or caffeine (legal substances) with marijuana in that situation. Additionally, would you want anybody who is a paranoid or schizophrenic type standing behind you with a gun? I think not. You see, marijuana is not necessary to make your described situations unpleasant, but rather a superfluous addition.
If you are tired of hearing these arguments, that raises the question of why you are the only one here mentioning them? That kind of makes you look silly.
Whenever I see people mentioning that one cannot overdose, it is not to suggest that it is harmless but rather to suggest that it is less dangerous than something that can outright kill a person, like alcohol overdose (a drug it is often compared with) and water overdose. You see, too much of pretty much anything is harmful.
Whether or not marijuana is dangerous while driving, the answer to this would have no bearing on legalization talks. Why? Simple: one cannot operate heavy machinery while under the influence of drugs. This applies to prescription medication, alcohol, and whatever else. Essentially, this is a silly argument to make in opposition to marijuana legalization.
Many arguments for marijuana legalization are focused on comparisons with alcohol, so if you take it out of that context they may sound strange.
Except that I am not misinformed; however you seem to be misinformed about the common arguments supporting legalization (did you find them on an anti-marijuana website?). You also seem to have a pretty nasty habit of assuming things. In short, your assumptions about me are incorrect. I am informed about this, I do not use marijuana nor care to, and I did not know what NORML was until I just looked it up.
So, what is your position on legalization of marijuana after your little rant about nothing?
actually that's not true...it doesn't really affect your cognitive skills if you are an experienced user...:
Neurophysiological and cognitive effects of smoked marijuana in frequent users.
Overall performance accuracy was not significantly altered by marijuana
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20600251?dopt=Abstract
please note that's straight from the government itself...(.gov website)
whiteham:
You don't know me from Adam and I find it hilarious you deducted from my post my only priority in life is weed. Really? What gave it away?
BTW- You just told a disabled person to "get a life". Remove foot from mouth.
Typical that beanathome would not respond once his/her post has been fully debunked. He/she must really be embarrassed for that one.
I think they would get a pretty good crowd at these guys VFW Halls. Just tell me where and I'm there on a Friday night
I agree with what the Milwaukee group is trying to do but I think usurping known logos and names is entirely the wrong way to go about it.
.
United States1776 - I agree with you. If someone feels so strongly about their cause why not be original enough to come up with their own logos and avatars. Peace. Vietnam 66-69.
Hell yea, if they sit around and smoke long enough, they're bound to come up with a great highdea for a new name!
That's how they came up with the freedoms we have. It is recorded that Washington, Jefferson and Franklin smoked it.
I want to join please
I agree with US1776. Keep up the good fight, but please dont misuse a symbol for our soldiers that pay a hefty price to defend our nation. Poor taste in my opinion. There are plenty of other symbols that can be manipulated that wont insult our military or thier families.
Lets give our Vets the respect they deserve, look at how many we see that are homeless and disabled, they get shat on by their own country and all they want is to burn a marijuana cigarette to ease the pain and abandonment they feel.
New name needed ? How about Reefer Recon, Sinsimalian Seals, Cannibus Commandos, Blunt Grunt, We High G.I., T.H.C. Infantry, Puff Some more Marine Corps, Bong Berets or Top Gongha ! If Top Gongha is used you all ready have a slogan. '' I feel the need. I feel the need for weed."
I did leave off the leader of the organization should be called " The Joints Cheif of Staff."
jim Ledden - The Top Gongha - I feel the need the need for weed is absolutely great. It should be sent to the Joints Chief of Staff for immediate incorporation into the organization. Ya got some brownies?
The only time two Marijuana smokers argue is when they're down to their last donut, make it legal and tax it.
Donuts are legal and taxed.
Ah, ambiguous grammar.
Donuts are also fattening and pose a risk to diabetics who might indulge in them. I suggest we criminalize the possession and manufacture of donuts.
illegalize it!
War in Iraq = War in Afghanistan = War in Vietnam = War on Pot = angry people, often alcholics, looking for a war, and an enemy to hurt, punish and kill. Good luck, Veterans For Weed United.
RogerNamVet - I remember when I was up at the DMZ when I was 18 listening to the old alcoholic lifers saying how bad it was to smoke pot. Thank You for your Service and Welcome Home. Please read www.riflewarrior.com/vietnam.html I wrote that in 1967. Peace.
Just checked out your article...thanks for being who you are!
On the subject at hand...inappropriate use of the acronym...they must have seen the light, the change was effected quickly.
Regarding cannabis...legalize it already! We aren't anything less than Americans that choose to use cannabis. Certainly not deserving of criminal records and the associated social stigma of being subjected to the legal and judicial systems.
A Veteran- Wow, Thanks for that, I don't have words, the tears are falling, but you make me feel proud! Thanks for your service, Thanks to all our Veterans!
Dear Mike Rice
I am touched by what you wrote on your
web page at #. Honesty always touches us. Honesty of
feelings, especially.
So right off the bat, let me honestly say
I, Roger J Stavitz, in Danforth, Maine, was NOT A RIFLEMAN, but an untrained US
Army supply clerk doing permanent guard duty on most nights on a guard tower,
alone, 25 feet up in the air, at a helicopter parts supply depot in Long My
Valley, in the boondocks, just 12 miles from Qui Nhon, (69/70) and a company
mail clerk in the 101st Heroin/Race Riot/Fragging Division at Phu Bai Airport in
a helicopter repair company in 71/72, coming home with the 101st, turning our
base over to the ARVN we called, “the gooks,” at that time.
In reality, that country was their home,
and their culture, which they loved, no matter what side of that conflict they
were on, but for us Americans, it was exactly as you described. Although, for
those NVA who were forced by patriotism or law to walk down that long Ho Chi
Minh trail and live with bombings, attacks, snakes, and no medical care or
normal food to speak of, after leaving their families and villages up in North
Vietnam, their feelings might well mimic the ones that you wrote on your web
site?
I have read that when they graduated high
school, they had tattoos put on their calves which read, “BORN IN THE NORTH TO
DIE IN THE SOUTH,” which was certainly not the popular tattoo on a Woodstock
Concert goer while I was in basic training at Fort Dix during the summer of the
moon landing...LOL...LOL
You will find my latest piece of
writing in at my CNN iReport web site, written after one our our own, here in
Maine, “lost his religion,” (as they say down south) and apparently committed,
“suicide by cop.” I write a lot, so I had to break it down in to 3 parts to
make the 4,000 character limit per page. I called it something based upon my
own, very limited experiences in Vietnam, ALL THE KINGS HORSES AND ALL THE
KINGS MEN, COULDN'T PUT HUMPTY DUMPTY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. One of
the great stress releasers of this modern age is our ability to ventilate on the
Internet, and connect with each other, something none of us could have imagined
in the 1960s and 1970s.
Wife of man beat with flashlight
shows different side of Maine veteran, shot by police PART 1
Part II
Part III
It is so rare that I ever seen anyone
quote S.L.A. Marshall, that I must compliment you, once again, although I will
say that many complained that he wrote while hanging out with the General Staff
in Saigon, and I know his comments about good morale were made before my second
tour in 71/72. LOL
But I will say there is a very
interesting book, written by his grandson, who was commissioned at a First
Lieutenant after graduating ROTC in 1969, and then applied for and got
Conscientious Objector status (like Billy Clinton), and was released from his
officer’s commission in 1969. His grandfather, S.L.A. Marshall, of WW II
writing/history fame (as I don’t think S.L.A. was ever a rifleman himself) was
so ashamed, he never spoke to his grandson after that until his death.
Kind of sad, and kind of wraps up our whole
Vietnam War experience for many of us in this nation at that time.
I sometimes joke about the SUPPORT THE
TROOPS magnets I see, which were MADE IN CHINA, because during our war, we
didn’t even have an embassy in, “Red China!” LOL Time moves on, and now I
have become an angry old vet, who does not smoke pot, but might take an
occasional toke IF IT WERE LEGAL, preferring the pharma meds I now get from the
VA for free....LOL God Bless and WELCOME HOME. Roger.
Zeke - Your comment is touching. Peace to you.
hummbird - For you and also Zeke - If you are Veterans - Thank You for your Service and Welcome Home. And as far as myself - I would serve all over again for all of you without hesitation. That's just the way I am.
RogerNamVet - Please go to your profile page. Peace Brother.
Heck of a letter, Vet. (link @ comment 10.1)
Thanks and god bless.
the logo is so gloomy and depressive.
Since the VFW is a dying breed, they would be smart to encourage the Veterans For Weed to continue using the acroynm. That way, the VFW halls would fill up again with former soldiers to sit around and drink beer and tell old war stories, it's just that the stoners won't know the difference!! Some of the older guys might enjoy the weed anyway?
Alcohol is a depressant, marijuana is a relief.
Who cares if it's legal or not.......... Marijuana is and always will be readily available to those who seek. Many people have completely given up on legalization and do whatever the hell they want anyways. The pharmacy companies and their continued exploitation of a weed can kiss my butt. Do what you want and "F" the Federal Government liars. You hear that you two faced weasel Eric Holder. Obama is a two faced weasel regarding the war on Marijuana in addition. Many United States presidents have smoked it. The biggest hypocrisy is even if you have a card they still U.A. you and make it hard to keep job. Many people pop pills and still have jobs....... 100% BS.
If all the people who smoked weed, even once and a while, voted regularly, it would already be legal.
Stand and deliver: That's a crock of BS! I guess you believe in the tooth fairy too! You're still in belief American's have a choice in voting..... Look at our BS Democracy..... voting.... hilarious.
One more thing..... The states can get all the votes in the world for legalization......... The Federal Government is the GOD of the land. Until the Feds back off.... carded, sanctioned by the state or doctor doesn't mean anything.
Yow. Fed Up needs to take a little toke and relax.
I can't because it's illegal.... I agree a little toke would calm the beastie. I am tired of the BS.
In truth the only thing holding me back is EMPLOYMENT.
You can actually sue employers for singling out weed for drug testing there are a number of companies that drug test who did not have individuals sign the proper paper work.
If a company has a drug testing policy I don't purchase from them nor use their service for they are biased hypocrites!!!!
The Army tried to get away from the image of all the soldiers doing drugs like during Vietnam. I guess my little tune still rings true.
"You're in the Army now, Your feet are off the ground. Your heads in the sky, because your high, You're in the Army now."
Here's some napalm to inhale, though. That's perfectly legal for you to breathe.
The atheist group in Wisconsin is behind this and they're just a bunch of self serving junkies.
Because it's impossible to believe in God if you've smoked pot or think that it should be legalized? Sorry, that's an argumentative fallacy of division i.e. this Wisconsin group that supports marijuana legalization is atheist, therefore everybody who supports marijuana legalization must be atheists. Baloney.
Red herring alert! Red herring alert!!!
And zupercram, good point but where does it say anyone in this group is athiest? Most of my pot smoking buddies believe in some form of god.
I was responding to proamerica. But yes... I, too, would like to know proamerica's source in stating that this is an atheist-backed group.
proamerica seems to be a troll who throws stink bombs and then slinks away. Onward through the fog!
ProAmerica you didn't even address the responses to this same comment at the top of the page.
This says a great deal about how you function and also who you work for.
Is this Eric Holder?????
@!$%#, it's in the bible...god created it for us and wants us to use it! for all anyone knows it could be a religious group backing this...
Genesis 1:11-1:12:
11And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Ezekiel 34:29
King James Version (KJV)
29And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
(hemp, anyone? it has helped people survive through famines through edible hempseeds)
Matthew 15:11
King James Version (KJV)
(Jesus quoted)
11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
"In the later times, some shall … speak lies in hypocrisy … commanding to abstain from that which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth." Paul: 1 Timothy 1-4
Zupercram, sorry if you thought that red herring alert was for you. It was definitely aimed at proamerica.
@Joe-- there's also the "kaneh-bosm" translation controversy from the old testament -- in the King James version it has been translated as "Calamus" but the Hebrew university has stated that the original Greek and Hebrew texts use the term Kaneh-Bosm, which is an ancient word for cannabis (hear the similarity?) The interesting support for the argument is that Kaneh-Bosm was used as an ingredient in holy incense and oils-- but if you were to burn Calamus, a noxious and poisonous vapor occurs which can literally kill people by shutting down the central nervous system. Kaneh-bosm (cannabis) when burned, well, I think we all know what that leads to. Anyone down for a round of Kumbaya?
Also, with respect to other religions:
The Hindu scripture from 1500 BC, the Rig Veda, says: drug plants preceded even the gods by three ages.
Hindus believe that cannabis was brought by Lord Shiva for human use and enjoyment. Apparently one day Shiva went off by himself in the fields. He sheltered from the sun under a tall cannabis plant, which he tasted. He adopted it as his favorite food, and became known as 'Lord of Bhang'. Cannabis was also called Indricana, the food of the god Indra.
Assyrian texts from the 7th century BC name cannabis.
The Essenes of ancient Israel and the Theraputea of Egypt both used cannabis medicinally.
Zoroaster, Persian founder of a religion, used cannabis.
In one legend Buddha is said to have survived on one cannabis seed a day for years.
First century AD Taoists in Japan used cannabis in their incense burners.
Within Islam the Sufis widely used cannabis as part of their ritual of searching for spiritual insight.
Your ignorance won't serve you too well. Look up Marinol, it's LEGAL synthetic THC approved by the FDA and is a schedule III drug as opposed to the natural form endowed upon us by our creator which is schedule I. What does that tell you?
God made weed, man made beer. In god we trust.
I would like to know if any of the people behind this are actually veterans. I dont necessarily oppose it, but I would be very curious. Also I think it is tasteless to poach another organisations logo and name recoginition,
VFW VFW VFW am i going to get sued now for using 3 letters ? It is ABSURD to take legal action for the use of letters in a certain order. The Veterans of Foreign Wars can change their acronym if they don't like it, but don't that is ridiculous to think that you can sue someone for using letters.
Ryan,
Try using the initals for "Kensyans Free Cannibis" and see how long it takes to receive the "cease & desist" letter!
I have not had a stomach flu since I was a child, I sleep great every night, no headaches, no body pain, I remember everything, I love having brain competitions with pill popping hypocrites who think pot makes you stupid. I love explaining to bible reading hypocrites that it clearly states in there that god put all seeded plants on earth and to use all herbs to their extent.... Thank you God and thank you everyone who makes this great plant readily available.
Now if the global warming hypocrites would just realize the people aren't the ones causing earths problems the corporations are by keeping us dependant on "their" resources and if they used hemp fuel and hemp plastic and hemp clothing and hemp paper we could be an energy dependant nation. OH and hemp is a plant which we know breathes in CARBON..... Problems solved..... And we don't even need to use our farm land to grow it as it grows indoors well.....AMERICA NEEDS 1,000 HEMP SKYSCRAPERS NOW and we could fix this hole we are in in less than 10 years. Also Hemp provides 10x's the amount of ethanol as corn and is one of the fastest harvesting plants on earth.
Hello COMMON SENSE goodbye CORPORATE LIES.....
@countingbodieslikesheep Bravo! Well said. :) I know a LOT of vets, and 80% of them smoke Cannabis. It's easier on the liver of aging bodies then the mass produced pharmaceutical products that cause more side effects then what your treating it for to begin with! Legalize and tax it!
If it's common sense your looking for. Demand controls supply, if you want to hold corporations more accountable for business practices go ahead. However you can't blame them for supplying our demands.
Yes it should be legal, however common sense would also tell us that if we used marijuana to supply demand for paper, fuel, and clothing. Corporations would in theory exploit it the same way it does with any other product.
Before tobacco became such a success the top export from America was hemp. When Franklin went to Europe all his clothes were made from hemp. He stated it was unamerican if you did not grow and promote hemp.
i don't see nothing wrong with veteran for weed using a likeness of the famous logo. besides, the famous logo isn't copyrighted or a brand, so those anti weed vets don't have a basis for their bitch.
I doubt the MIA/POW groups are upset because it is weed related. If they don't defend their logo against even this group how do they stop the GOP/TP from putting "Baby Killers Inc" on their logo?
Well one thing is for sure, the old VFW needs to take a chill pill and get over themselves. Gee, take em to court??? Just find ways to cope folks.
Hahahahahaha @ Black Knight 48:
"...a hyped-up pot head standing behind me with a loaded gun"
Hahahahahahaha don't worry- we TOTALLY believe you NEVER smoked weed!!!
Ever, ever.
I think their use of the POW symbolism is fitting as hell. POT smokers have been held hostage for decades due to bias and discrimination, and live like virtual prisoners because of it. Most of the so called Police State that has arisen, is due to the war on personal freedom (drugs).
Good for these veterans for actually supporting freedom.
So would being man enough to serve your country,but i suspect your just an observer, one who reaps the benefits,yet refuses to get dirty....so to speak.
I don't smoke it but I did my time in the service of MY country and one of the things I fought for was personal freedom. Quit putting people in jail for exercising their right to choose. It is a victimless crime and that makes the the ones serving time political prisoners.
Joe, unfortunately now that the religious right, racists against Mexicans (read the history of the criminalization of marijuana for this reference) and big pharma/tobacco companies there is so much money in illegal production and distribution that it isn't a victimless crime.
What we must remember though is that pot heads aren't the ones who are victimizing, it is those who have extremist agendas forcing the rest of us to live by their narrow minded dictates that are the true villians and criminals.