420 Warrior
Well-Known Member
The University of Colorado's plan to squelch 4/20 is undemocratic, un-American and unnecessary. First, 4/20 is a form of public protest and free speech: if participants wished, they could smoke marijuana in the privacy of their homes, but they choose to do so en masse in public as a form of civil disobedience and protest against repressive marijuana laws.
In a democratic society, such protests must be allowed -- "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances" reads the First Amendment, in part.
CU's rationalizations are flimsy: The "access" argument is bogus -- sidewalks are clear at 4/20.
Last year, the press reported a Christian youth group cleaning up campus afterwards, but I've seen 4/20 participants carefully clean up after themselves -- they left central campus cleaner than when they came.
CU used to complain about 4/20's public-safety price, but to crack down, CU will spend even more.
As far as the "bad reputation" CU is allegedly getting, the charge says more about CU's leadership than 4/20: they're bigots embarrassed because 4/20 makes CU look like a hippie haven.
So figure it out: all of Boulder is a hippie haven, and 4/20 is a kind of hippie-American civil-rights protest.
Only reactionaries would find such a protest unsavory.
None of CU's lame arguments justify suppressing the basic First Amendment rights that are such an important part of our American heritage. Hands off 4/20!
News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Location: Boulder, CO
Source: Daily Camera
Author: Paul Dougan
Contact: openforum@dailycamera.com
Copyright: 2012 Daily Camera
Website: www.dailycamera.com
In a democratic society, such protests must be allowed -- "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances" reads the First Amendment, in part.
CU's rationalizations are flimsy: The "access" argument is bogus -- sidewalks are clear at 4/20.
Last year, the press reported a Christian youth group cleaning up campus afterwards, but I've seen 4/20 participants carefully clean up after themselves -- they left central campus cleaner than when they came.
CU used to complain about 4/20's public-safety price, but to crack down, CU will spend even more.
As far as the "bad reputation" CU is allegedly getting, the charge says more about CU's leadership than 4/20: they're bigots embarrassed because 4/20 makes CU look like a hippie haven.
So figure it out: all of Boulder is a hippie haven, and 4/20 is a kind of hippie-American civil-rights protest.
Only reactionaries would find such a protest unsavory.
None of CU's lame arguments justify suppressing the basic First Amendment rights that are such an important part of our American heritage. Hands off 4/20!
News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Location: Boulder, CO
Source: Daily Camera
Author: Paul Dougan
Contact: openforum@dailycamera.com
Copyright: 2012 Daily Camera
Website: www.dailycamera.com
