Letter from the publisher
Dear Reader,
About the activist . . .
Unless you or someone very close to you has ever been one, there is a good chance that you aren't quite sure what exactly an activist is or does or, for that matter, how they came to be one. This certainly was the case with me. The interesting thing is that the Activist Me was lying dormant for quite a long time. I saw things happening within public policy that I didn't like or that have had a detrimental affect on the environment around me but concluded there was nothing I could do about it or figured "someone else is taking care of it."
I now know that that someone is me, you, your neighbor, the lady up the street, the student next door. These folks have full-time jobs, perhaps families, certainly a full plate of personal responsibilities. No one has been officially assigned the task of fixing the situation. Few are paid for their efforts, but they spend a good deal of their available time fighting for a cause that matters to them - learning about the politics around the issue, getting to know the political figures in their area, banding together with like-minded people and reaching out to others who might also join in to take action on the issue - rocking the boat and making waves until it rolls over, until it's resolved.
It seems that many activists have had some type of awakening or slap in the face to jolt them out of that complacent way of thinking that "it's being handled." Nothing seems to be too much of an issue until it truly touches - or maybe more appropriately, rams your life on the blind side. This is certainly the case with myself and many others. This is particularly true when looking at the activists working to end drug prohibition. There are many people who hold the opinion that laws should be changed but they do nothing to make it happen. Again, this was me. I am making a plea to you. Don't wait for a devastating event in your life or that of someone you love to activate - take action - become an activist.
I hope you find Hemp Activist Times interesting, enlightening and, most of all, motivating. You can hop in at any time. Whatever you have to give in the way of time and energy will be greatly appreciated. I want to heartily thank Ben Livingston for spawning the idea for this newsletter and pulling it all together, as well as the many dedicated activists who've been working diligently for years to relegalize hemp/marijuana. Look for us again next month!
Beth Myrle Rice