Accusations of Racism, Threatening Calls in Medical Marijuana Debate
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: November 1, 2012
The fight over medical marijuana in Arkansas is getting more contentious as Election Day approaches.
The Arkansas Family Council confirms it is increasing security at its headquarters after reporting threatening calls and emails from people who are angry the group opposes to the medical marijuana push.
In a statement released Thursday, Family Council director Jerry Cox said, "One caller told the lady who answers our telephone, 'I hope you die.' The people threatening my staff are vile, mean, and vulgar. They don't sound like sick people looking for medicine."
On the other side, prominent medical marijuana advocate Montel Williams says an anti-medical marijuana ad released by the Arkansas Family Council is racist.
A spokesperson for Williams released this statement:
"This morning we became aware of the TV ad the Arkansas Family Council has put on YouTube and apparently made a very small ad buy for in opposition to Issue 5 that features several actors. The one African American actor was depicted as a criminal drug dealer behind a table with guns. This imagery has no place in the debate on medical cannabis and is clearly racist, and other claims made are as offensive. We call on them to pull it, rather than attempt to justify it - if they won't stations should refuse to air it. This debate is about the relief of suffering, we shouldn't forget that."
Williams and supporters say the initiative is about compassion for chronically sick people in pain.
Continuing Coverage:
The Arkansas Family Council confirms it is increasing security at its headquarters after reporting threatening calls and emails from people who are angry the group opposes to the medical marijuana push.
In a statement released Thursday, Family Council director Jerry Cox said, "One caller told the lady who answers our telephone, 'I hope you die.' The people threatening my staff are vile, mean, and vulgar. They don't sound like sick people looking for medicine."
On the other side, prominent medical marijuana advocate Montel Williams says an anti-medical marijuana ad released by the Arkansas Family Council is racist.
A spokesperson for Williams released this statement:
"This morning we became aware of the TV ad the Arkansas Family Council has put on YouTube and apparently made a very small ad buy for in opposition to Issue 5 that features several actors. The one African American actor was depicted as a criminal drug dealer behind a table with guns. This imagery has no place in the debate on medical cannabis and is clearly racist, and other claims made are as offensive. We call on them to pull it, rather than attempt to justify it - if they won't stations should refuse to air it. This debate is about the relief of suffering, we shouldn't forget that."
Williams and supporters say the initiative is about compassion for chronically sick people in pain.
Continuing Coverage:
