With MA Governor Deval Patrick announcing his hip surgery, I thought today would be the perfect opportunity to ask him about medical marijuana. Once a month, Governor Patrick appears and takes questions from callers on the Jim and Margery show on WTKK. Today was that day. Recently Jim Braude who supports legalization said on the air that he would ask the Governor on his next visit about legalization.
At 12:20pm, I sent the Jim and Margery my question for the Governor. At 1pm, I called in, told the call screener that my call was about legalization/medical marijuana and that I was a MA resident who needs medical marijuana. If you have ever been in one of these commercial radio stations you are well aware that the hosts get updates on what each caller is calling in about and where they are from.
What I didn't realize until after? That WTKK allows the Governor to pick and choose the callers. I sat on hold for an hour while the Governor took calls from Texas and New Hampshire with many of the callers asking the same questions over and over again.
The Governor is afraid of medical marijuana. Make no mistake about it.
Next time, I'm calling in and telling the screener I want to talk about the "T".
Here's what I had planned to ask the Governor, who appears to have been afraid to hear or answer it.
"Governor I want to wish you well on your upcoming hip surgery. I'm guessing you like myself have been in a great deal of pain for some time. I'm a former athlete and for the last 13 years have been experiencing daily back pain. I've tried everything. Been prescribed hardcore meds and lived on Tylenol, codeine, naprosin, which all ruined my stomach and put me in fear for my liver. Until I tried the safer alternative, medical marijuana. Marijuana allows me to live a better less pain filled life. Having been in pain yourself, do you understand how medical marijuana can really help somebody like me? Will you support medical marijuana or legalization?"
The answer, no answer. He'd rather take out of state calls and answer the same questions over and over again.
WTKK call screener, "Sorry Mike, we didn't get to your call, we had lots of calls and the Governor gets to pick the ones he takes."
Mike Cann, "You mean you actually allow him to chicken out on calls he doesn't want to take?"
WTKK, "Yeah, sorry."
Governor "Chicken" Patrick. Share on FriendFeed
Comments for this post
