As many of you know, I am one of the strongest voices in changing Marijuana Laws Nationally. Briefly for those who are unaware, I began my hemp career in 1990. My daughter wrote her first hemp term paper that year in the sixth grade. Part of the assignment was the students had to use books from their middle school library to write their papers. To document her paper, the students looked in the index of all the botany books, and produced some much information about hemp in Kansas. A new discovery of the strength that hemp as an agriculture crop in Kansas has played through out our history was proved by the school library.In the Kansas State Capitol Building Rotunda there are hundreds of hemp leaves placed there by our founding fathers when Kansas became a state. An astounding letter from one state legislator in 1935 to the federal government in anticipated changes in cannabis laws stated: "If Cannabis is made illegal, it will economically devastate Kansas." Many will remember that in the thirtys Kansas was referred to as the "dust bowl". These are also the first years that cultivation of cannabis as an agriculture crop was discouraged. In 1937 the first marijuana tax law went into effect, causing the land to lay barren.
Do you think that the fact we are spending so many tax dollars to wipe out "ditchweed" cannabis in the U.S. -- especially the midwest -- might be related to the drought farmers are enduring? It seems a little more than curious that eradication and drought come at the same.
Since that time, I have given hundreds of thousands of brochures and books telling of the hemp facts and truths. I have made hundreds of speeches, and appeared on numerous television and radio programs nationwide.
I have managed to keep a full time office open for Kansas Environmentalists for Commerce in Hemp, where one could get truthful information six days a week. Thousands of speeches and term papers have been produced by utilizing the library at the KECH office.
In 1992 I ran for the office of Citizens Participation Organization on a pro-marijuana ticket. I received more votes than anyone else in my district, rendering me a four year term. Representing my council, I have sat on the Community Block Grants Committee, (much of this years funds were channeled toward court mandated drug treatment rather than truly helping the needy), City Budget Committee, and Capital Improvements Program Committee. In 1996-1997, we have cut funds for parks, streets, and sidewalks by $425,000 to build new drug courts in four areas of our city. I also represent my council at the Coordinating Board Meeting monthly.
Over the last four years my city has taken advantage of all the new policies, and grants of the Office of the National Control Policy, located in the White House. To continue the level of law enforcement we have committed ourselves to in 1996-1997, our little city of 325,000 people will have to raise the present mill levy of 31 mills by 4 mills, or more than 10%.
I am also registered with the state of Kansas as a lobbyist for change in the Cannabis laws.
I am also a member of the Kansas Political Women's Caucus and the Sierra Club.
I have attended so many meetings, and conventions, both Republican and Democratic, I can no longer keep track. There are people on the opposition who actually hate me because I am always there handing out literature. I am torn between doing what I know is right, and the torture that law enforcement is capable of delivering upon your head.
In January, 1996 I received a letter from my State Representative Standifer, stating that if I did not stay out of our district talking and distributing marijuana information, she would take action to make sure I did.
On the Morning of March 20, 1996, I published my research to those who wanted to know more, as I had for about six weeks. My full intention is to share this information before all the books are located and burned.
There are several incidents that lead up to the happenings of the evening of March 20, which I hope you will please take note of.
I have been very politically active years, but was pushing especially hard since January 1996 for change in the Cannabis laws in the United States, utilizing the internet. When President Clinton and Addis, the global sports wear manufacture, were arguing hemp shoes, I e-mailed President Clinton -- because of previous 1992 pre-election Clinton-Gore bio-mass promises enticing the 60,000,000 voters who support change in cannabis laws -- and stated: "Dear President Clinton: Please read my lips. Hemp Shoes are made for walking, and in the 1996 election, I do hope they walk all over you." Of course I believe in freedom of speech, so I fully signed the snail-mail. March 6, 1996, is the date on the letter I received from President Clinton, acknowledging my "candor".
On March 15, 1996, my friend, Casey Stein, also a strong activist, while fulfilling his fellow appointment from last years studies at the White House, had the opportunity to address General McCaffey, "ONDCP Director" at an open forum. After placing a mouth-dropping question regarding regulation through taxation, to over 1,000 attendees, Casey followed by presenting General McCaffey with one of my Kansas Marijuana Tax Stamps. (Remember Arizona, tax stamps, and Super-Bowl are in the news at this time.)
Wichita, Kansas is one of sixty-five selected cities to receive all of the funding from the numerous additional programs added through the Crime Bill, and Clinton's Office of the National Drug Control Policy. The sad part is that our city manager puts all these items on the city council agenda, and the council members vote -- without reading what they are voting for -- by consent will approve items 26 through 70, as an example.
While I was attending the birthday celebration of my step-father the evening of March 20, 1996, law-enforcement representatives kicked down my doors, and removed my computer CPU after, according to witnesses, three law enforcement officers spent at least three hours operating the various programs, while the other 18 officers played pool, and darts in our basement while they waited, after trashing our home.
The files on the computer were slim since I had been through two total crashes since July 1995. There was a "Matrix Astrology" program, and the equivalent of two computer disk in research files. Those I was publishing on the internet. These research files are the same files that law enforcement took from me on November 16, 1992 . (I brought forward nationally the knowledge of marijuana tax stamps in this case.) I did receive back in my possession these 400,000 xerox copies of books and documents November 1994. Over the past year and a half, I had taken these books and outlined the contents on the computer so more persons could become knowledgeable about the true facts. The facts I know about Cannabis have been presented to me by hundreds of people, and I want to say thank you to all for their help.
The computer was not all that was removed from the premises March 20. Pictures, address books, personal letters, cash, and Kansas Marijuana Tax Stamps were also taken. Law enforcement also left on the empty computer table a plaque they removed from another room that read, on one half under the caption of a suited man with helmet carrying a machine gun, "Police coming in the door". On the second half of the plaque under a suited man running with overwhelming bags of cash, "Police going out the door." However demented, this showed a sense of humor.
About three days after law enforcement raided our premises, a programmer that had helped me restore my system during a crash, presented me with two disks that had my original research data stored on them. Law enforcement had left on a shelf directly above where the computer sat a box of about 40 blank disks. I gave the two originals, and this box of blank disks to some one to copy for me. Now I have the originals, and 20 copies, which I place back on the shelf exactly where law enforcement had left them the evening of March 20. I take the originals, place them in a cloth sack, and hide them on another floor of the building, in a space so small I could hardly get my hand into to push the original disks to the back. To my great fortune, I did mail one copy to some one in another city. Lucky for me because the next evening:
April 2, 1996, Law enforcement raided my premises again. This time besides the rest of the photos they did not take before, the address books of my daughter they had not taken before, they removed the twenty copies, and the two original computer disks. Now law enforcement has twenty-one copies of exactly what was on the CPU that they already have.
Some of you may not agree with my personal politics. But I realize that some people use their computers like the TV Com "Doogie Houser". They store their most personal thoughts on the computer to review as they grow. Thus acknowledging what one thinks one day on a particular subject is often times completely different than he might feel at a later date. If I allow law enforcement to take my computer, and intimidate me with fear so I stop objecting to their behavior, then I am projecting that I accept their actions.
Taking my computer is not okay, and it would not be okay for them to take your computer either.Presently there have no charges filed on the above two incidents. There was no probable cause listed on the search warrants. I am told that Detective Fetkee, who has tried to put me in jail for the last five years, was the person in charge of filing my charges. He is a very evil man, and has been forced into early retire from the police department. Of course no officer has ever had charges filed on him for shooting in this city, and many people have been shot by police. I am told some one else will be assigned to file the charges.
On October 23, 1996 while going home from classes I was taking at Wichita State University, I was arrested after a traffic stop for faulty tail lights, which were fixed right there in front of the officer, because they had been pulled from the placement socket when I picked up the lawn mower earlier that day. I was given three citations that evening, 1) for no seat belt; 2)no proof of insurance (the insurance was current, the card I had on my person was not, but same company & policy); 3)faulty tail light. I was charged with a felony, while I had not previous convictions, and a $15,000. bond.
By the time this came to trial, June 11, 1996, they had had me reporting to court two and three times a week since I returned from Amsterdam last December.
Yesterday morning the newspaper in my city was filled with the news of the Supreme Court Decision supporting searches. My judge was the contributing expert, and stated in the article that half of the drug cases in this city come from traffic stops.
In court, the lab chemist testified she could not swear the substance in the small package, .091 grams, was marijuana because it was too burned. So the judge allowed the DA to charge me with THC instead. The judge then ruled that because the officer knew I was the hemplady, he had probable cause to search me. The judge also ruled that because I had Kansas Marijuana Tax Stamps (five, $10 stamps), it justified felony charges. Via the Court house grapevine, I have been told for months that I was going to be found guilty. The whole trial was a farce, but in the end, the judge ignored that officers told various versions of the incident, or the fact they detained me one hour and fifty five minutes before my arrest. The judge found me guilty.Kansas Marijuana Tax Stamps what are they? I certainly do not know. The law says that if you are going to buy, sell, transport, or possess, you must have a tax stamp on the marijuana. On the personal level, I just do not want to be a criminal over marijuana. Like cigarettes, and tobacco have tax stamps on them to make them legal, I was trying to abide by the law. I have sold over $30,000 worth of tax stamps in $10 increments through the KECH office in Wichita since 1992. I purchase these by mail from the Kansas Department of Revenue, Use & Compensation Department. The state even sends me self-addressed envelopes. I am really disappointed to learn that we have this tax stamp law that if you do not have a tax stamp, the state adds extra charges for not having one. Now the judge has ruled if you do have one, that is probable cause to search, arrest, and find you guilty.
I am not asking that anyone do a story, or call any attention to me. I am very much afraid. I do not want to go to jail. I do hope that you are offended by the degree of oppression the government will go to in order to silence me. I am asking that you please pay attention to the sacrifice of constitutional rights, and help me stop the book burning. Please speak up to your elected officials of the evil inside the Crime Bill, and President Clintons ONDCP office whose funds must be appropriated in 1997, otherwise, the appointment disappears.
Let us restore dignity into being an American, force Washington to balance the budget.
Thank you for your time - Debby
From hemplady@feist.com Wed Nov 20 16:08:28 1996
From: Debby Moore <hemplady@feist.com>
To: hemp friends <100260.212@compuserve.com>
Subject: Good News TodayNovember 20, 1996
I am writing to let friends of mine who have been worried about the massive list of felony charges that have recently been filed against me. I will share details later. Today I was assigned Dec. 4, 1996 for my Preliminary Hearing. The state is calling in 27 witnesses against me.
Today's little note comes with much joy for my daughter Mechell who recently turned 20 years of age. THE STATE TODAY DISMISSED CHARGES ON MECHELL FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE ON THEIR PART. This is wonderful for Mechell has worked hard by my side to help change the Cannabis Laws in Kansas.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY THAT THE STATE DID NOT CHOSE TO RUIN HER YOUNG LIFE.
The state is going for life in prison for me. Anyone that would like to help my Attorney defend me, or offer any suggestions, please feel free to offer support. Mr. O'Hara is a very good attorney, but I am a charity case.
Charles A. O'Hara
Attorney at Law
1502 N. Broadway
Wichita, KS, 67214
(316) 263 5601I would like for you to remember, I have always purchased Kansas Marijuana Tax Stamps. If I have a joint, I have a tax stamp! I don't know what that means because the state takes your property if you have a tax stamp, just like they take your property if you do not have a tax stamp. Stumps Me!
Debby Moore
From hemplady@feist.com Thu Nov 21 23:40:47 1996
From: Debby Moore <hemplady@feist.com>
To: hemp friends <100260.212@compuserve.com>
Subject: CommunicationNovember 21, 1996
I would like to share with fellow activists a great homepage I have sent to several persons recently when I read them asking for specific e-mail address in their towns. This great resource is: Editor & Publisher. Their homepage lists all the newspapers in the United States that have E-Mail Connections. I hope this information will help one and all.
http://www.mediainfo.com/
Debby Moore
Kansas Environmentalists for Commerce in Hemp