HEY! Bernie (DUer FLY By Night) Made the cover of Nashville Scene!

[Wiley50]

I posted it in GD:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=773098&mesg_id=773098

let's see what we can do to help the guy.

After all, He organized the " Nashional Conference'
and brought together the heavy hitters in Election Reform
for the very first time

[Kurovski]

1. Thank you, Wiley50. I'm recommending this so the story stays

on the greatest page a little longer. (Hopefully.)

[Kurovski]

2. Kick. (nt)

[livvy]

3. Just need one more for Fly!

[demodonkey]

4. K & R For My Friend Bernie in Tennessee!

:yourock:

[Fly by night]

5. An update on Bernie

To everyone --

Bernie has asked me to communicate with all of you since he cannot do so
himself. Last Tuesday, Bernie met with the staff of the halfway house to
request permission to attend the "Save Bernie's Farm" benefit, being held to
raise money to offer the government a settlement to drop their effort to
confiscate his farm. Instead of receiving permission to attend, Bernie has been
detained at the halfway house ever since. He has not been allowed to work and
it looks like he will not be allowed to
return to work (costing him $1,000 in salary). He will also not be allowed to
attend his weekly support group and his monthly pass to visit his farm has been
denied. He has been put on double work details at the "house", and his only
opportunity to leave the "house" will be to attend church services at St. Ann's
Episcopal Church (419 Woodland Street; he attends the 10:30 am service).

However, Bernie can still receive mail (c/o Diersen Charities, 808 Lea Avenue,
Nashville, TN 37203) and he can have visitors at the "house" on Saturdays from
noon to 2:00 pm and on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30 pm. He would also appreciate
receiving emails from any of you which he will be able to read once he is
released on May 10 (something which he is praying will still happen.) This turn
of events is no doubt due to the considerable media attention his case has
received in recent weeks. For those of you outside the Nashville area, here are
links to the three latest stories: the (Nashville) Tennessean's Sunday front-
page story last week, the Channel 5 story on Monday and the cover story in the
Nashville Scene on Wednesday:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070422/NEWS0201/704220432
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=6415164
http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/Cover_Story/2007/04/26/Marijuana_Martyr/index.shtml

Although Bernie was unable to attend, the "Save Bernie's Farm" benefit was a
great success. Thanks to the support of the "house" guards, Bernie was able to
call into the benefit on a cell-phone and to speak to the almost-full house of
supporters via speaker-phone. The music was wonderful, the speakers were
inspiring and the networking and education around the issue of medical
marijuana were priceless. Channel 4 sent a film crew and did another story on
Bernie's case. And thanks to WRFN-FM, the benefit was heard by people all over
the globe. (I believe the benefit has been archived and will be available at
www.radiofreenashville.com for the foreseeable future.) And finally, the
traffic to Bernie's web-site has increased markedly in recent weeks and support
continues to be registered there in the form of letters of support and in
contributions.

Although Bernie cannot thank you himself, he wanted me to tell all of you that
he feels your good thoughts and prayers and he appreciates all of it. With your
continued support, Bernie will be released on May 10, and he wants to invite
all of you to his "coming home" party on May 19 at his farm. In the meantime,
please keep doing what you have been doing to support Bernie and to spread the
word on his case. And write or email Bernie to let him know what you have
learned as you have shared his journey -- he will compile those messages and
send them out to all of you when he is released.

Until that day, keep working for compassion and common sense wherever you can.
After all, we are the ones we have been waiting for.

David Steele (a friend of Bernie)
www.saveberniesfarm.com