CUAN4life

OK so i came up with this idea last night...
In order to change current marijuana laws we need more americans to believe it is not the demon the government makes it out to be. So I think that if we could ever get a channel like abc or nbc to air a national debate on marijuana, where say there is a DEA agent or John Walters debating against legalization and someone credible, maybe a Bill Maher or Jack Herer debating for legalization. BEcause if you think about it there pretty much isn't a single claim the government makes about marijuana that can't be refuted. And if it were broadcast on national tv a lot more americans would see it, many people who normally wouldn't take the time of day to go out and see such a debaste might watch and from watching it change their minds. The biggest problem though would likely be getting a station to air and organize something like this, especially with the major networks being as conservative as they are. RIght now the only channels I see running such a debate are MTV or HBO, but those channels wouldn't reach nearly as many homes. But i feel a debate of magnitude is almost neccesary in order for marijuana to be legalized.

jvthc

Only the choir would pay much attention.

A single event isn't going to be effective enough. We need hard hitting, clever ads that pump messages over and over, which touch the hotspots that poke at the thought processes of the "on the fence" crowd. You'll never convert the committed. Debating with Walters is usually not effective, because those on his side will stay there no matter what, and those one the fence are likely going to leave with the same indecision they had when they arrived.

Frankly, the public does seem to be convinced of decriminalization, and a growing substantial minority (around 35% +) support legalization. The congress are the ones that need convincing, or voted into a body of convinced members.

One potentially powerful demonstration is developing in Canada now. Demonstrations at police stations are forcing the issue of a court dictated "legalization" that is largely ignored by the U.S. government. While that "legalization" plays out, none of the prohibitionists predictions are coming true (probably WHY they are leaving the subject untouched).

Several hot point methods are now being reviewed. One, a media presentation on the concept of "taking control of marijuana" is being explored. That angle opens the ears of "on the fence" prohibitionists whose vote is open for "swing." Taking control means legal taxation and sale, removing it from the hands of minors. Powerful opening words grab attention, especially if they're phrased to hit the hot button first, then support that hot button with a perspective changing idea underneath. It may sound sneaky, but it's more honest than the government's methods.

Other concepts that need to be highlighted involve the reason we now see 70% support for decriminalization. People are fed up with the side effects of the current approach. We need to have ads that show how an 11 year old boy was shot in the back by a cop, even though the kid was cuffed, face on the floor, and no contraban or illegal action was ever observed. We need to tell the story of how a judge was motivated to use the drug laws to frame a business opponent, and it would have worked if the guy the judge hired had not turned the judge in. The "fence" voters need to learn just how the excesses have morphed our system into a danger worse than drugs. The drug laws can be used as a weapon by anyone who wishes to "frame" an opponent, and due to the nature of the power of prosecution, WE will never know how many times this happens.

While I like the idea of a debate, it's a very small scale with only a moment of impact that will fade quickly. It takes repetition, coverage, mutliple angles of messages based on the truth (the real truth, not the fudged, bent and altered version).

This is already happening to some degree, and it's growing. Public outrage at the Rosenthal trial is one great example. The nearly forgotten Stossel (sp) report on "The War on Drugs: A War on Ourselves" had fantastic impact. It was, however, a moment. Laden upon various others, like the Donahue show's presentation with McCaffrey (sp), also nearly forgotten, create a layering of residual effect that's building.

One place that debate has REAL impact is at election time. Take every shot you get during an election debate - that influences votes and has a real lasting impression when it works.

__________________
Imagination is more important than knowledge - Sounds like BS, until you realize Einstein said that.

SkinnyP

What we should do is get a 1337 photoshopper from this forum (I know you exist, this is a forum afterall) to make a picture of a card with a marijuana leaf on the front and it would say, "The Truth About Marijuana" and on the back there would be facts. We could make like 5 different types of cards with varying facts.

This photoshopper can then give me the pictures and I could host them on a website. Then whoever wants to can print out these little cards and hand them out to people, just start spreading the word one person at a time. Give them to friends, strangers, mailboxes, or whoever!

One person at a time we will help spread the truth. LEGALIZATION NOW!

CUAN4life

Well if such a debate were to occur, my hope would be it leading to more discussion on the subject and further debate on the subject. And thus, if it became a hot button issue like abortion or gun control (i consider it to be such an issue, but i think most americans don't as they don't see it affecting there everyday life, even though chances are in some way the drug war affects every american's life) hopefully that would cross over to presidential debates.

I like the idea of commercials for legalization, and i think they could be effective, but i fear no station would play such ads as they wouldn't want to be thought of the station that "encourages drug use among our youth" or what ever wacky title the government would come up for the station.