talk about father phlegur here

WP64 wrote:Was misspelling his name intentionally?

PASTOR PROTESTS MARIJUANA FEST

By Ted Gregory, Tribune Staff Writer
CHICAGO TRIBUNE

May 13, 1996

Talk was earnest inside the nerve center at Weedfest, the annual celebration of marijuana held Saturday and Sunday at Soldier Field.

Advocates of decriminalizing the plant were discussing its many respectable uses: helping terminally ill patients maintain an appetite and process important nutrients; being the raw material in bluejeans, petroleum products and even cheese substitutes, and restoring tired soil.

In the sunshine outside, though, dozens of attendees were celebrating what has been judiciously termed the "recreational use" of marijuana.

"I am pretty stoned, that's for sure," said one 18-year-old from Lemont, laughing while he passed a pipe to his 17-year-old friend. "Everyone is just chilling."

"It should be legal, man," the young man added, declining to provide his name. "Alcohol is so much worse for you. With alcohol, you get drunk, you get in a fight. You get stoned, you chill out."

That is perhaps not the exact phraseology Weedfest organizers would prefer, yet it may cut, however indelicately, to the objective of the weekend event, which marked its 10th year.

The goal, said Illinois Marijuana Initiative President Rich Byrne, was to educate people on the beneficial uses of hemp.

"We want absolutely no restrictions on the hemp plant whatsoever," said Byrne, whose organization coordinated the event. "No right, no wrong. We need to take it out of the criminal category."

Having said that, Byrne was quick to note his group does not condone "the casual, recreational use of marijuana, because it's illegal."

In fact, he said he discouraged the handful of people he saw lighting up.

Which brings up a couple of rather thorny subjects: Law enforcement at the event, and Chicago Park District responsibility for the festival.

Those topics rankled Rev. Michael Pfleger, activist minister of St. Sabina Catholic Church on the city's South Side. Pfleger and about eight parishioners visited Weedfest on Saturday to get a look at the event.

"It's just open selling, open smoking," Pfleger said. "It's a stamp of approval for smoking an illegal product. I think the city owes an apology to the people of Chicago."

One of the pastor's most serious concerns was that Chicago police were at the festival but were not arresting those inside smoking reefers.

"Here it is the city hosting a pot party," Pfleger said, "and the police are there to direct traffic for it."

Chicago Police Lt. David Dougherty said Weedfest was "a private event" sanctioned by the Chicago Park District, which provided security for the event.

Plainclothes Chicago police officers patrolled the parking lots and the perimeter of the grounds, making nine arrests on Saturday on charges of possession of illegal narcotics, Dougherty said. He was unsure how many were arrested Sunday.

"We haven't been invited in, so we're not going to go in," Dougherty said.

Pfleger said park district officials dodged his telephone calls inquiring about the event for the past 10 days. On Sunday, park officials failed to return the Tribune's phone calls.

An estimated 25,000 people each paid a $5 fee to attend the festival Saturday, and a somewhat smaller crowd was there Sunday, according to Weedfest organizers.

Byrne said that part of the estimated $50,000 Weedfest would generate would keep the Illinois Marijuana Initiative office running and that part would be tucked away with the ultimate goal of hiring a full-time lobbyist in Springfield.

Bands played throughout the two days. About 100 vendors pitched hemp jewelry, zipper bags, bongs and pipes, among other items.

One group circulated a petition demanding that the cannabis plant "be freed of prohibition." There was a hemp museum exhibit, and a pamphlet using Bible passages to portray marijuana in a favorable light.

"It sends a real mixed message to Chicago and particularly young people in Chicago," Pfleger said. "You've got all this talk about how drugs do so much damage, and then the city is allowing, on public property, a Weedfest where you can openly smoke.

"It just blows my mind," the pastor said, sounding a bit like some of the Weedfest participants. "It is absolutely unbelievable."

undo wrote:"Phat or Wack" was a regular column in SLAM Magazine in the 1990s where NBA players would rate stuff as "phat" or "wack."

I think there were different categories, including one for music. Isaiah Thomas listed Run-DMC as "phat" and his choice for "wack" was Weird Al Yankovic. Some day I'm going to find that issue again (Shawn Kemp was on the cover I think?) and see if I can rile up some passionate Weird Al fans. It's a terrible idea but it's all I've got left.