Preview: Fundraiser for Barry Cooper @ Club de Ville [Sunday]

We’re not going to count our chickens before they hatch. Still, it’s been heartening to see an improvement in the perception towards marijuana laws of late, even if a very, very slight one. We’re already hearing tales about the green rush in California from friends -- even Arnold seems up for a debate. Locally, we’ve always had Willie speaking out in favor of reformed laws and earlier this year, Austin lawyer Charles Roadman shared his thoughts on the issue. We may soon have an Attorney General furthering the cause as well, if all goes to one Barry Cooper’s plan that is. This Sunday, Club de Ville hosts a fundraiser benefitting Cooper, a narcotics interdiction officer from Texas, currently in the running for the position of the state’s Attorney General.

On his website, Cooper “admits that during his ‘tour of duty’ in the War on Drugs, his conscience often bothered him while seeing everyday, hard-working, non-violent citizens torn from their children and spouses and placed in jail for drug possession after a raid or traffic stop. Barry now realizes that the War on Drugs is actually a War on People -- and that is something he intends to change when elected Attorney General of Texas.” Within his campaign platform, Cooper states, “I will make the enforcement of any marijuana-related crimes the absolute lowest priority for Texas law enforcement. I will also be quick to consider any searches or arrests for marijuana ‘unreasonable.’ This will not only discourage marijuana arrests in Texas but will also get cops to start going after the real criminals.” We encourage you to read his entire campaign platform here. And head down to de Ville on Sunday evening if you so wish to lend your support; enjoy some live music to boot, courtesy of Devin the Dude (a.k.a. Devin Copeland), a veteran of the Houston hip hop scene.

[Barry Cooper Official]
[Devin The Dude MySpace]