Eight-term Iowa Republican Congressman Tom Latham is asked about LEAP, a group of former law enforcement agents who support drug legalization. He responds, “They’re probably a bunch of old potheads.”
Don’t like the message? Disparage the messenger. That’s what they call an ad hominem attack. Maybe he should get to know us.
Of well, you know what they say: any publicity is good publicity.
Truly pathetic. He says that knowing that the group is called LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST PROHIBITION!!!! Jeebuz, the drug war makes people stupid!
That’s just the knee-jerk response for some people when they hear arguments in favor of legalization. Guess it doesn’t matter to Latham that the messengers are a bunch of current or former cops, judges, lawyers,etc. Yeah, Peter, remember when you, me, Jack Cole, Peter Christ and Norm Stamper followed The Dead around all summer and smoked out every day. Duuuude, that was sweeeet!
Figures, 3 days prior to this I opened for Neill Franklin in Philly and told the assembled crowd that LEAP has the advantage of being able to have its speakers discuss topics like legalization from a harm reduction perspective to less receptive audiences without having the standard ad hominem abusive hurled at them due to their status as former CJ professionals…apparently I was wrong.
Looks like I now have to send a shitty letter to Tom Latham. Ignorance apparently knows no bounds, but I guess for a person to continue advocating a policy with with such a long history of failure, one has to be pretty ignorant to begin with…or well paid by monied interests.
Latham popped off in what is a simplistic explanation about what the LEAP membership is comprised of. I would suggest the smallest portion are "pot heads". I would suggest the majority are those that have lost the will to fight, are swayed by simplistic economic arguments, or are from large metropolitan cities where the battle has been truly lost. The pro-drug lobby loves to talk about LEAP as if it is a large percentage of law enforcement, but truth be told, the other 99% isn't buying this hogwash.