ALL Six California Marijuana Legalization Attempts FAIL for 2012

After the failure of California Proposition 19, proponents acted as if it was by mistake. We tried to explain that by political standards, the more than 700,000 voter difference is not considered a narrow margin. But they didn’t believe us. They said they were cheated out of the election in which all who fought to defeat Prop. 19 were outspent 10 to one. 

And so, they organized a news conference and vowed to come back in 2012. They said California was ready to legalize marijuana, ignored all the warnings and backlash, took the monkey on their back, divided into six groups and attempted to collect signatures to get back on the ballot. 

 Well, as of a few days ago, it’s official. All six attempts to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot have FAILED. A HUGE VICTORY for youth and healthy adults who want drug free communities, so that young people, families, senior citizens and members of California’s communities can enjoy their communities without being subjected to illegal marijuana use, cultivation or sale. Guess they’re just going to have to take the monkey on their back for a walk OUT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. Other states beware. Vote NO, against all legalization and help prevent drug use, while protecting our communities, roads and highways.

Source:  www.nipitinthebudusa.org 

On Being Heard

Today, Michael Jackson would have Celebrated his 51st Birthday

Carissa Phelps: Watch this Incredible Story of a young Woman who Transformed Her Life

Recovering Alcoholic/Addict to Randy Travis: YOU'RE AN ALCOHOLIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How do you get from a minus one to a plus one? You have to go through zero. Seems pretty easy right? Well, when you’re an alcoholic or an addict it’s anything but that. Randy Travis is falling from grace and he’s falling hard. And while he’s falling he’s hitting every branch on the way down. Maybe he should listen to the title track from the movie Crazy Heart. “Fallin and Flyin” describes the terrible example of alcoholic black out drunk behavior Randy Travis has been exhibiting. But don’t take my word for it, have a listen for yourself.


But seriously, is someone going to put Randy into protective custody or what? Where is the psych unit in this? How can it be that Randy even still has a license to drive a motor vehicle??? HELLO??? There are innocent people on our highways and Randy is on the lose, clearly being a danger to himself. Someone better yank his license, take away his car keys and get him into detox NOW. HE IS GOING TO DIE if he does not get the help he needs!

Hey Randy?  Not sure if you're an alcoholic?  Try answering the 20 official questions of Alcoholics Anonymous.  That might help.  Oh and if you answer YES to more than three of these questions, you are definitely an Alcoholic.


1. Do you lose time from work due to your drinking?
2. Is drinking making your home life unhappy?
3. Do you drink because you are shy with other people?
4. Is drinking affecting your reputation?  (I'm thinking yes on this one)
5. Have you ever felt remorse after drinking?
6. Have you gotten into financial difficulties as a result of your drinking?
7. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking?
8. Does your drinking make you careless of your family's welfare? (I'm thinking yes on this one)
9. Has your ambition decreased since drinking?
10. Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily?
11. Do you want a drink the next morning?
12. Does drinking cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
13. Has your efficiency decreased since drinking?
14. Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business?  (I'm thinking yes on this one)
15. Do you drink to escape from worries or troubles?
16. Do you drink alone?
17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of your drinking?  (I'm thinking yes on this one)
18. Has your physician ever treated you for drinking?
19. Do you drink to build up your self-confidence?
20. Have you ever been in a hospital or institution on account of drinking?

Proud to be Part of Prop. 35 Walk for Justice - San Diego

Me with amazing proponent of Prop. 35, Daphne Phung at the San Diego "Walk for Justice"

STOP THE SILENCING OF VICTIMS, YES ON 35

Real Justice is Near. YES ON 35

Rodney King Failed Recovery, and Recovery Failed Rodney King

Rodney King was not exactly a model citizen.  No one who abuses drugs over a prolonged period of time is.   But I always hoped Rodney King would try to change and get the help he needed to have a normal life.   He often said he had a very tough time figuring out who he was supposed to be to the world.  And after today’s Los Angeles County Coroner report, citing King’s death was ruled an accidental drowning due to an episode of drug and alcohol induced delirium; I wonder if King ever even understood the principles of recovery from addiction at all.  

When we truly recover from addiction, no matter who we are, we don’t feel like we are lost in the world.  That feeling is something we bring on ourselves.  When we recover and keep working on our recovery, we become as much a part of the world as anyone else who is striving to live a normal life.  There is no question that this takes years, but it is a possibility for those who are committed to recovery.  Therefore, if there were ever a more tragic example that recovery is failing those who are getting sober, it would be the example of Rodney King.  Why?  Because King was able to get to the best help available in treatment for addiction and it did not work.

I want to be absolutely clear about this, addiction to PCP is a very serious problem. Back in 1991, when the Rodney King beating became an issue of global outrage, people were skeptical whether or not Rodney King was on PCP at the time of his beating.  No one other than the L.A.P.D. really wanted to make an issue out of it but it did not track with the mainstream media.  As was alleged by Los Angeles police officers, King had a kind of superhuman strength, a sign of PCP intoxication, when officers tried to get him to comply with their orders.  And while the King beating was unforgivable; from a clinical point of view, the recovery establishment has a lot to answer for, because there is absolutely no excuse for King to have died the way he did.      

The treatment model used by anyone who tried to treat King’s addiction should be closely evaluated.  Successful recovery is not about taking the easy way out.  Successful recovery is principle centered and self-directed through a journey of continuous learning, so that the fundamentals of recovery can be established by a recovering addicts' own power.  

We Must Stop Bullying NOW

It is a fact that at least one in six kids experience bullying in school.  The sad reality is that the first place kids learn about bullying is where they learn most other things; in the home.   Most of the American population does not understand the full manifestation of bullying and how it can start with a simple teasing over something perceived to be minuscule.  Bullying however, always has a tragic backstory.

Only recently have we begun to understand the importance of school yard bullying.  Those identified as bullies by age eight are six times more likely than non-bullies to end up with serious criminal records by the time they reach the age of thirty.   Bullying must be taken seriously and viewed as assault with serious consequences if we are going to create a healthy self-esteem in our children.  Not only is bullying a precursor to greater and more dangerous violence, it also fosters intense misery among students.

Bullying represents a chronic pattern of abuse over time and is portrayed by students who have a false sense of superiority over others.  It is often gender based but can also be about height, weight, sexual development such as breasts in young girls and the family’s standing in the community.  Victims of bullying have been known to commit suicide or develop drug and alcohol dependency as a coping mechanism.  Poor parental discipline and monitoring at home creates an environment of hostility, causing child conduct problems.  These problems reach social circles at school and cause rejection by normal peers, resulting in academic failure and repeated out casting. 

Finally, victims of school yard bullying become delinquent due to peer rejection.  They find companionship in negative peer groups as a result, where they often experience further victimization that can have devastating effects on him or her.  To fully understand bullying, it is important to decipher the rituals involved, that is, the process of casting out those who are different by dehumanizing them, including the use of offensive names as well as provocative and extreme violence.

Bullying must stop and we must stop it NOW.

By Alexandra Datig

Leah's Story: YES on 35

Los Angeles City Council Endorses Prop. 35 with a Unanimous Vote

Press Release

For Immediate Release

August 17, 2012

Contact: Sarah Hersh, Yes on Prop 35 Campaign, 510-550-8170 (o)/ 510-759-2921 (c)

Contact: Eva Kandarpa Behrend, Councilwoman Perry, 213-473-2308 (o)/ (213) 359-3084 (c)

Los Angeles City Council Votes Unanimously to Support Proposition 35 – Stop Human Trafficking in California

Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously today to support Proposition 35 – Stop Human Trafficking in California. Slated for the November 2012 ballot, Proposition 35 is an initiative that will fight against human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and children in the state. Today’s action by the City Council carries special significance given that Los Angeles is one of three cities in the state recognized by the FBI as high intensity child sex trafficking areas.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry led the motion to support Proposition 35, saying: “By supporting Prop 35, Los Angeles is fighting back against human trafficking of vulnerable women and children that is happening in our community. Unfortunately, Los Angeles is a center for child sex trafficking, but we can fight back against these terrible crimes by passing Prop 35 and putting in place tougher penalties for human traffickers. We urge all voters in Los Angeles and throughout the state of California to join us in supporting Prop 35.”

Chris Kelly, Founder of the Safer California Foundation, said: “As the governing body of California’s largest city, today’s vote of support from the Los Angeles City Council is significant.

 Californians have the chance to take a stand against these crimes with Proposition 35, and Los Angeles is helping to lead the way in that fight. Together, we can fight back against human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children in our state.”

The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles. Founded in 1850, it consists of fifteen elected members and serves the needs of nearly four million Los Angeles

residents. At today’s City Council Meeting, Councilwoman Jan Perry authored the resolution to support Prop 35 and Councilmember Tom LaBonge seconded the motion.

About Proposition 35 – Stop Human Trafficking in California:

In California, many vulnerable women and young girls are held against their will and forced to sell their bodies. The victims are often girls as young as 12 who are sexually exploited for the financial gain of human traffickers. They are afraid for their lives and abused – sexually, physically, and mentally.

Human trafficking is said to be one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises in the world – and it is taking place right here in our own backyard. Three cities in California – San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego – are recognized by the FBI as high intensity child sex trafficking areas. In addition, a recent national study by a victims' rights group gave California an "F" grade for its weak laws dealing with child sex trafficking.

Proposition 35, a partnership of California Against Slavery and the Safer California Foundation, will protect children in California by:

 Increasing prison terms for human traffickers.

 Requiring convicted sex traffickers to register as sex offenders.

 Requiring all registered sex offenders to disclose their internet accounts.

 Requiring criminal fines from convicted human traffickers to pay for services to help victims.

Proposition 35 has also been endorsed by organizations representing over 90,000 rank and file California Peace Officers, advocates for the protection of children, including Marc Klaas and the KlaasKids Foundation, and victims who survived sexual exploitation when they were children. Prop 35 has strong bipartisan support and is endorsed by both major political parties in California.

For comprehensive information on Proposition 35, visit www.VoteYesOn35.com.

Los Angeles NBC4 Investigation Exposes "Medical" Marijuana Doctors as a Fraud

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.

Prettiness is a Choice, Not a Requirement

YES on 35

TMZ: The Word "Pimp" is Not Cool! It Hurts Sex Trafficking Victims!

I have a lot of news mediums on my morning reading list and TMZ is always one of them.   TMZ gets a lot of things right and they always have me coming back for more.  But as of late, I am rather disturbed by a couple of things TMZ did. 

A radio interview published by TMZ had Ryan Lochte being interviewed by with Ryan Seacrest, who asked him some very embarrassing questions.  But Lochte, like the true Olympian he is, answered them as if they were no big deal.  The question?  Did he urinate in the Olympic pool, to which Lochte answered “yes, all the time.”  The interview made news on several more news websites and surely raised a few eyebrows. 

This morning, while going over the news, I saw another story about Lochte and this time it was about razors.  What really bothers me is the headline, which reads “Ryan Lochte, Pimped Out & Razor Sharp.”  Pimped out?  Is that really a word we need to teach young people?  Now TMZ is going from the guy who peed in the pool to “pimped out”?  

Let’s get one thing straight.  A pimp is a despicable monster who lives off of young women, young men and children by selling their bodies for sex.  He or she then enriches himself or herself with money from sex slave labor.  Using the word “pimp” to make Lochte "look cool" at the expense of others is not only disgusting, but a complete misuse of language.  Words like "pimped out" are designed to wrongly desensitize people away from the horrific tragedies victims of human trafficking are coerced to endure.

We should always remember that human trafficking is a serious crime and to joke about it in a dismissive, ignorant way adds insult to injury to those who are victimized by pimps.

California is on it’s way to change the law for victims of human and sex trafficking.  The CASE Act, also referred to as Proposition 35 is going to bring monumental change for sex and human trafficking victims.  It will also help bring tools in the from of training to law enforcement, so officers may better  recognize the need for treatment of victims who have been trafficked.  Vote YES and Prop. 35 and STOP using words that hurt victims!!!

YES on California Proposition 35

Bill O'Reilly: Points out Marijuana's Hidden Agenda

When I am Old

The U.S. Should Ban Narcocorrido Music and Categorize it as Paraphenelia