>Sender: >To: >X-Original-Message-ID: <000901bf30d0$6228e000$9acf69cf@pacbell.net> >From: "Peter McWilliams" >Subject: Yet another drug warrior hypocrite >Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 23:50:14 -0800 >X-Mozilla-Status: 8001 >X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 > > >Oh, this is rich. > >As a preface, among Senator Grams' many drug warrior acts was sponsoring on >March 25, 1999 an amendment to the "SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING FUNDING >FOR COUNTER-NARCOTICS INITIATIVES" that read, in part, "funding for Federal >drug control activities should be at a level higher than that proposed in >the President's budget request for fiscal year 2000." > >And here's Grams' explanation during the impeachment trial on why he voted >to convict Clinton, February 12, 1999: > >"The polls say this President is too popular to remove. If we base our >decision on his popularity rather than the rule of law, we would be >condoning a society where a majority could impose injustice on a minority >group, only because it has a larger voice. A rule of law is followed so that >justice is done and our Constitution is respected, regardless of popularity >polls. > >"The foundation of our legal system, I believe, is at risk, if the Senate >ignores these charges. The constitutional language of impeachment for judges >is the same as for the President. Judges are removed from the bench for >committing perjury, and also face criminal charges, as do ordinary citizens. >We must not accept double standards. > >"The prospect of such a double standard was raised countless times by the >House managers. Consider the irony created by a two-tiered standard for >perjury. A President commits perjury, yet remains in office. But would a >cabinet member who committed perjury be allowed to keep his or her job? >Would a military officer who committed perjury be allowed to continue to >serve? Would a judge who committed perjury remain on the bench? They would >not, and yet our President, the nation's chief law enforcement officer, is >allowed to keep his office after having committed the same offense." > >"Again, in my view, this is a double standard and is completely unacceptable >for a nation that prides itself on a legal system which provides equal >justice under the law. > >"I will cast my vote with sorrow for the President, his family, and for the >toll this trial has taken on the nation, but with certainty that it is the >only choice my conscience and the Constitution permits me to make." > > > > > >Pubdate: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 >Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN) >Section: Police Reports >Copyright: 1999 Star Tribune >Feedback: http://www.startribune.com/stonline/html/userguide/letform.html >Website: http://www.startribune.com/ >Forum: http://talk.startribune.com/cgi-bin/WebX.cgi > >SEN. ROD GRAMS' SON WASN'T CHARGED AFTER DRUGS FOUND IN CAR > >MINNEAPOLIS - Anoka County authorities deny they showed any favoritism by >not charging or even interrogating a U.S. senator's son who allegedly was >driving with 10 bags of marijuana in his car, the Star Tribune reported. > >Morgan Grams, the 21-year-old son of Sen. Rod Grams, R-Minn., was stopped >in July by Anoka County sheriff' s deputies, the newspaper said in a in a >copyright story Sunday, >citing police reports on file. > >The senator's son was driving without a license and was on probation, but >was driven home in the front seat of Chief Deputy Peter Beberg's car, the >paper said. > >Deputies had been searching for Morgan Grams at the personal request of >the senator, who was worried after learning his son had borrowed a rental car >but failed to return it, the paper said. > >The senator declined to speak to the Star Tribune, and a spokesman said the >senator would not comment on his personal life. But he issued a statement >Sunday night that denied he sought preferential treatment for his son. > >"When I learned he might be in trouble, I asked the authorities to find >him - -- and that's all I asked for," Grams said. > >"Obviously neither Morgan nor I are proud of these events," he also said in >the statement." My son has struggled with addiction and behavioral problems >for years and has received treatment for these problems. ... It is my >primary duty as his father to set aside my disappointment and see to it that >he gets treatment and continues to get help for his problems." > >A call to Grams' Anoka office this morning was referred to his Washington >office, where it was not immediately returned. > >The newspaper said it was unable to reach Morgan Grams for comment. > >Robert Parta, the chief deputy county attorney, told the newspaper he would >review the matter with Anoka County Attorney Robert Johnson. He said that >if it appears Grams got preferential treatment, the matter likely would be >referred to an outside agency for investigation. > >State Attorney General Mike Hatch said that should such an investigation be >undertaken and preferential treatment be discovered, it would be possible >that Morgan Grams could still be questioned and charged. Hatch said he >found the incident " clearly troubling" but said he lacked jurisdiction over >local sheriffs offices. > >State Public Safety Commissioner Charlie Weaver said that he, too, was >disturbed by the incident but that he also lacked jurisdiction. > >" No one should receive special treatment, " said Weaver, who represented >Anoka as a state representative before his appointment as commissioner. > >According to the report, Beberg found MorganGrams driving a sport utility >vehicle the evening of July 14. > >Another deputy who arrived 10 minutes later, Todd Diegnau, found nine >quarter-ounce bags of marijuana on a 17-year-old passenger after he saw the >youth stash something in his pants. Diegnau, who declined to be >interviewed, also found a 10th bag under Grams' seat. The 17-year-old >pleaded guilty to drug possession and spent more than a month in a juvenile >detention center. > >But Grams was never questioned about the drugs in the car, the Star Tribune >reported, even though he was on probation for underage drinking and driving. >A judge had ordered that Grams not possess alcohol or mood-altering drugs, >and a probation violation could have triggered a three-month jail sentence. > >Beer cans were also found in the car. Beberg said the cans were full and >unopened, including one at Grams' feet. A worker with the rental car agency >told the Star Tribune that when he retrieved the Isuzu Rodeo, there were >"five or six" empties under the seats. > >Beberg, who also is mayor of the city of Anoka, a suburb of Minneapolis, >defended his actions. > >" If there would have been a charge I could have made at that time, I don't >care if it was Morgan or Rod Grams himself, I would have made that arrest, " >Beberg told the newspaper. " Just because it' s Rod Grams' kid doesn't >mean that I would back away from it. But there was nothing I could arrest >him for." > >Beberg said he didn' t learn about the discovery of the bag under Grams' >seat until he recently read Diegnau' s report. > >Anoka County Sheriff Larry Podany backed his chief deputy, saying the >priority was checking on Grams' welfare. " I don' t know that I would have >done anything different out there, " Podany said. > >Peter Erlinder, a professor at the William Mitchell College of Law in St. >Paul, was among three experts contacted by the newspaper who questioned the >handling of the case. > >" It has all the appearances of a case of clear-cut preferential treatment, >" he said. " It would be easy to find thousands of African-Americans, >Hispanics and working class white males who are in prison for exactly the >circumstances that occurred in this case." > >The incident wasn' t Morgan Grams' first brush with the law, nor was it his >last. > >Less than two weeks after he was driven home by Beberg, Morgan Grams stole a >car and purse from a woman he took to a nightclub in Coon Rapids, according >to a criminal complaint filed last week. > >He was convicted in 1996 of gross misdemeanors for stealing his aunt' s $400 >television and later that year for stalking and making harassing phone calls >to one of his sister' s girlfriends. > >MorganGrams also was accused in 1996 of charging $1, 600 in phone sex calls >on the credit card of a woman who hired him as a full-time baby sitter. >Because Grams was 17 at the time of the alleged calls, that complaint was a >juvenile matter and further details were not available. > >END OF NEWS STORY > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Epilogue from Peter: > >Did Senator Grams learn any compassion for marijuana users as a result of >having sired one? Nah. On September 16, 1999, two months after his son's >non-arrest, Senator Grams voted for Senate bill 279 that overrode 69 percent >of the voters of Washington D.C. and banned medical marijuana for AIDS and >cancer patients. > >------------ > >And finally, my letter to the Minneapolis Star Tribune: > >RE: SEN. ROD GRAMS' SON WASN'T CHARGED AFTER DRUGS FOUND IN CAR > >Did Senator Grams learn any compassion for marijuana users after his son was >not arrested for possessing marijuana? Not a gram. On September 16, 1999, >two months after his son's non-arrest, Senator Grams voted for Senate bill >279, nullifying 69 percent of the voters of Washington D.C. by banning >medical marijuana for AIDS and cancer patients. > >What does Senator Grams think about the double standard he so willingly >allowed to be applied to his son? When he voted during the impeachment trial >to remove President Clinton on February 12, 1999, he said: > >"We must not accept double standards....A rule of law is followed so that >justice is done and our Constitution is respected....The foundation of our >legal system, I believe, is at risk....this is a double standard and is >completely unacceptable for a nation that prides itself on a legal system >which provides equal justice under the law. > >"I will cast my vote with sorrow for the President, his family, and for the >toll this trial has taken on the nation, but with certainty that it is the >only choice my conscience and the Constitution permits me to make. > >"I will not hesitate telling constituents in my state how and why I voted >the way I did. With a clear conscience, I will stand in their judgment and I >will live with and respect whatever their decision on my political future >may be." > >What will his political future be? I suggest the people of Minnesota judge >Senator Grams' use of the double standard by his very own standard. > >Peter McWilliams > > > > > > > >================================================================ > >This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to > the mailing list . >To unsubscribe, E-mail to: