FREEDOMTOUR101
The inaugural run of the freedom tour began in Victoria British Columbia on June 26th 2006 and made its way from community to community on its way to Ottawa for Remembrance day. Carrying a Canadian flag with a cannabis leaf super-imposed over the maple leaf, I skated over 1200 miles along the way.
The goal of this HEMP based, in-line skating pilgrimage, is to raise awareness with respect to rights and freedoms and what the role of governments is supposed to be. Dozens of "authorities" and people of note from Mayors to police to media and many others were given info-packs and verbal presentations.
What was found was that all levels of government seem oblivious to their intended role. They act as masters in power, instead of servants holding a public trust. The rules change from town to town, province to province. What is consistent is the publics displeasure with their servants abuses of power. In many places the police are seen as bullies to be feared.
On remembrance day, thanks to the support of the Royal Canadian Legion, we were given permission to join the inner circle of V.I.P.'s. When Stephen Harper came to shake hands I informed him of my journey and its purpose, he congratulated me for making it to Ottawa.
The freedomtour supports the efforts of the legions of men and women who have fought and in many cases died to secure the freedoms of the generations to come. The freedomtour is an annual project designed to peacefully continue those efforts
DRUG PROHIBITION
One of the main goals is to expose the costs and dangers of drug prohibition and the criminal abuses of power being perpetrated by public servants. The stated purpose of drug prohibition is to prevent the Abuse of certain drugs by prohibiting the possession and use of these drugs, however this strategy results in both increased use as well as increased abuse, wastes and looses billions of tax and taxable dollars while creating and supporting organized (and unorganized) crime.
The demonization and prohibition of certain drugs is used by racists, moralists but mostly by industrialists to further their agendas. The successful lobbying (read,bribery) of our politicians has resulted in their interests being protected at the expense of basic rights and freedoms. There has also developed a huge industry that is fueled by drug prohibition, cops, lawyers, courts and prison"employees" and a myriad of public bureaucrats and private entrepreneurs are paying their mortgages on the backs of drug "criminals".
In th U.S. private-for-profit prison corporations are raking in billions of dollars by filling contracts with other corporations using prisoners/workers supplied by the "justice" system at taxpayers expense.
The reefer-madness campaigns that started around 1910 by William Randolf Hearst and the Rockerfellers (to name a few) continues today with misinformation, lies and horror stories orchestrated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in an effort to Enforce the use of alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical drugs. If they were really concerned about harms caused by drug abuse, they would encourage the use of cannabis as a much safer and saner alternative to the real deadly drugs,- tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals, and they would tell the truth.
The truth is that almost everyone uses a myriad of different drugs. That these substances are neither bad nor good, but are simply tools that have value if used properly or can be harmful if used improperly.
NATURES GREATEST GIFT
Of course the most ludicrous area of drug prohibition is the prohibition of cannabis,by far one of the safest and widely used drugs. From 1842 to 1900 cannabis was the second most used and prescribed medicine in America with over a hundred articles printed in medical journals as to its many uses. There were dozens of bottled formulations using cannabis in the pharmacopoeia, and in over 5000 years of use as a medicine there has never been an overdose death. (probably due to its role in evolving the human body, as a staple food source of our ancestors.) It is certainly an anti-depressant and a violence-suppressor.
but beyond that cannabis is the most versatile and amazing plant on the planet. Cannabis grows on all 5 continents,it can reclaim poor soil,requires little if any fertilizers or pesticides and adapts quickly to new environments. ONE TINY SEED in apx. 3mths,can result in over 250lbs of very usable material. It was a mandatory crop in the U.S. from 1619 to 1798, used for everything from food and cosmetics to paper to textiles and rope to plastics and construction materials to paints and fuels, in fact almost anything except for steel and glass can be made from the cannabis plant. ( did we mention FUEL.)
The prohibition of cannabis is a horrendous crime against this planet and its people!
FREEDOM
Adults deserve the respect and the freedom to make their own choices,to be responsible for their decisions and to experience the natural consequences of those choices.
Freedom is the right to do, or not do,whatever you want to do,or don't want to do,without any government coercion or prohibition, until you unreasonably interfere with someone else.
Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada,citizens are said (in sec. 7a) to be protected from govt. interference based on the "principals of fundamental justice". which would be fine if there were such things,but there are no such things. They must only prove that you broke the "rule of law" at which point you are sentenced based on past decisions by other judges in similar cases.
There have been volumes of submissions by legal experts as to how to define the"principals of fundamental justice" but so far there has not been a consensus,so they do not apply. So even though (as Trudeau eluded to in the preamble to the charter) we Canadians believe we have them,we don't.
Things like:
a) The scales of justice-a blindfolded woman holding a set of scales,where on one side is placed the damage done and on the other side a penalty no greater than the damage done.
b) Criminal Intent- the knowledge and understanding that your actions will cause damage
c)Facing your accuser-there is supposed to be a victim
d)innocent until proven guilty-of doing damage,with intent
e)requiring that all is beyond reasonable doubt
If these "principals of fundamental justice" existed there would be no "crime" in possessing drugs.
Having possession of a substance that IF ingested MIGHT result in violent thoughts that COULD result in actual violence, (that was the original reason for prohibition) is two steps before even a thought crime.
The intent of those using drugs is simply to feel better.
THE GOALS OF THE FREEDOMTOUR
We believe awareness is the first step in gaining the rights and freedoms that we deserve as sovereign beings. Freedom to obey is not what our forefathers fought and died for, not what our founding fathers intended and not what we want for the generations to come. We should be living in freedom not feardom. Hopefully if Canadians become clear about these issues, they will work for and demand their rights and freedoms.
We will spend 138 days each year going from Victoria to Ottawa, putting on rallies, forums, debates and freedomfests as we go. spreading the words of freedom,what the role of public servants is supposed to be, the costs and dangers of drug prohibition and the value of hemp as an environmentally friendly and economic tool.
We welcome involvement from anyone who shares these ideals. There are many ways to get involved, we need people to help us with arrangements in each community we visit, we are looking for sponsors whos products and messages we could promote as we go and as in any venture of this kind, money and other contributions would be greatly appreciated. Visit our website to view the posts and pictures from the 2006 freedomtour, and to find out more.
Neil Magnuson,and the freedomtour team
freedomtour06@hotmail.com freedomtour.ca
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