The Police Can Have BRC

dragonfly Jafe · Post by **dragonfly Jafe** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:56 pm

CapSmashy wrote:...they unfortunately do have laws backing their side of the argument that tell them they can in fact tell you what you can possess or ingest.

..and the batons, tasers, and guns to back the laws up if you resist. Law Enforcement knows how to deal with any resistance REAL GOOD. I saw a guy at BM who was obviously under some kind of influence try to discuss his rights with an Officer once, only to see him get baton'd visiously several times then cuffed and arrested when he happened to brush against the Officer with one of his wild gestures. Best to not taunt them or interfere with their job too much. Most people are violating some law at any given time. YMMV.

lonestoner916 · Post by **lonestoner916** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 3:01 pm

Just because a bunch of assholes wrote some shit on a piece of paper and a bunch of other assholes voted that from now on everyone has to do what the paper says, or else a whole nother bunch of assholes will "punish you" that doesn't mean that any of those assholes are RIGHT. I don't need the goddamn government or anyone else trying to protect me from myself or tell me what's right and what's wrong. To paraphrase Stephen King; "If coin collecting were outlawed tomorrow, the serious collector very likely wouldn't turn in his steel pennies and buffalo nickels; he'd wrap them carefully in plastic, sink them to the bottom of his toilet tank, and gloat over them after midnight."

The Obama administration has taken a "state's rights" stance regarding medical marijuana, so I doubt very much that any of the federal law enforcement at Burning Man would go as far as to make a federal case out of ME smoking an enormous joint. I would love it if they did, any fines or jailtime I had to endure would be a small price to pay for the media exposure it would bring to the medical marijuana movement.

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 3:39 pm

and isn't Burning Man JUST the place to "play with fire".

Post by **mdmf007** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 3:52 pm

CapSmashy wrote:
lonestoner916 wrote:Such fucking bullshit, but that's the way of the world... I'm looking into obtaining a medical card for Nevada, and if I get it I'm going to follow a cop around for an entire day getting thoroughly blazed while I take notes on what exactly he does.
Good idea! Make sure you do it in front of one of the federal law enforcement representatives.

The drug laws are hypocritical bullshit. No one has the right to tell you what you can and can not put into your own body, period!
While I agree with your sentiment to a large extent, they unfortunately do have laws backing their side of the argument that tell them they can in fact tell you what you can possess or ingest.

Is this really the course of action you want to take? The LE officer will undoubtably stop you, investigate and find SOMETHING to cite you for, if not arrest. You allso open your campmates to search as well. lastly, I have seen officers, when scorned simply arrest you only to release you 2 or 3 days later in a muscle flexing sort of way. Not the best way to spend a burn.

So - my suggestion, get the card if its legit, and keep your smoking low key. No sense bringing on more attention you need.

Nevada LE is a lot more old west than you might think.

geospyder · Post by **geospyder** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:04 pm

"Nevada LE is a lot more old west than you might think."

Maybe that's why we see more Deputy Sheriff's than any other LE on the Playa

BTW - I just picked up the Washoe County Sheriff's Office 2009 Commemorative Yearbook. In the section for Operations Bureau - Patrol Division, page 47 was titled Drug Busts, page 48 was titled Burning Man. Hmmm - back to back. Strange editing

goathead · Post by **goathead** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:42 pm

Must be nice to be so young and idealistic, but then again I have no desire to lose my right to vote, own firearms or anything else.

Take your fight to the ballot box kids, unless your really into slamming your head into a solid wall.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 9:41 am

lonestoner916 wrote:Just because a bunch of assholes wrote some shit on a piece of paper and a bunch of other assholes voted that from now on everyone has to do what the paper says, or else a whole nother bunch of assholes will "punish you" that doesn't mean that any of those assholes are RIGHT. I don't need the goddamn government or anyone else trying to protect me from myself or tell me what's right and what's wrong. To paraphrase Stephen King; "If coin collecting were outlawed tomorrow, the serious collector very likely wouldn't turn in his steel pennies and buffalo nickels; he'd wrap them carefully in plastic, sink them to the bottom of his toilet tank, and gloat over them after midnight."

In other words, don't get caught is the whole of the law.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 9:57 am

Ugly Dougly wrote:
In other words, don't get caught is the whole of the law.

In other words, don't get caught is the whole of the law?

lonestoner916 · Post by **lonestoner916** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:01 am

Exactly right UD!

I was only half serious about the following a cop around getting stoned all day, I've got better things to do with a day on the Playa, but I may very well ask permission to go on a "ride along" with one of the LEO's for a few hours, it would make a good article for the Beacon, I have yet to publish a piece on-Playa, and it's something I have always wanted to do. Happy Thanksgiving ePlayans!

:+}

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:56 am

lonestoner916 wrote:Just because a bunch of assholes wrote some shit on a piece of paper and a bunch of other assholes voted that from now on everyone has to do what the paper says, or else a whole nother bunch of assholes will "punish you" that doesn't mean that any of those assholes are RIGHT

In the words of Robert Earl Keene...

Right or wrong, black or white
Cross the line you're gonna pay

No, it doesn't make them automatically right per se. But what it does do is give them the necessary authority to shut you down for not agreeing with them.

I don't need the goddamn government or anyone else trying to protect me from myself or tell me what's right and what's wrong.

Unfortunately, it would appear that the majority of Americans do which would explain why the same magnificent fucktards keep getting elected.

The Obama administration has taken a "state's rights" stance regarding medical marijuana, so I doubt very much that any of the federal law enforcement at Burning Man would go as far as to make a federal case out of ME smoking an enormous joint.

The Obama administration is simply a rinse and repeat of the previous administration, which was a rinse and repeat of the one before it, etc.

The policy adopted by the current administration is not as simple as saying they have adopted a state's rights stance. Federal prosecutors are directed to lower the priority against medical marijuana use and dispensing that is in compliance with applicable state law. In California for example, dispensaries in LA County are at about a 1 in 4 ratio of licensed vs unlicensed. The unlicensed dispensaries are not in compliance with applicable state law and therefore still wide open to federal prosecution.

The other issue California may be facing in the very near future is the very generous manner under which doctors are handing out prescriptions for medical marijuana. In many cases it simply involves handing them $150 and they hand you a scrip. The blatant abuses in the system are going to bring the whole thing down in some manner in the near future.

I would love it if they did, any fines or jailtime I had to endure would be a small price to pay for the media exposure it would bring to the medical marijuana movement.

The exposure you would receive would not be what you want in terms of the mainstream media. And before you go off about the mainstream media, that's where at least 90% of America gets their news and info from. Which is why they keep happily voting Republicrats right back into office every election.

lbdavid98 · Post by **lbdavid98** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:20 am

I get frustrated when anyone starts talking about being subject to the laws of the municipalities we pass through as though they're unquestionable. Our relationship with those entities in no way reflects upon the morality of our decisions to participate in any activity that might enhance our experience at Burning Man. (sex, drugs, rock'n'roll, sodomy, or some combination thereof)

This country was founded on some pretty beautiful ideals, but somewhere along the way things got confused. The people in power found that they could accumulate more by legislating the right and wrong for every moment of our days. "Do the crime, do the time." Seriously?! Try going a month without breaking a single statute in the city, county, state, and country you live in. The traffic laws alone will do you in, not to mention all the bizarre stuff no one ever talks about being on the books until they're looking for a reason to harass you.

But what about, "We're on federal property subject to federal laws." Excepting the international community, that means it's our land. And if BRC represents the majority use of that property, shouldn't it be subject to our laws? BRC has and enforces its own code of conduct.

The Federal government exists to "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty". (that's the US Constitution in case it seems unfamiliar--I try to cite anything someone might take exception to) Somewhere along the way I feel like the definition of justice got warped, and no one quite knew what to do about ensuring the blessings of liberty, so they just legislated what people can't do to one another and ultimately themselves.

On the same note, to all you narcophobes out there: grow up. The war on drugs is a total sham. Look at the actual statistics on prosecution and imprisonment for drug related offenses (www.drugwarfacts.org). It's the poor and disenfranchised who are being sent to jail for getting loaded. It's a pity they don't the same quality of health insurance as my mother, otherwise they could be zonked out of their mind all day on fentanyl, and when they feel a bit down they could snort the zoloft prescribed by their psychiatrist.

But see, I'm digressing. It's probably cause I'm so tired. What I really need is some caffeine, or maybe a redbull with some taurine. But when I get off shift tonight I'll be too amped to sleep... no problem, I'll just take some legitimately prescribed ambien and wash it down with a shot of jack daniels while watching the news on how well this war in Afghanistan is going. I'm glad we're over there securing freedom and democracy! Vicodin is going to get a lot cheaper now that companies like Pfizer are importing more than a billion dollars of their poppy crop annually.

... I'm not saying do drugs. I'm just saying don't thumb your nose at "junkies" while you sip on a latte and 40% of the people around you (http://www.sptimes.com/2004/12/03/World ... ent_.shtml) are on something that happens to be legal because the right lobbyists found a way to make some money off of it.

David

P.S. I've never done any psychedelics--I just strongly believe in the principles of civil disobedience, particularly in the face of unjust and hyprocritical legislation designed to funnel more money into all the wrong pockets--all the while masquerading as morality laws. I think every pot smoker in America ought to pick a day and go smoke together in front of the closest police station. Force the government to either enforce the law on everyone (something they can't do, logistically or otherwise) or scrap it like they should have years ago. And I'd be right there with them, even if it meant going to jail. If they hand out tickets instead of jail time? Use them as rolling papers and come back the next day, and the day after.

lbdavid98 · Post by **lbdavid98** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:40 am

Oh and before someone tries to leverage this as part of an argument, I'll out myself: I've never been to Burning Man. I'm a member of the Midwest Burners regional though, and I was welcomed into the online community here--so I feel comfortable using pronouns that reflect my sense of belonging. I look forward, very much, to losing my virginity in 2010.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:24 am

lbdavid98 wrote:Oh and before someone tries to leverage this as part of an argument, I'll out myself: I've never been to Burning Man. I'm a member of the Midwest Burners regional though, and I was welcomed into the online community here--so I feel comfortable using pronouns that reflect my sense of belonging. I look forward, very much, to losing my virginity in 2010.

you are quite correct.
speaking for myself, you are welcome.
please, speak your mind, share opinions, even make a joke, if, you see fit.
Add to the community, the discourse, the fun.

no, really, don't hold back.

one thing, though, in reference to your above diatribe:

do you just need a hug?........

well written, and thought out, though.......congrats!!

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:48 am

welcome to 2010

bring your drugs and use them on the open playa.. we are just bull shiting about the law.. they don't give a crap what you do.. most of them are higher than you will ever get.. the few that get busted are for show or the the cops need more drugs.. a nice gift bag might get you out of a ticket..

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:38 am

Hell, I just hang around with unjon and everyone, even the police, stays away!

lbdavid98 · Post by **lbdavid98** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:45 pm

So I was a bit irritable last night... being at work does that to me at least as much as anything I read. See, they lock me in a basement office two doors down from the morgue and then leave me to answer 5-6 phone calls an hour til dawn. Oh, and the computer has internet access but sites like youtube, hulu, etc. are blocked (in fact, most interesting sites are blocked, I can only assume they're unaware of how much fun this site is ... but they've surprised me in the past by blocking sites after a few weeks' use)

Point is, I meant everything I said last night, but if I'd been writing from home on a day off, I'd have probably narrowed the focus a bit and written it less like a blast from a cannon and more like an attempt to pursusade and inform. So to any "narcophobes" (is that a word?) I offended last night, look me up at burning man and I'll pour you a drink by way of apology. :P

And thanks for continuing to make me feel welcome, I think you all know what an amazing community this is... but I still get blown away by it.