One person can make a difference. On my behalf, 158 people (so far) are trying. (Pardon me campaign)

[Fly by night]

Good evening, all y'all. This is a brief update on how things are going here in my Tennessee deep hollow home as I prepare to send my application in to the US Department of Justice to apply for a Presidential pardon for my medical cannabis conviction.

As you will see, it has been a busy few weeks. (Boy howdy.)

Yesterday was to be the deadline for receiving support letters/affidavits to accompany my Presidential pardon application. However, the letters are still coming in so fast and furious that I have decided to keep accepting them into next week.

As of this Saturday afternoon, I have 158 original, notarized support letters/affidavits in hand. Neighbors are continuing to bring letters to my house and -- based on emails -- I expect another 15-30 support letters/affidavits from friends and colleagues around the country to arrive in the next few days. (As I have mentioned here before, I am only required to submit three support letters.)

So far, I have letters/affidavits from 12 TN legislators (Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate, and am expecting more), 1 former (Republican) governor of Delaware, 1 current and 1 former Assistant US Attorney, the former director of the US Probation Office for middle Tennessee, 1 former (Democratic) US Senate candidate, 2 TN/NAACP officials, 1 former head of the TN Democratic party, state officials from 5 other states, dozens and dozens and dozens of friends, neighbors, professional colleagues, other government officials, election integrity and medical marijuana activists, 5 cancer/HIV survivors I helped and/or kinfolk of same and a few very nice surprises (including 1 Grammy winner, 1 Emmy winner and 1 Oscar nominee.) At least four of the letter-writers could make a direct call to offices near the Oval Office in the White House and have their calls answered.

I know all of these people personaly. Not bad for an ole hermit/felon.

I am collecting quotes from the letters to use in a briefing packet and I will post another thread sometime next week of those quotes. There are many, many notable ones. Earlier this week, I received a letter from a Professor of Computer Science at Georgia Tech (with whom I have worked on the verifiable voting issue.) That letter opened this way: "Mr. President, I am writing to request that you pardon Bernie Ellis for the "crime" of growing medical marijuana and giving it away free to four terminally ill neighbors. It would be more appropriate for me to be writing you to nominate Bernie for a Presidential Medal of Freedom."

(BTW, I'd be happy to pick up the pardon and the medal at the same time, at least in my dreams.)

Among the letters yesterday was from a local friend who asked where all the supposed "evidence" against me went to between the raid on my farm and the assessment of the evidence at the state lab. The letter writer said "Maybe the Federal agents took some to help their own very sick
friends. Or, more likely, maybe they never found the amount of marijuana they initially alleged on Bernie's farm to begin with."

Another new friend (who I've known only a short time) said: "Mr. President, look at the caliber of people who are writing on Bernie's behalf. We are not couch-potato stoners; we are productive, tax-paying, patriotic Americans." Indeed.

With that last letter, I can now say that I have letters from 11 people who have known me more than 40 years and 1 person who's known me less than 40 days. I have a letter from someone I've known since she was 4 (she says I am her only memory of that year), and from folks I met for the first time in their 70s. Nice time spans, those.

The longest letter (7 pages) is from the MD/PhD who had a pivotal role in convincing the American Medical Association to reverse its medical marijuana policy. The shortest affidavit is from a country neighbor who simply printed (on his notarized form), "Bernie is a good neighbor and friend."

One letter is from the longest surviving federally approved (and provisioned) medical marijuana patient, who wrote that he has been given 10-12 free joints PER DAY by the federal government for the past 28 years (which shows, among many other things, that the feds don't know how to grow good pot.) That letter writer said: "Mr. President, this case has cost Bernie nine years of his life and over $1 million for less usable marijuana than you provide me free each and every year. And Bernie was sharing it free with four very sick people, none of whom lived a year after the raid on his farm. As an investment broker, this just doesn't compute."

Eight DUers wrote articulate, well-reasoned, passionate, even witty letters. Of course, I wouldn't expect anythng different from this community.

These letters and affidavits help me remember the days when I could actually be of service in my profession, in my communities and in my country; rather than be just another punching bag for the federal "drug worriers" in their senseless war on "some" drugs.

If I receive the pardon, maybe those productive days will soon come again.

One person can make a difference .... Thanks, all y'all, for trying.

Your favorite felon, FBN

[Ohio Joe]

1. Can I help?

I would be certainly willing to send President Obama a letter. Let me know if I can do anything.

[Fly by night]

3. Good thoughts go a long way. Send some my way. That would be most appreciated.

[Ohio Joe]

5. Done

I have also sent an email to the President letting him know my thoughts, in general, on the prosicution of medical marijauna patients.

Wishing you all the best!

Everyone else can give the President their thoughts on this matter here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

They have, and always will have, better things to do. Let them know it.

[roguevalley]

14. I was glad to do it. I hope it arrived from Alaska. Take care and

keep hope in your heart. Miracles happen every day.

[Fly by night]

15. Thanks so much for your letter. I hope we can share our wild spaces sometime.

Thanks again for everything.

[roguevalley]

22. it is my honor to help you. I hope you copied them and when you

feel down, read them. :)

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. FBN, you rock!

[Poll_Blind]

4. Sending good vibes out to ya- K&R!

PB

[immoderate]

6. Yo -- Bernie!

How ya doin'? :hi:

--imm

[Fly by night]

8. Doing great (though obviously flabbergasted.)

Thanks kindly for being one of the eight. Much appreciated.

[immoderate]

52. I'm in such good company.

To victory! :toast:

--imm

[xchrom]

7. Recommend

[midnight]

9. FBN your in my thoughts and hope that this your efforts are soon

rewarded instead of criminalized....

[a la izquierda]

10. Kick, recommend, and Good LUCK!

I hope you are pardoned, as you damn well should be!

[Gregorian]

11. Here is hoping that your wishes be fruitful.

I don't really have words to express how I feel. Some of what the others said does. It's noble. And what you are doing may well prevent further harm to others.

[Fly by night]

13. That would be the biggest benefit of all this, by far.

[Divine Discontent]

12. may your efforts be successful!

[loudsue]

16. Bernie! I just saw this thread!

I forgot to get the letter done!

Doing it now....

Sorry! :hi:

[Fly by night]

17. Thanks. I would be glad for more letters from folks who know me here.

Just don't forget to get it notarized when you sign it and get it here no later than mid-week.

Address your letters to the President, tell him you are aware of my medical marijuana conviction, then say how you know me, how long you've known me, what you think of me and why you support a Presidential pardon. That's the basic format. The focus should be on the pardon, rather than on drug policy reform (though I do think the former might help impact the latter in positive directions.)

Thanks again for everything. Come join the crowd.

[Tsiyu]

18. Awesome

That makes me so happy to hear.

You have to be feeling good with all that positive vibage :)


We all look forward to the days when this is all behind you...

Best wishes


:kick:

[Fly by night]

19. Thanks kindly. I loved your letter -- every part of it.

I especially loved yor "funhouse mirror" frame. What an accurate way to position this entire madness.

Hope you got plenty of wood on the mountain tonight. It got chilly here fast.

But I still have broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage plants being re-potted on the back porch. Tomorrow, I will take a break from the Internets and spend time in the Garden.

Good exchange. But these days, both are nourishing.

[Tsiyu]

21. The rain keeps pourin down!

I'm glad you liked the letter...and glad you received it in time.

The garden sounds like a lovely place to be. You remind me I need to get some more stuff in the seedling pots. It's almost spring!!!

i finally was able to eat and just had a plate of bacon plus a jar of last year's apples fried in the skillet and some french toast with syrup. Heart healthy lol. But i was so glad to have eaten.

A little help from our friends is a wondrous thing. :hug:

[Fly by night]

23. Amen. After a week of not sleeping, I actually got five hours sleep last night.

Much needed and much appreciated.

Thanks to the kindness of friends and the kind-ness of their friends.

It all goes around and around. Now to put more wood on the fire and to climb up on the exercise bike. While cycling to nowhere in my stove room, I am reading a new book "Broken -- A Love Story" about a Northern Arapaho healer, who is also a quadraplegic horse trainer. I've just started reading the book and realized that this remarkable man was the person who, after leading a peyote ceremony on the Wind River rez' seven years ago, told another Arapaho friend to call me and let me know that, in his vision, he saw that I would not be going to prison.

That call came six months before the judge sentenced me to probation (when I was facing 10-70 years in prison.) It also came when I smelled the cedar and sage of their prayerful ceremony on the western wind, sitting on my front porch drinking my early morning coffee.

It is indeed a small (loving, caring, protecting) world. I am honored to have worked with the Arapaho and thankful for the kindness (and cosmic connection) of one of their healers who I've never met (yet).

Just like you and others here at DU.

[Tsiyu]

32. Wind River in Wy?

I've been out there and loved that part of WY. I'd also love to read that book, maybe he has some tips on how to get my young mare to let me clean her darn feet without such a fight..she can be really obstinate. The other old mare just picks them up for you if you tap her fetlocks...


Glad you got a good night's sleep. Me too. ;)

We got soaked, so I am staying out of the muck and doing inside chores today. Don't get too muddy out there. I'll bring you some composted manure soon if you want more. Good crap is always welcome in the garden, right. :P

:hi:

[Fly by night]

35. Yes, the Wind River rez' is an amazing place.

I was able to work there for about six years (the last almost two years living there.) It is an absolutely beautiful place. The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes share 2.5 million acres of land (that lies southeast from Yellowstone/Grand Tetons), and there are fewer than 8,000 tribal members living there.

Of course, Wyoming is like that. As I remember, 16 of its 23 counties have a population density of less than 1 person per square mile.

My kinda place.

Re: the manure. I put up signs in local stores, got four folks to call. One farmer had a gold-mine of aged mule/pony/goat manure that's at least a year old. I dropped all the others when I saw that stash.

Like you, I know (and really appreciate) good shit when I see it. It's a shame it's so hard to find.

[Tsiyu]

39. Some friends have been trying to talk me into

a boutique poo business

we laugh ourselves silly thinking up names and slogans.

I found these pretty pink and purple bags, i could make fancy schmantcy labels

I'm not there yet, and friends are due to pick up a few loads soon...so I am holding back

but I might make a fortune and buy that tractor I need


As for Wyoming, I do love that open space. Almost moved there instead of here but here I am for now.

I met some Shoshone that way and had my first taste of buffalo near Boysen Res. took the kids camping throughout Wyoming a few summers.

[dgauss]

20. An ole hermit felon in a deep hollow home

convicted for doing the right thing. I can't help but wish you all the best.

[Control-Z]

24. I wish the best

for you, Fly by night. :hug:

[JTFrog]

25. Kick.

[Enthusiast]

26. K&R! Just wonderful...nt

[lonestarnot]

27. K & R.

Good luck!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

28. K&R

good luck FBN :hug: :hi:

[roody]

29. knr

[Fly by night]

30. Two final tidbits -- letters have arrived from 23 states and Mexico (so far) ...

... and letters have comee from a dozen DUers (miscounted earlier).

Now to the Garden. Thanks again, all y'all.

[sonias]

31. Thanks for the update Bernie

My best positive thoughts are with you. Wish I could hug you in person.

The best I can do from here is this :hug::hug::hug::hug::hug:

We are all Bernie! :grouphug: :loveya:

[Fly by night]

33. Thanks, Sonias, for everything.

Especially your letter and your hugs (in either order).

Give my best to Austin-tacious, and I do hope we meet in real time and space someday soon.

[mike_c]

34. Best wishes to you Bernie-- when I had my letter notarized the notary was so interested...

...that I ended up telling her your story and what the letter was for, etc. The last thing she said was "Wish him luck for me!"

Out here in Prop 215 land, it's hard to figure out how this could happen to anyone-- as I said in my letter, your actions would be lauded here, not prosecuted. One of my former grad students does exactly what you did on his farm. He does it openly, and legally. That is the way it should be.

[Fly by night]

36. Thanks, Mike. When a Nashville friend went to get her letter notarized at her bank, ...

... the bank officer laughed and said "Just who is this Bernie guy?" He pointed to his notary log and the last five people who had anything notarized at that bank were all friends getting their letters notarized for me. The bank is in east Nashville where I worked (during my time in the "house") at a local organic grocery store, the Turnip Truck. I got to plant an organic demonstration Garden there with three raised beds divided into nine growing blocks, with a full spring, summer and fall rotation of different vegetables planted there.

Being able to keep my hands in the dirt helps the rest of me stay sane.

Thanks again and tell your notary thanks also. We are (all) the ones we've been waiting for.

[leftstreet]

37. K&R

[upi402]

38. k/r

Fight the good fight FBN. When war crimes investigations are off the table and they hound folks like you and the Wiki-truth tellers - it shames America.

[democrank]

40. K & R

[G_j]

41. K&R

:yourock:

[maryf]

42. K&R

Good luck! I only just caught on to this, but hope all goes as it should! (meaning your pain is alleviated on a regular basis!)

[Fly by night]

43. A Mid-Sunday anecdote

I went around to several stores to pick up a few more signed affidavits and to collect my "Pardon me" posters and any remaining blank forms.

Two of the store owners wanted to keep their posters (the Fly General Store and the Santa Fe Diner). Both are framing the posters to remain permanently on their walls and they asked me to sign them. (Fortunately, my big forehead provided plenty of canvas.)

The Fly General Store owner (Wilson Fly, the ninth generation in his family to operate the store/trading post, back to before the Trail of Tears) said that if anyone comes to his store (from out of town) who also wrote a support letter, he'd have them sign it too.

Here is Wilson's support letter. It feels very good -- they all do.
-----

February 22, 2011

Dear President Obama,

I am writing you to ask that you pardon Bernie Ellis for the crime of growing medical marijuana for himself and four terminally ill neighbors of ours. If anyone deserves a pardon, Bernie does.

As a neighbor and friend of Bernie's for the past forty years, I know him to be a good, hardworking, honest and up-front man. I have seen Bernie almost every day for the past 30 years, either on his farm where I hunt, in my store or in the community. In all that time, I have never seen him high on drugs or marijuana. I have never seen him mistreat a man or a dog.

In the communities of Fly, Bethel and Santa Fe, Bernie has been creative in his ideas and the work that he has given freely to these communities many times over the years. I am happy to join many other neighbors and friends of Bernie in asking that you treat him with the justice and mercy that has been missing in his case all along.

In the past two years, I have dealt with cancer, the May 1-2, 2011 flood and being robbed twice by hard drug users. I see the good and the bad. In Bernie Ellis, I see the good. When I was about to lose my stomach to cancer, Bernie was the only person who offered to try to find me some marijuana to help me through the surgery and chemotherapy. I didn't take him up on his offer (in part because I was afraid it would get Bernie in trouble again), but I really appreciated the offer.

Now it is time for me to move forward in life. I ask that my government move forward also, in granting Bernie Ellis a pardon and in allowing seriously ill people to be able to use medical marijuana once again in this country. Thank you for reading this. Please pardon Bernie Ellis.

Sincerely,


B. Wilson Fly

[Kurovski]

44. K&R

Best of luck. :thumbsup:

[steve2470]

45. k&r nt

[truedelphi]

46. I am so-oo loving the huge response that

Your request for letters of support received.

Thanks be to the glorious fates for giving you such support.

And I love too the neighbor's simple note that stated: "Bernie is a good neighbor and friend."

Indeed you are good neighbor and friend.

I feel blessed for knowing you.

[Fly by night]

47. Thanks t-d. By way of thanking you (too), here are two more letters I've received.

The first one is from my closest neighbor, who kept my dogs fed for the eighteen months I was locked up in the "house". The second letter is from another nearby neighbor, who is an RN/Shift Supervisor in our local hospital. (I will use their initials to keep their privacy on the internets.)
----

February 24, 2011

N.O. family
XXXX
Santa Fe, TN

Dear President Obama,

This letter is to ask you to grant a Presidential pardon to my very respectable friend and neighbor, Bernie Ellis. My family and I are well aware that Bernie pled guilty eight years ago to growing marijuana. We are also well aware of why he was doing it.

Bernie Ellis has been my neighbor for over 40 years now. He has never caused any grief or concern to my family or the surrounding community. He has always been an outstanding citizen in our small community and a very hard-working and honest man.

This man had accomplished so many great things in his life before the Bush administration decided to try to destroy him. We cannot afford to continue to be without his talents in this out-of-control society. Most people now days will not even try to help someone in need. The people that Bernie provided marijuana to for pain therapy were not forced or pressured into using the substance.

This man should not lose the rest of his life and his accomplishments to and for the public because of this incident of growing this plant. Why not search for and punish the people who are committing really horrible crimes? This man would never hurt anyone or anything intentionally. Why not worry about all the illegal aliens in this country taking away from the average person and the crimes they are committing? They can drive illegally, do not have to carry insurance, steal and abuse our legal system every day and no one seems to care.

All of this drama and upset over a man and his personal business should not have occurred when the drug task force should be prosecuting the people who sell/force any type of drug substance on society, especially children. Drugs are also alcohol, cigarettes and any type of pills that many people around here take to get high, pills that are legal and yet cause so much misery for the users, their families and our community. For that matter, deaths by alcohol and cigarettes are very common -- you know that. Marijuana has never killed anyone -- did you know that?

Please consider the truth of this man's supposed "horrible crime" and ask yourself this question. What would I do if I was in severe pain and no doctor could help me be comfortable with the horrible cancer or whatever health issue is going on? Please do not continue to ruin this man's life for the steps he took to help others control their pain.

Thank you for your time in reading this letter. The rest of the community and my family and I can only hope that you will consider the hardships already endured by Bernie Ellis. Enough is enough. Please consider how my friend and neighbor has lived his life, before and after the Republicans decided to try to destroy him. (You should be thankful that they did not succeed.)

Please do not allow Bernie Ellis to lose everything he has worked so hard for – his occupation, his livelihood, his reputation and his farm. Please give this man another chance in life and pardon him.

From one of your strongest supporters here in Fly, Tennessee.

Sincerely,

N.O. and family
---------

D.M., RN
Santa Fe, TN 38482

March 5, 2011

Dear President Obama,

I am writing in support of Bernie Ellis who is seeking a Presidential pardon for his felony conviction for manufacturing medical marijuana. As one of Bernie's neighbors for the past 30 years, I am very familiar with the facts in his case and the very serious impact of his voluntary plea agreement on Bernie's finances, freedom and future.

Up until this conviction, Bernie had been a tax-paying member of society. He was always gainfully employed and yet had time to be involved in and committed to numerous social causes. Even after the conviction, he remains committed to helping people and to pursuing sensible social policy reform. Bernie has worked hard with many state legislators to re-establish Tennessee's medical marijuana program so that others would not share his fate. He remains actively involved in programs to reduce substance abuse in our local area. He has also been very active in efforts to protect the integrity of our elections here in Tennessee and around the country. I know that he did break the law but the punishment has been very severe. He wants to be a contributing member of society once again, something that will likely require a Presidential pardon to accomplish.

I personally support him in his pursuit to re-establish Tennessee's medical marijuana program, and I also support a program in our state to tax, regulate and control access to marijuana for non-medical uses. As a healthcare provider, I know there is a place for medical marijuana. A number of the oncology physicians I work with on a regular basis here in Maury county routinely encourage new patients to find a source of marijuana before beginning chemotherapy. I have also been told by patients with fibromyalgia that the only relief they can get from the constant pain they are in is with marijuana. Why are these extremely sick patients forced to break the law?

Please grant a Presidential pardon to Bernie Ellis. By doing so, you will help him return to work. You will also increase the much-needed public policy discussion about how our judicial and law enforcement resources are being wasted on victimless "crimes" like the one Bernie confessed to.

Sincerely,


D.M., RN

[truedelphi]

49. Thank you, kindly, Bernie. I have tried to not really think

about all the ramifications of what has happened to you.

I ingested so much pain that our RW inflicted on someone else I loved here, and then so much worry confusion and endless hours trying to keep M. alive, and he did persevere, but the forces of power (Big Insurers, Big HMO) did everything they could to hamper that.

So ever since you first told your story, I have just tried to think of you and all the energies around you as so heavily, and heavenly, strong and so able to throw your life back to what it should be.

Restoration of what should be, and repair to any thing thrown off center in your life (and the lives of others) because of the stupidity of our laws. Why have we as a nation allowed an agency like the DEA (and countless others) harass, imprison, and all that, I'll never know.

I really hope the whole nation wakes up and displaces those dark forces. I am hoping that the events in Wisconsin are a sign of that potential. I think that Wisconsin might be the tipping point.

[tpsbmam]

48. This is all-tingly-making!

I'm so excited for you. Being able to hear about the process as you go through it has been so incredibly special. I'm in awe at the breadth of support you've gotten from so many accomplished people, particularly those on both sides of the aisle in some form of government, and equally of he heartfelt letters from people whose lives you've touched.

I really will be on pins and needles waiting to hear what happens. You know, you have your own spot in history doing this. What you're doing is momentous in part because it so powerfully challenges an inane U.S. policy that has destroyed so many lives and you're doing it from such an intensely personal way that evolves into an incredibly cogent & robust argument for sanity as it pertains to you and as it pertains to the policy.

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[Fly by night]

50. Thanks kindly. I'll give ya' an hour to stop saying such things.

"One person can make a difference. EVERYONE should try." John F. Kennedy

[Fly by night]

51. ... and thanks kindly for your letter too.

I will begin excerpting them this week for a briefing packet that will be sent several places, including at least one office near the Oval Office.

For most of my life, I've lived by the mantra: "If God (and the feds) are watching, let's give 'em a good show."

The curtain is about to go up ....

[myrna minx]

53. Thank you for posting this - I have my affidavit - notarized from the end of February, but I

just hadn't put it in the post. Thanks for your patience. :hi:

[Fly by night]

54. If you can get it here by Friday, I will include it.

Thanks kindly.