Mike’s Midterm Tsunami Truth #12:
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On November 8th, the Republican Party will face a reckoning. This won’t happen through magical thinking, or hoping it into existence. It’ll happen because the nearly 200 million of us who make up the majority of this country did our part.
Yesterday, President Biden did his:
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With the stroke of his pen, Joseph R. Biden officially pardoned the thousands of Americans who were convicted on federal charges of simple marijuana possession since it became a crime in the 1970s. But he didn’t stop there…
He also encouraged all governors to follow his lead and do the same with people convicted on state charges for simple possession of marijuana.
He asked the Attorney General and Health and Human Services Secretary to review how marijuana is categorized legally — the first step to changing its categorization from a Schedule 1 drug. Currently, as a Schedule 1 drug, marijuana is legally viewed the same as heroin, and more serious than fentanyl.
And most importantly — especially coming from the same man who championed a series of crime bills throughout the ‘80s & ‘90s that laid the foundation for the mass incarceration of millions of Black and Brown Americans — he pointed out the racist impact of drug laws like simple possession and use of marijuana.
“No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana — it’s already legal in many states, and criminal records for marijuana possession have led to needless barriers to employment, to housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in a Twitter video. “And that’s before you address the racial disparities around who suffers the consequences. While white and Black and Brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and Brown people are arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionately higher rates.” He added, “ It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
It was the right and moral thing to do — and instantly changed the lives of over 6,500 Americans for the better. It also fulfilled a campaign promise, something rarely seen these days.
The linchpin to victory in any election is voter turnout. Our secret weapon is that the vast majority of Americans lean left on most major issues — in this case, according to Pew Research, 91% of Americans want marijuana legalized — so our only job is to get them to vote. It’s much, much harder if we have to convince them that pot should be legal. But we don’t! We simply have to get them to a voting booth or a drop box within a mile or so from where they live!
When talking to nonvoters, it’s easy to list the reasons to vote against the Republicans. But yesterday Biden showed Americans why they should vote for the Democrats.
Through his actions, nonvoters saw the will of the majority respected and reflected by the President — tangible proof that their votes do matter. This will especially resonate with youth voters. We’ve already seen it.
When marijuana was on the ballot in Michigan’s 2018 midterms, youth voter turnout (age 18-29) doubled — from 15.3% in 2014, to 32.7% in 2018.
This unexpected, sweet-smelling backwind from Biden is exactly what we need to swell this Blue Tsunami!
[ You know what? Excuse me. I think I need to call the White House again, 202-456-1414 ]:
Mr. President? Hey, it’s Mike again. I’m so happy you got my message last week — I was harsh, I know, but there’s too much on the line here. Thank you for the important step you took this week to righting a terrible injustice inflicted upon so many of my fellow Americans. We have a long way to go — a lot of those in prison who were only possessing it also were falsely charged with selling. So you need to address that, but taking this first step is critical. So thank you for that…
Oh, and since I’ve got your ear — DON’T STOP! There’s still so much you can do between now and November 8th to better the lives of Americans! How about paid family leave for federal workers? Universal Pre-K? Raise the minimum wage! We have, what, two-million unfilled jobs right now in this country?! We need immigrants! For jobs that pay a living wage! Fix this! So many more steps you can take to fulfill your promises!
Keep going Joe! I can’t wait to see what’s next! Free Leonard Peltier!
[ End call ]
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