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Puppies and Bunnies, F.Z.
I began this project last October as a photographer, intending only to record, amplify, and transmit message for my fellow Americans. I had a full load managing the photo gear, and overcoming subjects' justifiable media phobias. Eight months and several thousand of my own dollars later, I feel the need for verbosity.I am a biased reporter. There is a myth that a reporter should be neutral, that this is how we maintain balanced and honest representation. This myth is propagated by news oultets in their attempt to reassure their audience that they provide "all the news that's fit to print", a front row seat at the fight. New York is not (yet) a 1-Newspaper town, but your town probably is. Editors and owners spend huge effort disguising their bias under a side show of (frequently, fake) conflict. Important decisions result from this influence. Every media outlet has its own angle and audience. Freedom of press operates as much on the ligitimacy as diversity, and the must be determined amid an open marketplace of ideas, perspectives. My audience is as entitled to access the State House open sessions as any audience. The argument that the audience can go elsewhere for the same information is moot, because, far as I could see, I was the only reporter there. Funny thing, huh?
The Wall Street Journal will have different things to say about FTAA than Peacework magazine.1-The Committee
This set was shot at a relaxed period, and has no particular "visual loading" meaning when a newspaper decides they don't like the vote cast by Senator Smith, so they assign their photographer to get an "ugly mug" shot which they will run as if it's just a neutral fact that Senator Smith's a scary and ugly person. It's easy to force a subject to wince, frown, etc. More on that later. Note: not all members are pictured
State Senator Creedon and Representative Donnelly
Representatives Fallon and Linsky
Representative Golden
The folks pictured below, most of whom bore emblems reading "stop H3375" (associated website bearing this logo: ( Stop H3375.org )Representative Atsalis
2-Legislating Love and 'morality'
National organizational website) came to oppose H3375. If enacted, this law would officially definine and limit marriage in Massachusetts as "between one man and one woman, who consent to take each other exclusively as husband and wife..." The Massachusetts Citizens Alliance supports the bill Their website has propaganda (that's not a dirty word!) and corporate media news links.
I'm no scripture hot-shot, but I know enough King James to contend that the prophet Jesus would tell these people to get their own houses in order, leave their neighbors be and to provide an example of 'correct living' through their acts, not through fear, violence, force and legislation, which in the end, is enforced at gunpoint. I suspect the same direction exists in the Koran, but I don't know because my corporate owned hotel room drawer doesn't have a copy. Wanna send me one?
Testimony focused on dignity... Speaking in opposition to H3775
benefits, and legal equity for monogender couples, while the opposition just freaked out about the fact that people are different. Having been screwed over myself in a non-marriage relationship, I believe that any adults who wish to enter into a partnership must be able to do so, particularly in a society that makes special policies for married couples, such as immunity from testififying against a spouse, tax categories, etc. Insurance and benefits are another example of benefits denied to these people based basicall on strangers' assessments of the shapes of their bodies.
I was particularly saddened to see people (not pictured) supporting this bill who have availed themselves of American open mindedness, tolerance and appreciation of diversity. opponents to the bill, particularly clergy, clearly outnumbered the bill's supporters.
3-Medical Marijuana
John Holmes (former Director of the 'CLUM' Drug Policy Task Force)
Mr Holmes has always been a sharp advocate for sensible social policy. Interviews with Mr Holms focused on personal rights, their concomittant responsibilities, and the unconstitutionality of the war on the American People government calls the War on Drugs forfeiture seizures, in addition to Medical use.
Mr. Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project
who recently appeared on the Today Show.
has worked for years to remove the insane and legal burden from Medical Doctors who feel ethically obligated to prescribe cannabis for a variety of needs. Masscann Activist-Attorney Steven Epstein
One of the planners of the famous Freedom Rally, which draws tens of thousands to Boston Common annually to support reform of marijuana policy. From paper, to fiber, to fuel, food, medicine and more, cannabis is a gift of nature of which the corporate industrialists are terrified. originally illegalized by the corrupt efforts of Dupont, who's new product, Nylon could not compete against hemp fiber, and by Wm. R. "Citizen Kane" Hearst, who used his newspapers to propagate lies about marijuana causing violence. (yeah, right!) Hearst did this in order to kill the hemp industry because it was in competition with his own paper forests.John Leonard
To this day, the enemies of cannabis are anti-agricultural industrialists bent on forcing a synthetic, non renewable petrochemical lifestyle on all America through corrupt control of the marketplace. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, for example, is funded by the liquor industry in order to protect themselves from the correct perception that alcohol, unlike cannabis, is involved in a huge proportion of domestic abuse, and violent crime cases. Most marijuana related crime is merely a result of the prohibition itself.Brian Fitzgerald waiting to testify
Behind Brian is Tom Duggan, of Massachusetts Citizens Alliance A group supporting H3375. He seems like an interesting fellow, check out their website.
I interviewed Ken earlier, Ken has Multiple Sclerosis, a nerve disease that causes tremors, which he calms with grass. His doctor is legally forbidden to recommend it, and he has no protection if some jerk busts him. Under current law, not even a medical necessity plea is an allowable defense. Several Parkinson's patients have personally told me in interviews that nothing else works for them.Ken Trainer yawns after waiting to speak for hours
More information on the issue:
Masscann -Mass Cannabis Reform Coal. About -The Bill NORML -Ntl. org. Reform MJ Laws MPP -The Marijuana Policy Project
The pictures end here, before the testimony I waited all day to document. The official pictured below had me removed for taking the same shot, from the same location as another man a minute earlier, and the same place he said was okay hours earlier, and so forth.4-Story Incomplete...
This officer was apparently having a bad day, as he could/would not help me to comply with the rules by simply clearly delineating where I could shoot, which, as I said, changed from time to time anyway. He preferred to fuss and scold than to resolve. When I handed him my card, he crumpled and dropped it on the floor. Grouchy Wouchy. (Isn't that littering?) I hasten to add that other police I met at the State House were helpful, even though I was a bit crabby by then myself.
"A meeting of a governmental body may be recorded by any person in attendance by means of a tape recorder or any other means of sonic reproduction or by means of videotape equipment fixed in one or more designated locations determined by the governmental body except when a meeting is held in executive session; provided, that in such recording there is no active interference with the conduct of the meeting."
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