Ed Forchion's censored TV ad

According to Forchion, Trooper Rasinsky "falsely claimed the building was not open to the public and refused to allow me to pass. When I insisted that the building was public and I had every right as a state citizen to enter this building, Trooper Rasinsky hand-cuffed me behind my back and began to choke me by placing both hands around the front of my neck. As I struggled against this attack, the struggle was joined by another unnamed trooper who ended the melee with a swift kick to my groin."

State troopers, unsurprisingly, had a different take on events. "He actually came to the front entrance, signed in and asked to be allowed to go to press row to hand out fliers," state police spokesman Sgt. Gary Lewis told the Trentonian. "Troopers told him that the public is not allowed to access the area. The officers asked him if they could call someone to come and meet him and he refused."

Forchion was arrested on charges on resisting arrest, "defiant trespass," and "improper behavior." Bail was originally set at $40,000, but was reduced to $1,000, which Forchion was able to make.

Run-ins with the law over marijuana and free speech are nothing new to the 40-year-old Forchion. After being arrested with more than 40 pounds of pot in 1997, Forchion got seriously active, running for a number of political offices. In March 2000, he was arrested for smoking marijuana in the State Assembly chambers during a session. After serving 17 months in prison over the 1997 bust, Forchion was released on parole in 2002, but then jailed for five months by parole authorities after producing a marijuana reform TV commercial that never ran. It took a federal judge to set him free that time.

Forchion isn't going to let another hassle at the hands of the authorities stop him, but he has expressed displeasure at the lack of support from other drug reformers. "This is just another example of that fact that I'm just a nigger with a big mouth to many white authorities," he said. "Things like this don't happen to white activists. There is no white activist in the country who has been jailed simply for wearing a t-shirt with his or her political opinion on it, yet the mainstream reform groups say virtually nothing about my constant abuse at the hands of state officials. I can believe this happened to me because I'm just another nigger to many," he said, adding that he just may move to have his name legally changed to "Just a Nigger."

Pemberton Township resident Robert Edward Forchion, a perennial New Jersey political candidate, has a message many people might not want to hear. Forchion, who prefers the moniker NJ Weedman, advocates legalizing marijuana use.

We do not endorse using illegal drugs, but we do stand behind a person's right to say he does.

Forchion has an undeniable right to state his claim as long as he doesn't break the law he's contesting. That right has been upheld by the court, but it continues to lead to confrontations with authorities.

On May 11, Forchion was arrested for trespassing at the State House in Trenton. He had attempted to pass out campaign fliers in the press offices at the state building. It is something he has done in the past. It also was not an unusual request, as candidates and others seeking the public's attention often visit the press offices.

But when Forchion showed up wearing a campaign T-shirt with a message about legalizing marijuana, a state police officer told him the press area was off limits.

What happened next will likely be settled in a court, where so many of Forchion's collisions with authorities end. The only thing both sides agree on is that Forchion was charged with defiant trespass, resisting arrest and other offenses.

It is unclear how a person can trespass in a public building during a time when it is open to the public. It is equally difficult to understand how Forchion can be denied access to an area in that public building that is frequented by the public.

Forchion might not appear to be the kind of person the First Amendment was written to protect. His in-your-face push for legalizing marijuana juts out from the American mainstream. But he is just the person for whom the amendment's free-speech rights were written - someone expressing a view the majority dislikes.

Silencing people such as Forchion will, in the end, make it harder for anyone to speak up. Silence, not the Forchions in America, poses a threat to our way of life

May 13th, 2005

Letter to the Editor,

DO BLACKS TRULY HAVE FREEDOM of SPEECH and RELIGION?

I know the answer to this question, "no". To many white authorities we are simply NIGGERS. I was recently given another example of this at the New Jersey State-House by Trooper Rasinsky #5773.

On May 11^th, 2005 I was attacked by Trooper Rasinsky and arrested for attempting to wear a Political shirt with the slogan “CANNABIS LEGALIZE IT” on the front and the Legalize Marijuana Party on the back into the state-house. Something I do regularly. I am a candidate for the office of the Governor and was simply going to PRESS ROW at the State-House to deliver a press release to the state’s media outlets. Something I’ve done dozens of times over the years. The state police claim I was being boisterous, dis-orderly and lunged at Trooper Rasinsky. (Outright lie) Once again the state has shown me that I’m a second class citizen not enjoying the same rights as our white citizens. I did nothing wrong, what I was doing is protected speech. I simply openly express my political opinions all the time when in public. No-one has to agree with me but I can’t be attacked by Government officials for doing it. This is what the first amendment protects us against.

While most Americans freely enjoy these RIGHTS, African Americans only enjoy them at the approval of white Government officials. As long as African Americans say things acceptable to white society they are free to speak, likewise as long as African Americans follow religions acceptable to white society they have freedom of religion. You see I know that Speech, Religion, practices and beliefs that white society doesn’t approve of is not allowed because I say and practice them regularly.

There have been a few public examples of this recently here in New Jersey. Remember Amiri Barika the state poet laureate who had the nerve to openly question the Governments version of the 911 “HOAX”. Yeah, I too do not believe the Government version of the events of 911. He was vilified by white politicians and his job was eliminated. Or more recently secretary of state Regena Thomas who in a speech to south Jersey school children told children of the RACIST history of this country. (Ironicly I was assaulted outside her office.) She is currently being vilified by our white politicians and there is a movement to eliminate her position as well!!! These aren’t isolated instances here in New Jersey. Look what recently happened in Philadelphia after Mayor Street said to a 2002 NAACP audience, “that the brothers are in charge now”. The Federal Government launched a criminal investigation into his administration under the guise of corruption but I know the reason.

This is what I face daily. I openly don’t believe the white man’s religion (CHRISTIANITY). It’s a fact that whites thru the 350 year CHRISTIAN institution of slavery forced blacks to be Christians, most still follow the religion of our slavers. I don’t, I choose my own I’m a RASTAFARIAN by faith (which is protected under freedom of religion) and speak out against America’s Christian inspired racist war on drugs. For this I’m constantly attacked by Government officials and occasionally by ordinary do-gooder born-again types. 50 years ago a non-Christian "NIGGER” - like me would have been lynched. 150 years ago during slavery I'm the type of "nigger" who would have had is feet cut off or his tongue cut out. TODAY our racist Government officials are more politically correct, so I won’t be lynched. Instead in today’s society I'm the type of "NIGGER" who is jailed to shut me up by state officials. There is a clear attempt to prevented me from expressing my views or making me so uncomfortable I’d stop. This is exactly the reason why I was jailed in 2002 for 5 months for making political commercials that questioned our Christian Governments WAR ON DRUGS. This is why COMCAST won’t air my commercial. This is why the Judge’s on the Burlington County Superior court have persecuted me over the years.

This is what happened last week (May 11^th, 2005) I was attacked by a New Jersey State Trooper for wearing a Political T-Shirt that expressed my political opinion “LEGALIZE CANNABIS”. Trooper Rasinsky recognized me as one of those type of “NIGGERS” and attacked me when I questioned his truthfulness: he lied and said the statehouse building wasn’t open to the public. Then got mad when I told him to show me a piece of paper that say’s that. (How dare this NIGGER question me!) When he couldn’t produce any he told me to leave the building or I’d be placed under arrest. I told him to arrest me than because I wasn’t leaving the building I have every right to enter. I turned around and handed him my hands. I did not resist until he kicked me and tried to chock me. Any claim that I resisted arrest is a State Police lie! What I resisted was his attempts to brutalize me. My name “ain’t” Rodney King the next time I’m attacked by a State Trooper I’m going to defend myself more like Joan Chesimard.

                                                                        Please print,

                                                                                                __________________________

Edward “NJWEEDMAN” Forchion

Candidate for the Office of the Governor

(609) 509-xxxx cell #

(609)893-xxxx home #