On June 28, Rep. Jerry Weller voted to continue wasting our tax dollars on harassing sick people in other states who are following their doctors' instructions and state law.
Eleven states have made it legal for patients with cancer, AIDS or other serious diseases to use medical marijuana under a doctor's supervision if it works for them. And we have plenty of things on which to spend tax money that are much more important than sending federal agents to those 11 states to lock up grandma in her wheelchair.
Citizens Against Government Waste called the practice a waste of federal resources and said that it "proves that the government is incapable of exercising any kind of fiscal restraint."
Additionally, the Presbyterian Church recently joined the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, Union for Reform Judaism, Progressive National Baptist Convention and the Unitarian Universalist Association in actively supporting the use of medical marijuana in these situations. Not a single denomination has opposed it.
Most recent polls have shown that over 70 percent of Americans support the right of seriously ill people to use medical marijuana.
Does Jerry Weller realize that it's our money he's throwing away?
If he wants to go to some other state and interfere with a doctor and patient following their state law, he's welcome to do it on his own, but he shouldn't be spending our tax dollars.
His vote does not represent American values, moral values or even traditional "Republican" values, and does nothing for the people of Illinois.
By the way, kudos are due to Rep. Tim Johnson for voting to end this reprehensible practice. Too bad he couldn't count on his colleagues.
Pete Guither
Bloomington
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