Marc Emery: U.S. federal prison blog #18

(Marc Emery's U.S. federal prison blog #18 originally ran here on the Cannabis Culture website on October 11, 2010.)

Dearest Sweet Wife Jodie:

I was going to write a historically accurate but bitter screed about the genocidal tendencies of our American and Canadian rulers, regarding the meaning of Columbus Day (Monday in the US) and Thanksgiving Day (Monday in Canada), and you've already got half of it in a letter I wrote you in that theme... but it's just not how I'm feeling anymore. I'm optimistic and in a much better mood now!

Today marks my 210th day – 7 months now – in prison on this sentence, and I'm feeling very sharp mentally. I'm reading good books, educating myself, and I'm completing the New York Times crosswords and the other newspaper crosswords in short order. I feel I've never been so mentally adept, and I do have much to be thankful for, so I'm in a great mood. The food here has even improved in the last 10 days; there has been more variety and the quality of preparation has noticeably gotten better. All the inmates think so, not just me. I thought the idea of things improving in a prison was an impossibility, but it's actually happened. They say the food services supervisor has been in making changes, and they are noticed! I'm going to put in a thank you to food services, although I wonder if that's the opposite of what I should do. Sometimes I think telling them anything that makes life better for an inmate will provoke them to reverse any decision that brought that about!

I'm so excited you and Jeremiah are going to Oakland in California to witness History in the Making, the Proposition 19 vote of Tuesday, November 2! After you visit me on Saturday, October 30, you'll be heading to Oakland that afternoon to volunteer for three days on the campaign on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (election day), and Tuesday night at the vote counting celebration – or wake, depending on how it goes. I hope people in our movement did not buy into the propaganda put out by the treasonous miscreants I call Traitors Against Proposition 19. The self-serving prohibition profiteers who have been telling people to vote "No" are disgraceful for trying to defeat what will be the greatest single opportunity for progress in our movement ever. I hope there are more people out there saying "Vote YES on Proposition 19" so we can see victory – California becoming the first state to legalize cannabis anywhere on earth!

Cannabis Culture editor Jeremiah will be there to report in to www.CannabisCulture.com several times daily to give people the story of history being made in real time. How I envy you, but how pleased I am you are going, and that the incredible Richard Lee is welcoming you to join them at their headquarters. You'll have to work long days, Mrs. Emery, 12 hours either on phones, or giving out literature, or whatever they need done. Please encourage everyone on Facebook and CC – especially young people – to register to vote by getting the form at any postal office before Friday, October 15; that's the deadline for Californians to register for this vote. All our cannabis culture will want to be able to say they showed up for the historic moment marijuana was first legalized in North America. You know how I always say that political influence is often about "just showing up"? It has never been more true than this vote on Tuesday, November 2. People can register to vote online by going to www.YesOn19.com – the link is on the lower right-hand side!

I hope you can get east coast supporters to go to Washington, DC on Saturday, October 30 on the Mall when Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will be hosting "dueling" events that will attract about 250,000+ people. My supporters should wear FREE MARC t-shirts and hand out FREE MARC literature, available at www.FreeMarc.ca – and it would be terrific if we could get FREE MARC water bottles made to be distributed for free, as it will be a long day and people will get thirsty, so it will be good to have those bottles of water for people to stare at all day long. We'd need to have those labels made quickly, and we'd need some manpower in the DC area to put them on the bottles and give them out at the event all day. It's a promotional opportunity that shouldn't be passed up, as the people attending are the activist demographic we need to reach, so I hope they contact you at Jodie@cannabisculture.com if they want to take part, and you can send them to someone in charge of organizing.

I started writing letters to my supporters again after a break. In the last 4 days I have written about 15 letters. I took some time off, but so many good friends who've been so supportive and kind have sent me letters, and are deserving of a response, so I had to buckle down and get to it. Each one has an illustrated envelope with their letter too, done by inmates here in SeaTac prison, so every piece of mail from me is unique on both the outside and inside of the envelope.

I have so much to be thankful for, as today is the Canadian Thanksgiving. First and foremost, I have our sacred, unbreakable love which is better than any other state of existence, in prison or out. You are simply the greatest companion, wife, and protege imaginable. You bring me joy in every way – and you are going places, Mrs. Emery! You work so hard, your heart is with the people, and you inspire everyone with your savvy, love and commitment to me, our cause and our people. Virtually every letter I receive from correspondents reminds me how amazing everyone thinks you are.

I have such dedicated, loyal and earnest supporters all over this wonderful planet! How can I not be grateful to be loved and respected by the hundreds of thousands throughout the world who write letters and hold signs on my behalf, wear my FREE MARC t-shirt, speak to friends about me, contact the media, and keep the liberation of our cannabis culture foremost in their actions. I have wonderful friends like Dana Larsen, who sends me books and helps us out so much; and great folks like the band ZZ Top, who gave us an autographed guitar to sell to raise money so you can visit me at Taft when I get transferred there; and our dear supporter Tommy Chong, who wears a FREE MARC t-shirt for every TV appearance he makes; and all the media scribes who write and report glowingly about you and I.

So, I feel the love and support from so many people, Miss, and that's why I have no reason to be miserable and many reasons to be grateful. It's a wonderful world when I can feel like a 'somebody' because of people who value the work I have done for our people over the last thirty years!

I hope I get a good response on the "Marc Emery Legal Fundraiser MoneyBomb" this Saturday, October 16th to raise funds for me to get home to you. Please remind all my supporters on Facebook, and at www.FreeMarc.ca and www.CannabisCulture.com that it's a 24-hour hour fundraiser to pay the US lawyer who is a specialist in prisoner transfers, as the fee she requires is $8,500. Once I am at Taft Correctional in the California desert, 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles, the paperwork should be done immediately – but the lawyer will need to paid by then. I can be packed out of here at any time, though it may take two to three weeks of travel and detention centers before I actually get to Taft. I know there is a MoneyBomb page at FreeMarc.ca and I know it will be updated regularly throughout the day on Saturday October 16th so people can see how the donations are coming in. Let's hope people have $5 or $10 or $25 they can donate via Paypal or credit card, as it will all really help. I hope people will contribute to me in my time of need knowing about the millions of dollars I generated and gave to the movement when I sold seeds.

My enthusiastic supporter Taralee Gerhard in Ottawa has a rally in support of me on Parliament Hill this Saturday, October 16th too! Be sure to promote her Facebook page about the rally and help her in any way you can. Let's hope Taralee can gather 50 or so people to hold signs, do some FREE MARC chants, and hand out literature from 2pm to 5pm at the steps in front of the Parliament. I really want to encourage these kinds of independent actions from my supporters because they are so helpful in increasing awareness of my situation, especially my needs in regards to writing the Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and the US Department of Justice asking for my repatriation to the Canadian correctional system.

I love my fabulous wife, and am so thankful for you on our Thanksgiving! Can't wait to see you next Saturday!

Onward to Victory and our future World Liberation Tour, oh wonderful wife!

Your grateful husband,
Marc