After attending Tuesday night’s Borough Assembly meeting and reading Wednesday’s Peninsula Clarion’s letter to the editor I feel I must respond. Stan Welles does not owe anyone an apology! He posted a letter to the editor voicing his opinion on the marijuana issue. He has a right to his opinion just like the rest of us. You do not have to agree with him but you must respect his right to express it. There was a lot of expression last night about personal freedom. That freedom includes the right to free speech. If an apology is due, it is to Stan from the people who openly attacked him in an open meeting. In reference to ISIS, he did not mean that we are ISIS. I read it to mean that ISIS is targeting children, what better to conquer a people than to target their children. Marijuana dealers are doing the same, targeting our children. He has done nothing wrong. I support Stan and his opinion and his right to give it. I voted for him and would do it again. The people sitting on the Assembly are due our respect even if we disagree with their actions. We elected these people, now step back and let them do their job.
About the Local Option Zoning and the marijuana issue, here is my opinion: It is a medically proven fact that continued use of marijuana especially in young people is harmful to the brain. I saw the effects of that last night! The stench of marijuana was present in the assembly room hence no respect for non smoking people and some who suffer from lung disease. Clean air is our right!
About the LOZ issue. I live in a nice quiet subdivision with good neighbors who look out for each other and respect each other’s privacy. There is no room for marijuana in our subdivision, i.e. cultivation or sales. Both of these operations would cause increases in traffic, crime, and an influx of people that would upset our peace and security. An LOZ in our subdivision has nothing to do with junk cars, trash, trailers or personal use of marijuana. It is for our protection and security. We don’t care what you do with your property. We care about what happens to ours.
In closing I have to make a personal statement about marijuana use. I have watched numerous family members ruin their lives, loss of homes and families and some of them die because of drug and marijuana use. I have raised 11 children and buried three of them. I have lost one to suicide because of alcohol, drugs, and marijuana. That is one too many. I have vowed to fight marijuana use in my family, community, and schools till the day I cannot fight any longer.
