note: Julian Heicklen has been "hosting" this smokeout for several weeks now. I personally have attended most of these "meetings". I have read the newspaper accounts and seen the Television reports... I have to say I wonder if we were covering the same events... I can promise you the accounts that follow are frank and as unbiased as you will find anywhere.

3/5/98 More surprises? Heicklen was not accompanied by Krawchuk or Gordon this week. However a person in a gorilla suit showed up to join the protest and get some free press for a local radio station. But no police, no TV coverage (even though channel 10 was doing a week long report on Heicklen's activities past and present). He did his speech and said since he has been denied speedy trial, he would smoke every week until the matter has been settled. Instead of receiving a joint from one of the usual minions he produced one from his own pocket and lit up. Heicklen announced that he would not protest next week because he was going on vacation for spring break and would be in California... Some say Heicklen .may have sealed his fate when he declared playing football, as well as watching more dangerous than smoking pot.... I am sure it's a crime to bash football in the home town of the PSU Nittany Lions...
Gordon showed up near the end of the demonstration and announced that he had agreed as part of bail arrangement not to use marijuana until his case had cleared the dockets. He said he was ignoring that arrangement and pulled out a bag and rolled a joint on the spot. Curious about the content of the cigarette I walked up and did something I had not done for a while... in front of the crowd and cameras joined Gordon for a couple tokes. I now can confirm that the substance was in fact marijuana not very tasty but marijuana just the same... Local newspapers indicated that an organized anti marijuana protest group showed up as well? I didn't see them, some cat calls from passing cars... A friend told me he had seen a anti-marijuana sign perhaps two near the rear of the crowd.

3/12/98 Heicklen didn't come, Gordon didn't come, the pretty girl that hands out the signs each week didn't come, not a single college "kid" in site. Only one man standing in protest of not only the marijuana laws, but protesting Heicklen not keeping his promise to protest every week until his challenge passed through the courts. If he was on a hunger strike would he eat while the students went away? If he was protesting taxes would he just pay for those weeks that students happen to be out of town? This weeks surprise? After about 15 minutes another soul did show up, a soul that happened to be a television reporter for channel six, doing man in the street interviews. He asked me about politics in America and "Why people ar not voting or even running for office." I told him, "It is certainly not that because people are satisfied, it's just that it doesn't matter if you vote for a Republican or Democrat you get the same thing. Politics is about raising money for the next election and finding scandals to embarrass your opponents... People are just sick of it and that's why it is prime time for independent candidates to run and that was why I was protesting and why I am running for president in 2000.
He looked at me like I might be crazy, but He told me I made some good points about politics and the State College protests. I made the five o'clock news and used another three seconds of my fifteen minutes of fame for saying " It doesn't matter if you vote for a Republican or Democrat you get the same thing."... It's a start

3/19/98 Heicklen, Gordon, Krawchuk and the anti protesters all showed up, but there was no marijuana protest this week either... Heicklen was protesting his lack of speedy trial, Krawchuk was campaigning, Gordon was busy discussing opium and heroin with the anti protesters, who's numbers doubled this week up to four!!! (at this rate they will equal pro-marijuana protesters in number by the end of the year...) who were protesting the general libertarian policies. I don't believe I even heard the the word marijuana mentioned. Later in the day, Police arrested Heicklen at his home for not appearing for his court date. I think it is about time to recognize the real protesters, the millions of people who light up everyday and the other millions of political prisoners who have been locked up for practicing their freedoms by smoking marijuana ...

3/26/98 No surprises this week Same speeches from Heicklen word for word. One of the two anti marijuana protesters was very vocal. After spewing standard anti Libertarian propaganda and spouting unconfirmed statistics from other countries (which he said were common knowledge) He faced questions from the crowd about his alcohol and drug habits. He admitted that he regularly drank alcohol although he was not yet 21. It also came out that he was not even a citizen of the Usa but a student from South Africa... At the end of the protest I handed him one of my "marijuana Propaganda packets" and asked him to read it so he could be better informed about what he was talking about...

4/2/98 Heicklen and Gordon put on a unified front this week. Heicklen did his usual thing. The anti protester was alone and quiet with no signs (perhaps he read my reading materials). When the police moved in to confiscate the "joint" the sign girl (whom I believe is Diane?) snatched the cigarette and crossed the street to College township and bogarted that joint. When it was finished she returned and presented Heicklen with another which was later confiscated by campus police officers. Heicklen announced that he would be attending the Marijuana march in New York City on Saturday may 2nd. Alan Gordon gave a long speech about how the persecution and harassment of the system has ruined his life, causing him to be unable to hold a job or home. He had some decent sound bites for a change. He said he was an old hippie and scum of the earth. He said when the pot boils the scum always rises to the top and if any of the cream in the crowd wanted to rise to the top just join him or take his place... Gordon concluded by announcing that he was on a hunger strike until president Clinton met his demands or he died. He said he would consume tobacco, marijuana and caffeine. Probably enough to survive on...

4/9/98 It was raining today raining real hard... So Prof. Heicklen proved his superior mind still was intact and moved the protest across the street and under the awning of the Corner Room. Less than a dozen people were present as the protest began, the crowd grew slowly until it reached about thirty or so. A heckler asked the professor "Why he was protesting Marijuana, when there were more important things to worry about?" Julian Explained that he felt that hundreds of thousands of people having their property and freedom taken away was the most important issue at hand in a country that claims to allow freedom for it's citizens. The heckler walked away after about two words not waiting for the answer to what was a good question... After Julian lit up a tall new comer in a baseball cap began lighting what appeared to be joints and handed them out to the crowd. About a dozen people smoked this week... Alan was present and admitted he wasn't doing really well with the hunger strike. He said he had eaten some , but had remained hungry. He said he expected press coverage when he looked like an Ethiopian. Someone in the crowd responded that there are fat Ethiopians, to which Alan replied Ok a starving Ethiopian... State college Police arrived and asked that the crowd keep the entrance ways unblocked and then left.

4/16/98 Protest was held nothing really new this week. Heicklen made the statement, " that marijuana smoking has become accepted to the local authorities." I would have to correct him as "For Prof Heicklen and company protesting marijuana laws on noon on thursdays has become acceptable"... Because any one else smoking marijuana any other time or place in this town, would be arrested. Alan announced that he was going to be more serious so that people would pay more attention to what he has to say.

4/23/98 Professor protested people came, no cops, no media. Alan Gordon was absent...
4/30/98 All kinds of people, peddling all kinds of information and disinformation... libertarians galore Krawchuk and three others spoke.Julian said he had discovered that milk is the gateway drug... Heicklien also announced Alan had effectively "quit" the protest and had left the area. Sources close said he left because he felt people were not taking him seriously. Alan what did you expect from an "I smoke pot to protect me from sunburn theory?"
I once again joined the professor for a few tokes and some small talk.