"Too many young men and women are sitting on the porch smoking marijuana," Kenyatta says. "They've lost interest in employment and lost interest in education. We don't want to see that low motivation in the city."

Kenyatta speaks from experience. He has seen the tragedy of lives ruined by drugs. However, the War on Drugs itself has been costly, destructive and a failure. Probably as much tragedy is caused by the War on Drugs as by drugs. The war certainly causes more tragedy than is caused by marijuana. That is becoming clear to people in general and, in the face of government indifference or hostility, it's leading to citizen initiatives such as Proposal M — that is how the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act came to be, and how folks in Colorado, Oregon and Washington state have come to votes on legalization. 

People such as Kenyatta are motivated by what they believe to be the right thing to do. However the evidence is changing minds and laws across the country. The Partnership may not be standing alone, but there are fewer and fewer folks on their side of the issue as each day passes.

Larry Gabriel is a writer, musician and former editor of Metro Times. Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com

> Email Larry Gabriel