Marijuana vote draws fire

[flashl]

MANCHESTER – Mayor Frank Guinta has asked state Rep. David Scannell to resign as spokesman for the Manchester school district after Scannell voted Tuesday to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Scannell insisted he will not resign, saying his vote is a form of political speech protected by the U.S. Constitution. He also raised the possibility he would take legal action against the mayor or anyone who tries to strip away his job.

In a letter signed yesterday, Guinta said Scannell's vote on the bill, which passed the House but is unlikely to become law, "permanently and irrevocably harms" Scannell's ability to serve Manchester's schools. The mayor argued Scannell's resignation is necessary to "help restore the integrity" of district anti-drug policies.

"He's the face of the district," Guinta said yesterday. "He interacts with kids on a daily basis, and he is taking a position to decriminalize marijuana. That is counter to logic, in my view."

Union Leader

[IowaGirl]

1. What would the justice system do without all those "criminals?" They might have to keep all the

seriously dangerous criminals locked up instead of trying to parole them for lack of space. As far as the mayor, doesn't he have more important problems to worry about? :shrug:

[Warpy]

2. Unless they show him sticking a joint in a six year old's mouth

and flipping a Bic to light it, his job should be safe.

I really, really despise fools who buy into the drug war. Fear has made them especially stupid.

[Krivodete]

3. Right on

Its tiny moments of integrity like this in state servants that recindles hope in me. Like that UK police chief who calls for the legalizaiton of drugs.

[bamacrat]

4. People are just ignorant about marijuana.

Which is why it will have such a hard time being legalized. Stupid people believe what they hear in the news or stupid commercials, that weed is the same as cocaine and heroin. It is far safer and less addictive than either the legal drugs. Just stupid.

[droidamus2]

5. Interesting

So if you don't hold the same 'opinion' as this Mayor then you should lose your job. What next, if you don't support abstinence only sex ed you lose your job, if you want to teach evolution you lose your job or even worse lets just make them all illegal. Of course if we make them illegal we will have to make the penalties stiff and absolute. Everyone knows that if you use these illegal ideas it might cause harm to you and especially the children. I know lets have a 'War on Ideas' that's the solution. We must get these dangerous idea pushers off our streets to protect our innocent children!!!! :sarcasm: