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Buzzby

No Toking In These Tropics
Andy Stone | Aspen Times | 06/02/2005

This column isn’t for everyone. I’m writing about something serious. I know some of you are going to disagree with me, but I’m hoping a lot of you will feel the way I do.

So let me narrow my audience right now. If you have ever smoked marijuana and think it’s an enjoyable, pretty much harmless way to get high — keep reading. This column is meant for you.

If you’ve smoked marijuana and maybe didn’t really enjoy it, but still think it’s mostly harmless — keep reading.

And even if you’ve never smoked marijuana, even if you think it’s a bad thing and ought to be illegal, but you consider smoking marijuana to be less evil than, for example, murder or terrorism — keep reading, this column is still meant for you.

The rest of you, the (hopefully) small number who consider marijuana more evil than murder — you can stop right now and move on to some other part of the paper.

Now that we’ve narrowed the audience, here’s what I need to say:

BOYCOTT BALI!

In fact, boycott all of Indonesia.

If you’re a traveler, don’t go there. If you’re a travel agent, don’t send your clients there. If you’re a businessman, don’t invest there. And, please, spread the word.

Starting today, do not send one cent of your money or one iota of your personal energy to Bali.

Many of you will already know what I am talking about. In case you don’t, here’s what’s going on:

Last week, a young Australian woman was sentenced to 20 years in jail — I repeat, 20 years — for attempting to smuggle about 9 pounds of marijuana into Bali.

We should note that the 20-year sentence was officially “lenient.” Bali allows the death penalty for smuggling marijuana — indeed, the prosecutor has said he will appeal her sentence and try to get a harsher one, life imprisonment, at least.

And perhaps this is the place to mention Abu Bakar Bashir, the Muslim cleric who was convicted of being behind the 2002 terrorist bombing in Bali that killed more than 200 people. He was sentenced to 30 months in jail — 30 months. Apparently, in the Indonesian system of justice, murdering 200 people in a terrorist bombing is a far less serious crime than attempting to carry 9 pounds of marijuana into the country.

Now, here’s the thing: There’s not much we can really do about this savage mess.

Indonesia is a sovereign country. It has a right to pass and enforce its own laws. Vile as this sentence may be, it isn’t something that justifies an act of war.

Quite honestly, there are laws in the United States that offend people around the world and criminal sentences imposed here have raised international outrage. As a nation we sneer at that outrage, just as Indonesia can sneer at our outrage now.

But that does not mean we have to smile, shrug and accept what has happened.

There’s not much that we can do, but we can, at least, refuse to send ourselves or our money to that country. I understand the arguments against boycotts. Some people are already saying that a boycott of Bali would only hurt innocent people trying to make a living and would leave the judges and the justice system untouched.

That may be partly true, but Indonesia is a parliamentary democracy. They elect their president; they elect their representatives. The people and their representatives should be able to respond to a painful expression of international disapproval.

We sent hundreds of millions of dollars to Indonesia in aid after the recent tsunami. We have shown our concern for the people of that nation. Now we need to be able to show our disapproval of their wretched system of justice.

I know it’s difficult to rouse people to action on behalf of fair marijuana laws. Bali is one of those official tropical paradises where dope smokers love to go. It would be far too easy — and far too typical — for stoners to find themselves at the Bali airport saying, “Huh? Dude? Weren’t we supposed to not ... or something ... or ... huh?”

But we can’t do that. There are other paradises to visit.

Boycott Bali!

Andy Stone is former editor of The Aspen Times. His e-mail address is andy@aspentimes.com

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SkyTripper

Great idea....but when you come right down to it....there are hundreds....if not thousands of places as well as companies WE as pot smokers should then consider boycotting....including the USA.
Potsmokers should also consider boycotting ALL goods and services from ALL companies that require mandatory drug testing for mj for starters.
Injustices in regards to marijuana are global and definitely include many right here in the "land of the free."
Just boycott EVERYTHING really!

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SkyTripper

Buzzby

I think the point here is to protest an unjust legal system.

Indonesia gave the mastermind of a mass murder of 200 people (over 100 Australians) 30 months. They gave Corby 20 years for importing marijuana and didn't bother to investigate if she had any knowledge of the pot found in her bag. The judge proudly states that he has never had an acquittal in a drug case, pointing to an attitude that the accused are guilty until proven innocent.

SkyTripper

Then...EVERYONE....especially Australians... should avoid Bali (Indonesia) at all costs!
Its obvious that for many.....marijuana-related "crimes" are FAR WORSE than murder or mass execution of people.
How do you reason with that kind of logic?
FEAR of something.....obviously generates paranoid and insane people to create laws which are an atrocity and completely unjust.

Lyte it up 420

The patriot act

I dunno about that, we didn't seem to do a good job doing that ourselves.

Cept pot of course

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Every living creature on earth dies alone.

 

jadeite_20

dude im with you!! that is soooo completely outrageous, but i do think that we need to focus on gettin the **** legalized here. Now that's the big issue!.

Buzzby

Where's here? Marijuana is illegal in every country on this planet. It's much less illegal in some states than others. What would get you a "parking ticket" in one state could put you in jail for five years in another.

Prohibition is a global problem. The Corby trial has attracted the attentions of the whole world to the injustices prohibition creates. I think that's valuable. You can't buy that kind of advertising!

FirstTIMEuser

Thats is freakin crazy! how the hell can you give someone 20 years for something they love doing?!?! 5 years in prison is outragous! i am definetly with you...i think it is amazingly crazy on how someone can get 20 years for having possesion of something they love.

didorusso

I want to be anti-American at this time. How can you sentence to death someone because he killed (according to what the jury said) someone else? Aren't US cops and soldiers trained to kill as well. Do they kill only bad people? No to death sentences!
And of course yes to pot and peace!

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Niteshift

Aren't US cops and soldiers trained to kill as well.

I'm not sure what your point is........but to answer your question, no, US cops are not trained to kill. Sometimes in the course of their duties people get killed, but that is a far cry from being trained to kill.

And yes, US soldiers are trained to kill, as are soldiers from every other army on the globe. What makes US soldiers any different in that aspect than Canadian, Dutch, Swiss or anyone else?

How can you sentence to death someone because he killed (according to what the jury said) someone else? Aren't US cops and soldiers trained to kill as well. Do they kill only bad people?

You aren;t sentenced to death for killing someone, you're sentenced to death for murder. Murder is different than killing. If a person knocks a flower pot off of a building ledge and it hits someone on the head and kills them, they aren;t convicted of murder and they don;t get a death penalty. If they intentionally drop it on someone and kill them, they might.

Murder is the unlawful and intentional killing of a human being. BOTH of those elements must be present to make it murder and leading to a death penalty. In many states, simple murder won't even get you the death penalty. There have to be additional factors present (like additional crimes such as kidnapping; torturing a victim before killing them etc.).

So I'm not sure how you think you are being "anti-american" when plenty of countries have the death penalty and all of their armies train their soldiers to kill. Sounds to me like you're more "anti-most countries".

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A burning desire for social justice is never a substitute for knowing what you're talking about. -Thomas Sowell

Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is muzzle flash.