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Old News Not So Old: Rush, Chong & Plame

A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY
by Beth Hunter

On September 11, 2003 (someone trying to making some kind of statement here?), Tommy Chong, of the legendary duo Cheech & Chong, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab for selling some 7,500 bongs and pipes through his company, Chong Glass. The Judge gave him nine months in a federal lockup and fined him $20,000. Also, as part of the sentence, Chong forfeited his Internet domain name, Chongglass.com, along with $103,514 in cash and all of the drug paraphernalia seized by federal agents during a raid of his home and business on February 24th. The case against him was part of "Operation Pipe Dreams," a national investigation of drug paraphernalia distributors instigated by none other than the fascist Ashcroft (Fasc-croft). The twisted sister to this operation is the related "Operation Head Hunter." Sounds like something out of Yale's Skull & Bones Society. This is the first federal prosecution in a decade for drug paraphernalia sales. You will recall our compelling leader saying that one way Americans can help in the war on terrorism is to stop buying drugs. (Oh, yeah, don't forget to shop and buy duct tape.)

As usual, Ashcroft is out of step and marching backwards. With Osama Bin Laden still on the loose and President Bush admitting that the war on terrorism is far from over, it is preposterous that we would waste valuable law enforcement resources locking up a comedian for selling glass pipes. The federal raids on paraphernalia distributors has been an utter waste of time and money, while ruining the lives and careers of otherwise law-abiding citizens. These businesses pay taxes and do not in any way contribute to the crime problem in America. To target them at this time shows a total disconnection of the brain synapses, a lack of understanding as to which risks truly threaten the health, welfare and safety of America's citizens.

But we haven't even gotten to the fun part yet. Let's see. Rush has illegally obtained and ingested how many heroin-related pills? 365 days x 100 pills/day x 5 years = 182,500 pills (and this is likely a low-ball number). Tommy Chong sold 7,500 pieces of art in the form of bongs and pipes made by 25 artisan glass-blowers employed by Chong Glass. Hmm . . . 182,500 separate illegally-obtained and -consumed heroin-related pills vs. 7,500 pieces of pretty art glass. I'll let you draw your own conclusions. I trust you, because you are smart enough to get your news from BuzzFlash.com.

Cherry on the sundae: A friend of Chong's relates that Tommy told him the following: That if he didn't plead guilty, the Feds would go after his son, Paris, and his wife. Gee. Do you sense any parallels at all with this story and the covert CIA operative leak involving Valerie Plame and her husband, ex-Ambassador Wilson? [Read totalitarian strong-arm tactics.]

Time to reach for the barf-bags.

Beth Hunter

A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY