Congressman Barney Frank Vs. Congressman Mark Souder

Today I want to look at a couple of people on opposing sides of the marijuana rights battle. I think I would like to make this a regular post category, but I’m notoriously lazy. We’ll see.

We start with 2 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. 2 gentlemen with views that can only be described as polar opposite, especially in regard to civil rights and marijuana legalization specifically. We look at Congressman Barney Frank, and Congressman Mark Souder.

Congressman Barnett “Barney” Frank

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts’ 4th district

In 1987, Congressman Frank became the second openly gay member of the House of Representatives and is described as “one of the brightest and most energetic defenders of civil rights issues.”

We start with him as he was recently interviewed by Esquire on the legalization of marijuana.

I personally like him for his answer regarding his opinion on how long it will take to see the end of this silly prohibition:

“There’s no point in my guessing. Why would I want to guess? We’ll have a rational discussion, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”

This is a guy that doesn’t play the game based on hopes and dreams. He’s a hard worker and fights for the rights he (and I) believes in.

On a cool side note, Frank has a view on outing gay republicans, on which he commented:

“I think there’s a right to privacy. But the right to privacy should not be a right to hypocrisy. And people who want to demonize other people shouldn’t then be able to go home and close the door and do it themselves.”

See where I’m going with this? It’s safe to assume that Congressman Frank doesn’t much care for hypocrisy. How many people shun and fight for the criminalization of marijuana use, only to go home to toke up themselves?

Congressman Frank is the author of H.R. 2592, an attempt to stop the federal government from intervening with states’ marijuana laws.

All around, this is a guy I want making decisions. He seems to make decisions on policies as they may impact others. You’re gay? That’s cool. You’re a gay guy who further promotes hateful laws? Not so cool.

I can’t write enough on how much this guy has done and continues to do for the American people. Research him. You’ll like him too.

Congressman Mark Souder

Member of the U.s. House of Representatives from Indiana’s 3rd District.

I decided on checking into Congressman Souder as he was of mention in the above interview with Congressman Frank.

A strong supporter of the “War on Drugs” and the author of the ‘Aid Elimination Penalty;’ a provision that suspends federal financial aid eligibility to college students convicted of drug-related offenses.

He feels of the program:

“The Drug-Free Student Loan amendment is designed to discourage drug use among students, as a student who knows that his financial aid could be suspended if he’s convicted of a drug crime will be less likely to use or deal drugs in the first place.

The provision puts in place specific ineligibility periods for various drug-related crimes, leading to indefinite suspension for conviction of multiple dealing or possession crimes. At any time, however, a student can regain eligibility if he or she satisfactorily completes an approved drug rehabilitation program and passes two unannounced drug tests.”

As much as I hate to rely on WikiPedia, they state that:

“The law has affected more than 200,000 students, including 9,000 Indiana students — one in every 200 applicants from that state.”

I found it interesting that he also seems to think that:

“…the destruction in your brain cells, is more like coke or crack than it is like the old time marijuana.”

and

“…a marijuana user is very seldom just a casual marijuana user.”

It’s obvious that Mr. Souder isn’t exactly educated on the subject and allows his own irrational, pre-conceived notions direct his actions.

Congressman Souder was the chairman of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources; in which he had authorizing jurisdiction over the White House Office of National Drug Policy. In December of 2006, President Bush signed into law the ONDCP Reauthorization Act which reauthorizes the office of the Drug Czar for five years. Souder wrote and introduced the act.

Make no mistake about it. People of this kind are very dangerous as they make decisions that affect the rest of the country, and he makes them with little regard of that affect. These are the guys that start the problems we, as a nation are forced to deal with.

And The Winner Is…

I’m not going to do that. There will never be a winner or loser (unless one of them actually attacks another in a fight to the death) as these are battles with no ending fight. Even once marijuana is legalized, there will still be people who persecute others. There will always be holes in laws and injustices done against the citizens of this country.

So, no winners or losers. Just glances are both sides of the fight.