If you can't beat them, shut them up

New developments in this story we spoke about here, here and here.

Ernest Istook was so threatened by this advertisement on the Washington Metro transit system last year, that he decided no else should be subjected to such free speech. So, using his position as chairman of the House Transportation and Treasury Appropriations Subcommittee, Istook found a way to punish the Washington metro system and prevent public dialogue from occurring by finagling the passage of legislation denying federal money to any public transit system that accepts ads regarding drug policy reform.

Of course the legislation does nothing to stop Partnership for a Drug Free America and the ONDCP and other pro-prohibition groups from running anti-reform messages in the transit systems. Thus do the prohibitionists wish to coerce you into compliance with their agenda instead of allowing civilized debate.

As Ethan Nadelmann said in a subsequent statement, one hopes the amendment Istook sneakily attached to a spending bill went unnoticed and the other legislators did not realize what they had done.

In response to these backroom manipulations of public policy, Nadelmann's Drug Policy Alliance, Change the Climate (the creator of the ads) and the Marijuana Policy Project with the help of the ACLU, filed suit in federal court.

The Justice Department argues, " [it] has an undeniable interest in ensuring that no federal funds are used, directly or indirectly, to facilitate activity that Congress does not wish to promote." An absurd argument in light of the fact that the ad would not have cost the government a cent--in fact the Metro would have received $91,875 from Change the Climate for renting the space.

Justice further disingenuously argues that the ads promote illegal activity which is also absurd. The real point of the ads are to change the law, not to condone the activity. Joseph White, Executive Director of Change the Climate sums it up best.

"Our Constitution ensures that citizens can get both viewpoints on marijuana issues. Government ads promote expensive and harsh punishment, while our ads suggest new ways of thinking that protect our children and save tax dollars."

Don't let your government use your tax dollars against your rights. Take action now and help defeat this attempt to silence dissent.