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Debbie Dedmon; Las Vegas, Nevada
Recent Drug War news items from Nevada
The natives aren't restless Vigilant in Vegas November Coalition in Las Vegas! Las Vegas vigils in rain TNC thanks Debbie Dedmon Las Vegas vigil busts a bust Big Score in Vegas Debbie Dedmon is the Regional Volunteer for Las Vegas, NV. She did her first vigil on February 15, 2000, and it went spectacular. She got involved with reforming the drug laws the same way most regional volunteers do. She never agreed with the war on drugs and always saw the injustice but it wasn't until a person very near to her heart (Isaiah Kohne #310-446 Lima, Ohio) sent her a Razor Wire that she saw the need to get active.
After reading the Razor Wire, Debbie saw an avenue with which she could vent her frustrations regarding the horrendous injustices of the Drug War in a positive manner. Besides all of the speaking she does on behalf of drug war prisoners, Debbie just wrapped up the Jubilee Justice Vigil. Her next order of business will be setting up tables or passing out literature during election day and at other times that have yet to be determined.
Debbie is dedicated to getting the truth out, keeping hope alive and never, ever giving up.
Thursday, May 22, 2003; Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury, Cover story
The natives aren't restless
Las Vegas natives are sticking around - and making a difference
By Andrew Kiraly; Photo Robert FeinbergIt was a weird cluster of coincidences, the kind that makes you peek over your shoulder and momentarily consider The Big Things like fate, destiny, whatever: I've bumped into so many damn Las Vegas natives lately. They're a stereotypically rare breed, particularly if you buy into the myth of Vegas as solely a destination for outlanders, suburban cubicle-surfers and service slaves content to live ghostlike on Vegas' spiritual and physical margins. Add to that the fact that I'm a native too Las Vegas High School, class of '89; go Wildcats!) and this recent rash of chance meetings was extra freaky.
I wondered, what are they still doing here? In casual no-way-you're-a-native-too? conversations, the crux came out: many of them actually wanted to stick around town. Curious, I asked around to see who else knew natives; called up a few old friends and coaxed them into meeting. The more I snooped, the more common our species seemed to be. Las Vegas natives are in high places (Brian Greenspun, publisher of the Las Vegas Sun); low places (Lance Malone, and, if you believe his print ads, Jim Rhodes), and everywhere in between (Mercury scribe James Reza is one; so is CityLife's Megan Capehart.)
The natives in this piece have much more in common than their Vegas-born status. Most importantly - giving the lie to the idea that Vegas is someplace to escape to or escape from - these natives are young, active and committed to
making Vegas a better place to live. Whether they're painting, teaching, agitating or putting on beer-fueled rock shows, they like living here. Las
Vegas - not a waystation, not a stepstone - is their home. Call this crew of Vegas-born and Vegas-bred the new natives.Debbie Dedmon: Let freedom ring
Debbie Dedmon watched one of her best friends, busted in 1995 for selling acid at a Dead show in Ohio, go to prison a grinning hippie
and emerge on parole this year an embittered, volatile racist. "He came out worse than when he went in," says the 32-year-old. "Prison didn't reform him. He came out more prone to violence, more apt to commit a crime."
Witnessing that transformation ended up transforming Dedmon herself - into an activist. She began working with various organizations, like Washington's November Coalition, to debunk the drug war and expose the lunacy of punitive - and expensive - sentences for nonviolent drug offenders. From there she worked with Vegas' Rock the Vote street team, during which she'd hit concerts and register kids to vote. But it wasn't until Dedmon was on Jon Ralston's "Face to Face" talk show that - lightning strike - she found her true calling in political activism. On the show, Ralston characterized her as a libertarian, and while Dedmon had never formally embraced the term, she felt struck like the Liberty Bell.
The thing about the Libertarian Party is that we're not beholden to anybody," she says. "Across the board, we're for individual freedom. If it's not hurting someone else, you should be able to do it." Not surprisingly, the Libertarian Party of Clark County was soon asking her to speak at functions; today she's
the party's PR director. The native's current mission: to give the party's image a badly needed makeover.Our image needs an overhaul," she says. "When you mention the Libertarian Party to people, they've either never heard of us or they think we're a bunch of gun-toting rednecks. That's not the case at all." Dedmon's target for selling the image: Southern Nevada's younger demographic, who can better relate to classic causes such as decriminalizing drugs. "Younger voters have more open minds," Dedmon says. "And often when you tell them there are alternatives to Democrats and Republicans, they're surprised. They think they're boxed in with just two choices, it's either chicken or beef. It really wakes them up." The latest phase in the campaign had Dedmon manning a booth at last weekend's KXTE 107.5-FM's Our Big Concert.
At this point in the profile, it'd be fitting to say that Dedmon's solemn commitment to Southern Nevada politics is what keeps her around. But that wouldn't be completely true. Quiz Dedmon, mother of two, about why she's sticking around Vegas, and she erupts into a gleeful litany.
"I love the desert, I love the Strip, I love the neon," she says. "I love the sound of slot machines when I walk into a 7-Eleven, I love the fact that we don't have
earthquakes or hurricanes. Plus, everyone I love lives here," she says, referring to her extended family, which runs a longtime pool-plastering business. "And where else can you hit a buffet in the middle of the night?"
The Razor Wire, January 2003, Vol. 7 No. 1
Vigilant in Vegas
It has been a fast-pace year here in Vegas for the drug war reform movement.
This year I became an effective local activist, through networking with others in the reform movement, and made new contacts by getting active in local and state politics. The voter initiative to regulate recreational use of marijuana, Question 9, did not pass, but I learned a lot working on the campaign. The skills I possess now will be used in the future. My thanks to Rob Kampia and MPP for the efforts made on behalf of justice here in Nevada, and the opportunity to learn so much about the political process.
This summer I worked with Rock the Vote as a street team leader. The organization got me into shows, and I registered about 300 people to vote, expanding our contacts in the state. I went on the radio twice and gave speeches statewide, most notably the address to the distinguished League of Women Voters, debating the pro-side of question 9 to them. The November Coalition was also re-introduced to this receptive group of progressive women.I will be serving as secretary for the Vegas Students for a Sensible Drug Policy next semester, one of the most active student groups in the country.
Thirty of us went to the SSDP conference in Anaheim, California in November where I shared a panel with other reform leaders and set up a November Coalition display. I introduced November Coalition to those who would not have known us, and tied it to the idea that love and despair are great motivators, and that our greatest untapped reservoir of potential supporters are family members of drug war prisoners.
I talked about how marijuana had been the primary focus for reformers, many of whom think this war stops with 'weed'. I shared with the audience that this focus leaves prisoners of other drugs with little hope, and fewer people advocating for broader reform. I was so proud to represent the November Coalition, and wore a suit for the occasion. Our reputation preceded me, and more have joined our cause.
Next year there will be more work to reform the Higher Education Act and Sodexo will be challenged -no more options - students do not want to further Sodexo profits, subsidizing private prison construction and we want them off campus. We are having training on how to encourage police to protect our 4th, 5th, and 6th amendment rights. I am also studying my courses, learning everything I can to serve our membership fully. Vegas leaders will be planning toward the Journey for Justice visit to Vegas in the spring of 2003, when I'll finally meet Chuck and Nora face to face. Face it -- I'm in it for the long haul.
Thank you for letting me be a part of the November family.
The Razor Wire, Spring 2002, Vol. 6 No. 1
November Coalition in Las Vegas!
Vegas judge brings compassion to drug war
Editor's note: Regional leader Debbie Dedmon has been a guest on a television talk show, speaking in public forums, organizing vigils and more! This recent article was written after Debbie and Judge Lehman were both guests on a local television show.
Written by Lewis Whitten, Reprinted from Rebel Yell: 03/11/02
America's so-called drug war is tearing families apart as sons and daughters are locked up far from home. Parents plead for relief because they don't understand America's reason for locking up their children for countless years due to a drug addiction.
Nonviolent victims of the drug war continue to receive ridiculous prison sentences, but at a courthouse in downtown Las Vegas, there is a glimmer of hope for a more compassionate policy towards drug users trapped in the criminal justice system.
Thanks to Jack Lehman, Clark County's Drug Court judge, many drug-law offenders now receive treatment instead of prison time."I became interested in the whole question of doing something about drugs shortly after I got on the bench," Lehman explained. "It disturbed me tremendously after I'd been on the bench for only two years that I was seeing the same defendants that I had already sentenced to prison or to probation.
"More frequently than not, they would violate probation, be revoked and end up in Nevada State Prison," he said.
In 1990, Lehman attended a presentation by three officials from the Miami Drug Court concerning a study about the price fluctuation of cocaine in response to big drug busts.
It was believed that a big drug bust would cause the price of cocaine to increase, but the study found that this wasn't the case.
"The price of cocaine didn't fluctuate five cents regardless of the size of the bust," Lehman said. "The war on drugs, which spent hundreds of billions of dollars trying to prevent cocaine from coming into the country, didn't stop it at all."The result: Miami created the country's first drug court that focused on treatment for users instead of punishment.
"I really got excited about it because it seemed to me that if there was a solution to getting people off of drugs, it seemed that the Florida Drug Court had found it," Lehman said. "So I approached the Clark County Commission, told them about all of this and asked them to help me start a drug court here in Las Vegas."
By 1992, Las Vegas was home to the United States' fifth drug court.
Treatment is available to all defendants and lasts one year. Participants must abstain from all drugs, including alcohol, and attend counseling sessions. Job counselors are also available for job training assistance, and most find employment by the end of the first month."This program works," Lehman said. "If someone wants to get off drugs, this program will get them off drugs."
The rehabilitation center is located on South Valley View Boulevard, not too far from downtown Las Vegas.When I visited, one participant was yelling and swearing because she just failed a urine test. She drank the night before.
Her behavior went unnoticed, disturbing almost no one. Business proceeded as usual. Another participant was quick to point out that Judge Lehman is very fair.
Many states have adopted this approach. Unfortunately, the federal government has not let up in their unique attempt to create a drug-free America. They continue to place stiff penalties on drug users, many with sentences longer than murderers and other violent criminals.
"I would rather see the federal government let the states handle it because I think the states are now doing a good job," Lehman said. "The destructive things the federal government has done is
[instating] these mandatory minimum sentences."If someone is caught three times with small amounts of pot or a small amount of any drug, putting them in prison for 20 years is a terrible thing, and it doesn't accomplish anything," he said.
Currently, there are more than 1,000 similar drug courts in the United States, and, according to Lehman, they appear to be working."It restores people to their family, which I think is really important and gives the drug addict a new life," Lehman said.
Some critics of drug courts suggest that the program is flawed. In order for a drug user to get treatment, they have to get arrested. Lehman points out that outlets like the Salvation Army provide treatment on a voluntary basis, but suggests that some users need coercion to kick the habit.
"There's no great desire by many of them [to stop using drugs], unless they've been on drugs 20 or 25 years and finally come to their senses," Lehman said. "There's nothing that's telling them to quit using drugs."
Debbie Dedmon, the November Coalition's Las Vegas coordinator, is critical about that attitude.
"Many users do have incentives outside of the courts. Drug addicts often lose contact with family and friends. They end up in the streets," Dedmon said. "They may lose their home, wife and kids.
That's why the Salvation Army has waiting lists up to a year to get into their drug treatment program."The November Coalition believes many drug users could be considered non-problematic and don't need treatment or prison. They may use an illicit drug recreationally, similar to how politicians might use alcohol.
Judge Lehman doesn't buy that argument.
"I don't condone drug use because it's against the law and I'm a judge," he said.
Another concern suggests that by providing treatment for drug users, we are treating drug addiction as a disease, and we can't arrest people for having a disease.
"I don't agree it's a disease at all," Lehman said. "It's a voluntary act by the individual."
Dedmon points out that "regardless of whether or not addiction is a disease, it is obvious that in the current political atmosphere drug courts are the best option for users caught up in the system."
The Razor Wire, March/April 2001, Vol. 5 No. 2
Las Vegas vigils in rain
Nora and all, I just wanted to let you know I held my vigil last week on February 15th. It was just me and two other people standing in the rain, but we did pass out a lot of literature. Interestingly, I was repeatedly asked if we were with the movie Traffic. Go figure. It went well. I still have some literature left that will soon be gone. I am very excited about the new 'sardine campaign'. I love the energy of the group.
The Razor Wire, December 2000, Vol. 4 No. 6
The November Coalition thanks Debbie Dedmon
I led my first vigil back on February 15th and it was spectacular! I'm 30 years old and became involved in the November Coalition for the same reasons as most of us. I never agreed with waging war on drugs and knew the injustices of it. It wasn't until someone very near to my heart, Isiah Kohne #310-446 sent me a copy of The Razor Wire that I finally saw a way in which I could direct my frustration to action that would address the horrendous injustice in a positive way.
Besides all the talking I do about it ALL THE TIME, I lead vigils in Las Vegas. We had a Jubilee Justice vigil in September and my next ordr of business will be setting up a table or passing out literature on election day. After that it will be more of the same, passing out literature, vigiling, GETTING THE TRUTH OUT, keeping hope alive, and never, never giving up.
The Razor Wire, Sept/Oct/Nov 2000, Vol. 4 No. 5
Las Vegas vigil busts a bust
Hello. My vigil went very well. I set up my display at the college here because there were so many events happening; I just couldn't pass up the crowds. The public reception was fabulous; I passed out all my literature and found a whole lot of people in agreement. Two members from CURE showed up, and a ton of people 'kicked it' with me for awhile. Then the most ironic thing happened.
The cops busted a young man for 'pot' right directly in front of where I stood. The cop handcuffed him and was speaking so rude and condescending that I thought the kid was a goner. I mentioned to the police how ironic that they were busting him right in front of my display, and then he took a minute to look over my exhibit.Although saying he was a 'hard-ass', he let the kid go and even let him keep his hand blown glass pipes. He told me to tell whomever that all cops aren't bad, and many of them don't like the policies they are asked to enforce. I told him he made my day by not making my day one huge ironic bummer. I shook his hand, and he left.
I did get pictures but they are very dark. I got excited when everything went down; so I snapped a few pictures of the cops and this kid in handcuffs, and you can see the whole deal. It's a great picture with horrible quality. I'll see what I can do to fix it. I had a great day, and feel very energized like always. Thanks to all of you.
The Razor Wire, March/April 2000, Vol. 4 No. 2Big Score in Vegas
You guys, I'm so stoked. We started out at 6 p.m., and right away the people from CURE of southern Nevada, FIP (Friends of Incarcerated People), and a couple other prison reform groups were there. They had all their literature, and so with all our material we had quite a lot to hand out.
People visiting someone in jail had to walk right through us, and we distributed all the literature we had and received, in return, hearty support!
I was nervous when six or seven police officers came over looking none-too-happy, but since it was all positive and truthful information, they just looked at the display and left. I asked them if they wanted any literature, but they declined. I wonder if they know that some of their co-workers weren't so apathetic!
I made a lot of contacts with other organizations that are very excited about working with us in the future. I'm honored to have been a part of something so wonderful, and I really feel like we can get this done. BRAVO, BROTHERS AND SISTERS!
I'll sleep well tonight, and count me in again next time for a coordinated national vigil.
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