Daniel E. Williams for Vice President
May 6, 2008
I recently reviewed The Naked Truth about Drugs by Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential candidate Daniel E. Williams. When I published the review I offered Daniel the opportunity to address TheCandidacy.com readers directly. This is his un-edited response. Big thanks to him for taking the time to do so. – RHM
I’ve not yet spoken with or met Randall Miller, but I became familiar with his work via TheCandidacy.com, and found him to be a bright guy with an insightful political mind. So we began an email exchange, which led to sending him a copy of The Naked Truth About Drugs. That he offered to read and review it was a generous gesture - as was his offer to allow me space to respond.
First, though, I must correct one point: I’m running for the Libertarian Party vice-presidential nomination - not the top spot. The confusion perhaps is that I did start out running for president, but switched to VP when former Congressman Bob Barr announced his exploratory committee, which, for all intents and purposes, tossed his hat into the ring. I believe Bob Barr will win our nomination, despite some internal grumbling. We all know he is our only candidate capable of commanding - and holding - the microphone, and able to bring to the Libertarian Party the recognition and respect we’ve long desired but never realized. And, in my not-so-humble opinion, a Barr/Williams ticket has the best chance to see that dream realized. However, I doubt there is an alignment of stars that can put us in the White House, but certainly we can grow our numbers and become the most viable third party in modern history. Then again, I’ve done a lot of drugs…
Which, though I’m candid about an affinity for certain substances, is not the point of my book. The point is that drug prohibition simply doesn’t work - and more of us are paying attention. Which leads me to believe we’ve reached the tipping point regarding drug prohibition. And here’s why.
There now exists two large groups in America: those outside the recreational drug environment, and those within. For those outside, it has not been so much a change of mind - they still consider all drugs dangerous - as it’s been a change of heart: they’ve come to view our drug laws as worse than drug use itself. Since Tricky Dick declared his war, over 20 million families have witnessed a wife, husband, son or daughter arrested, and often convicted, for non-violent drug offenses. That’s a lot of pissed-off folks, justifiably so. For those inside, recreational drug use has now become multi-generational: boomers, their children and grandchildren live active and productive lives and are simply tired of being considered criminals - and hunted down like dogs. My research has shown these two groups to number north of 70 million - a large constituency. And every one of them has had enough - the proverbial tipping point.
I’ve been criticized by some in the drug reform movement for my all-or-nothing approach. “Don’t rock the boat,” they scold. O course, then they whisper “we want to end drug prohibition too, but we’ve got to start slow.” But my response has always been that the incremental approach has taken us nowhere. Medical marijuana, the darling of drug reform, has been the law in California for over a decade, and in 12 other states since. Yet growers, distributors and patients alike are still being busted by the DEA (despite the Bush administration’s purported respect for states’ rights). I tell them, OK, say medical marijuana becomes settled law. Then I ask, “what drug will you champion next?” Cocaine? LSD? MDMA? Heroin? Their silence is so complete you could hear a mouse fart in Munich. It is my belief we will be told “we gave you medical marijuana, so shut the fuck up.” Cynical? Maybe. But it’s from watching the increasingly draconian manner in which drug policy has evolved and been enforced over the past four decades.
But I am hopeful - for I’ve been successful in life as a result of my ability to spot trends. I got into the cellular phone thing almost from inception, and the harder I worked the luckier I got - and was able to retire in 1995. But the most significant trend I’ve followed over the years is the one regarding drug policy. So after retiring I doubled-down my focus, wrote The Naked Truth and hit the road. I’ve lectured in Europe on global drug prohibition. And I’ve spoken on many college campuses, as well as before regional and national drug policy conventions. But I’ve not limited myself to just the faithful. I addressed one of Florida’s most influential Republican PACs and received a standing ovation at the end - proving an ability to tailor my message for any audience, without dilution. And I’ve even visited the dark side: in 2006 I attended the 20th Anniversary Gala for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. They had an open bar all night. How’s that for hypocrisy - and a campaign talking point.
It may be cliche to say “the times they are a-changin,” but they are. And should Bob Barr and I become the Libertarian Party ticket, Dylan’s prophetic words may finally come to fruition.
Daniel E. Williams
www.Daniel08.com
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[...] for any audience, without dilution. And I??ve even visited the dark side: in 2006 I attended the 20http://thecandidacy.com/2008/05/06/daniel-e-williams-for-vice-president/Partnership for a Drug-Free America - SourceWatchMar 19, 2008 … partnership for a drug free [...]
[...] for any audience, without dilution. And I??ve even visited the dark side: in 2006 I attended the 20http://thecandidacy.com/2008/05/06/daniel-e-williams-for-vice-president/Official Website of the Libertarian National CommitteeMillions of Americans have voted for [...]