Struggle continues for a free Tibet
By Shira KantorMinnesota Daily (U. Minnesota)
(U-WIRE) MINNEAPOLIS - Amid a sea of colorful flags and signs dotting Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis, about 200 heads were bowed in silence on Sunday, to commemorate the more than one million lives lost in the Tibetan struggle against Chinese occupation.
The gathering marked the 43rd anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day, an event recognized globally with marches and demonstrations to educate the public on the treatment of Tibetan nationalists.
Tsewang Ngodup of the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota read a statement from Tibet's leader, the Dalai Lama, who — from his home in Dharamsala, India — has led a nonviolent fight for the political, cultural and religious freedom of his people.
"Internationally, the majority of the governments are in agreement that there is an urgent need for joint efforts to combat terrorism," Ngodup read in Tibetan.
"Unfortunately, the present measures lack a long-term and comprehensive approach to deal with the root causes of terrorism. What is required is a well thought-out, long-term strategy to promote globally a political culture of nonviolence and dialogue."
The U.S. State Department released its 2001 human rights report on March 4, documenting the continued abuses that Tibetans undergo at the hands of the Chinese government.
According to the report, the abuses include "instances of torture, arbitrary arrest, detention without public trial and lengthy detention of Tibetan nationalists for peacefully expressing their political or religious views."
In his address to the group, Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., decried the unending Tibetan torture and repression, promising U.S. aid.
"It is intolerable that the Chinese leadership is using this child as a pawn in their efforts to tighten their grip over Tibet," Wellstone said.
"I plan to introduce a resolution in the United States Senate for the release of the Panchen Lama," he said, "and I intend to pass that resolution."
Support grows for marijuana
By Molly BorgstromThe Daily Cardinal (U. Wisconsin)
(U-WIRE) MADISON, Wis. - Seriously or terminally ill patients who wish to alleviate their suffering with medical marijuana have the support of 80.3 percent of Wisconsin residents, according to a survey released Tuesday.
The Wisconsin Trends 35 survey asked respondents if they favored the Wisconsin state Legislature passing a law to allow "seriously ill or terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes, if supported by their physician."
According to the survey, the Madison area contained the highest percentage of supporters, with 91.7 percent. The lowest percentage of supporters, 70.7 percent, came from the northwestern region of Wisconsin.
The study was conducted by the Chamberlain Research Consultants and sponsored in part by the group "Is My Medicine Legal YET?"
IMMLY Director of Communications Gary Storck said his organization was pleasantly surprised when they found out about the results of the survey.
"Most polls that have been done in the past were 65-75 percent (in support). We were expecting something in that range. To find out it's over 80 percent, we were just elated," he said.
However, some people doubt the validity of the study due to the fact that it was sponsored by multiple pro-legalization groups and because it only contained a single question related to legalizing marijuana.
"Supporters have immediately seized it to say 'look, it shows overwhelming support,'" said University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin. "It (actually) shows overwhelming support for this question."
According to Franklin the question's wording could have manipulated the respondents' emotions and affected their answers.
"We [get] the image of people who are basically lying in a hospital bed dying. What does it matter if you let them take some marijuana to alleviate their suffering?" he said.
President Bush ready to win the other war
By Andrew DelgrecoThe Daily Aztec (San Diego State U.)
(U-WIRE) SAN DIEGO - Armed with an arsenal of more than $19 billion, President George W. Bush has unveiled a three-phase plan to achieve the unaccomplished — winning the War on Drugs.
The United States has 2.8 million drug dependents and 1.5 million abusers, according to the Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Bush's new strategy aims to reduce drug use by 10 percent in two years and 25 percent in five years.
The first phase is to inhibit drug use before it begins.
The Bush administration has allocated $644 million to safe and drug-free school programs. It will pair the Office of National Drug Control Policy with the Department of Education to ensure liability and to notify schools of areas they should monitor.
The National Youth Anti-drug Media Campaign will get $180 million to put toward national and local ads.
The second phase of the Bush plan is to treat America's drug abusers.
Bush will put $1.6 billion into the drug treatment system over the next five years. Funds will go to programs like 18-month inpatient facilities, outpatient hospitals, 12-step programs and faith-based programs.
The final phase is to ruin the economics of the drug trade.
The ONDCP Web site reported that Bush will put $76.3 million toward more border enforcement and will enlist another 570 agents to designated borders.
He will give $731 million to the Andean counter-drug initiative, which funds Columbia and its neighbors for border control and crop destruction.
The question is, will Bush's plan follow in the footsteps of previous strategies and fail?
"I don't think we can reduce drug use by imprisonment and increased border enforcement," criminal justice professor Joel Henderson said. "Even the education programs are questionable."
He said the decline in cigarette smoking over the past 30 years has come not from policy, but from people's physicians telling them they're going to die otherwise.
"We need to change the hands that drugs are in," he said. "People who want drugs are going to find a way to get them."
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