computer screen with words DRUG WAR BLOG bird icon for twitter


The Dark Side of the Monticello Foundation



by Ballard Quass, the Drug War Philosopher





April 27, 2022

In response to "The Dark Side of Thomas Jefferson," published October 2012 in Smithsonian Magazine.

What about the Dark Side of the Monticello Foundation (aka the Thomas Jefferson Foundation), which betrayed Thomas Jefferson's legacy of natural law in 1987 by inviting the DEA onto his estate to confiscate the founding father's poppy plants? Natural law didn't just give us life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It gave us what Locke called the right to 'the use of the land and all that lies therein.' If we're to judge Jefferson by modern standards, then the writers who ignore this act of betrayal on the part of Monticello should worry about how they'll be judged in the future, when Americans finally stop demonizing mother nature's plant medicines and start learning how to use them wisely for the benefit of humankind.


Monticello Betrayed Thomas Jefferson

By demonizing plant medicine, the Drug War overthrew the Natural Law upon which Jefferson founded America -- and brazenly confiscated the Founding Father's poppy plants in 1987, in a symbolic coup against Jeffersonian freedoms.


The Links Police



Do you know why I pulled you over? Well, yes, you do have outdated tags now that you mention it... but I really wanted to give you links to some other essays about the way that the Monticello Foundation sold out Thomas Jefferson in 1987 by inviting the DEA onto the property to confiscate the garden-loving president's poppy plants. Here's a list, to save you the trouble of routing about on the search page here at abolishthedea.com:

How the Monticello Foundation betrayed Jefferson's Legacy in 1987: Monticello is no longer a 'site of conscience' because it sold out Jefferson's legacy in 1987 when it allowed DEA agents to steal Thomas Jefferson's poppies, in a clear violation of natural law, natural rights, and common sense.
Americans have the right to pursue happiness but not to attain it: The constitution gives us the right to the pursuit of happiness, but the drug war outlaws the plants that can bring happiness because superstitious drug warriors recognize only evil in transcendence and medicinally improved thinking

Oh, yeah, and update your tags next chance you get.



Monticello Sells Out Thomas Jefferson






In 1987, the jackbooted DEA stomped onto Thomas Jefferson's estate of Monticello and confiscated the founding father's poppy plants in violation of everything that he stood for politically speaking. And yet the Thomas Jefferson Foundation pretends to this day that the raid never took place. They give no explanation to their visitors as to why the Foundation sold out the man whom they were meant to be honoring. And so all their visitors get a sanitized version of history, designed to let Americans feel that everything's fine, that there is no drug war, and life goes on. What an absolute disgrace, this so-called Thomas Jefferson Foundation. They should remove all the signs in Albemarle County that read "Hallowed Ground" -- because those grounds have been dishonored by the Foundation itself. THEY SOLD OUT THOMAS JEFFERSON -- and are now so pusillanimous and cowardly that they will not even admit that the raid ever took place -- a raid to confiscate flowers, for god's sake.

I wrote a letter to the head of Guest Services at Monticello and he responded: "I'm sorry you do not think that we are doing enough to explain the DEA raid." I responded in turn: "But you are doing NOTHING to explain the raid! You are pretending it never happened!" I then asked the director of guest services to correct me if I was wrong -- and he had nothing further to say. What absolute schmucks! Jefferson is spinning right now in his thoroughly dishonored grave.

  • A Misguided Tour of Monticello
  • How the Jefferson Foundation Betrayed Thomas Jefferson
  • How the Monticello Foundation betrayed Jefferson's Legacy in 1987
  • Introduction to the Drug War Philosopher Website at AbolishTheDEA.com
  • Jefferson
  • The Dark Side of the Monticello Foundation




  • Next essay: Connecticut Drug Warriors want to charge drug dealers with murder
    Previous essay: All these Sons
    More Essays Here


    People

    about whom and to whom I've written over the years...

    Alexander, Lamar
    Letter to Lamar Alexander
    Barrett, Frederick S.
    The common sense way to get off of antidepressants
    Why the Drug War is Worse than you can Imagine
    Benaroch MD, Roy
    Open Letter to Roy Benaroch MD
    Bloom, Josh
    Science is not free in the age of the drug war
    Buchanan, Julian
    Finally, a drug war opponent who checks all my boxes
    Chalmers, David
    David Chalmers and the Drug War
    Chelmow MD, David
    How the US Preventive Services Task Force Drums Up Business for Big Pharma
    Chomsky, Noam
    Chomsky is Right
    Chomsky's Revenge
    Noam Chomsky on Drugs
    Cline, Ben
    Open Letter to Congressman Ben Cline, asking him to abolish the criminal DEA
    Close, Glenn
    Glenn Close but no cigar
    De Quincey, Thomas
    The Therapeutic Value of Anticipation
    Dick, Philip K.
    Drug Laws as the Punishment of 'Pre-Crime'
    Doblin, Rick
    Constructive criticism of the MAPS strategy for re-legalizing MDMA
    Is Rick Doblin Running with the Devil?
    Why Rick Doblin is Ghosting Me
    Ellsberg, Daniel
    Drug Warriors Fiddle while Rome Gets Nuked
    Falcon, Joshua
    Drugs are not the enemy, hatred is the enemy
    Floyd, George
    The Racist Drug War killed George Floyd
    Fort, Charles
    The Book of the Damned
    Fox, James Alan
    The Invisible Mass Shootings
    Friedman, Milton
    How Milton Friedman Completely Misunderstood the War on Drugs
    Fukuyama, Francis
    Open Letter to Francis Fukuyama
    Gibb, Andy
    How The Drug War Killed Andy Gibb
    Gimbel, Steven
    Heroin versus Alcohol
    Glaser, Gabrielle
    Open Letter to Gabrielle Glaser
    Glieberman, Owen
    Open Letter to Variety Critic Owen Glieberman
    Glover, Troy
    Open letter to Professor Troy Glover at Waterloo University
    Goswami, Amit
    Alternative Medicine as a Drug War Creation
    Gottlieb, Anthony
    Open Letter to Anthony Gottlieb
    Grandmaster Flash, musician
    Grandmaster Flash: Drug War Collaborator
    Griffiths, Roland
    Depressed? Here's why you can't get the medicines that you need
    Open Letter to Rick Doblin and Roland Griffiths
    Gupta, Sujata
    The Mother of all Western Biases
    Hammersley, Richard
    Open Letter to Richard Hammersley
    Handwerk, Brian
    How National Geographic slanders the Inca people and their use of coca
    Harris, Kamala
    Why I Support Kamala Harris
    Harrison, Francis Burton
    Screw You, Francis Burton Harrison
    Hart, Carl
    Open Letter to Dr. Carl L. Hart
    What Carl Hart Missed
    Harvey, Dennis
    How Variety and its film critics support drug war fascism
    Heidegger, Martin
    Heidegger on Drugs
    Hogshire, Jim
    I've got a bone to pick with Jim Hogshire
    Opium for the Masses by Jim Hogshire
    What Jim Hogshire Got Wrong about Drugs
    Hurley, Vincent
    Open Letter to Vincent Hurley, Lecturer
    Hutton, Ronald
    Drug Dealers as Modern Witches
    James, William
    How the Drug War is Threatening Intellectual Freedom in England
    Keep Laughing Gas Legal
    The Criminalization of Nitrous Oxide is No Laughing Matter
    William James rolls over in his grave as England bans Laughing Gas
    Jefferson, Thomas
    A Misguided Tour of Monticello
    How the Jefferson Foundation Betrayed Thomas Jefferson
    How the Monticello Foundation betrayed Jefferson's Legacy in 1987
    Jefferson
    The Dark Side of the Monticello Foundation
    Jenkins, Philip
    'Synthetic Panics' by Philip Jenkins
    Jenkins DA, Brooke
    Prohibitionists Never Learn
    Kant, Immanuel
    How the Drug War limits our understanding of Immanuel Kant
    How the Drug War Outlaws Criticism of Immanuel Kant
    Kastrup, Bernardo
    How Bernardo Kastrup reckons without the drug war
    Kenny, Gino
    The Right to LIVE FULLY is more important than the Right to DIE
    Kirsch, Irving
    Brahms is NOT the best antidepressant
    Klang, Jessica
    All these Sons
    Kotek, Tina
    Regulate and Educate
    Koterski, Jospeh
    America's Blind Spot
    Kurtz, Matthew M.
    How Scientific American reckons without the drug war
    Langlitz, Nicolas
    Why the FDA is not qualified to judge psychoactive medicine
    Lee, Spike
    Spike Lee is Bamboozled by the Drug War
    Leshner, Alan I.
    How the Drug War Screws the Depressed
    Lewis, Edward
    Psilocybin Mushrooms by Edward Lewis
    Ling, Lisa
    Open Letter to Lisa Ling
    Locke, John
    John Locke on Drugs
    Maples-Keller, Jessica
    Hello? MDMA works, already!
    Margaritoff, Marco
    In Defense of Opium
    Open Letter to Margo Margaritoff
    Marinacci, Mike
    Psychedelic Cults and Outlaw Churches: LSD, Cannabis, and Spiritual Sacraments in Underground America
    Martinez, Liz
    Replacing antidepressants with entheogens
    Mate, Gabor
    In the Realm of Hungry Drug Warriors
    Open Letter to Addiction Specialist Gabor Mate
    Sherlock Holmes versus Gabor Maté
    McAllister, Sean
    How to Unite Drug War Opponents of all Ethnicities
    Mithoefer, MD, Michael
    MDMA for Psychotherapy
    Mohler, George
    Predictive Policing in the Age of the Drug War
    Morgan, Cory
    Canadian Drug Warrior, I said Get Away
    Naz, Arab
    The Menace of the Drug War
    Newcombe, Russell
    Intoxiphobia
    Nietzsche, Friedrich
    Nietzsche and the Drug War
    Nixon, Richard
    Why Hollywood Owes Richard Nixon an Oscar
    Noakes, Jesse
    Americans have the right to pursue happiness but not to attain it
    Nobis, Nathan
    Top 10 Problems with the Drug War
    Nutt, David
    Majoring in Drug War Philosophy
    O'Leary, Diane
    Open Letter to Diane O'Leary
    Obama, Barack
    What Obama got wrong about drugs
    Offenhartz, Jake
    Libertarians as Closet Christian Scientists
    Pearson, Snoop
    Snoop Pearson's muddle-headed take on drugs
    Perry, Matthew
    Drug War Murderers
    Matthew Perry and the Drug War Ghouls
    Pinchbeck, Daniel
    Review of When Plants Dream
    Polk, Thad
    How Addiction Scientists Reckon without the Drug War
    Pollan, Michael
    Michael Pollan on Drugs
    My Conversation with Michael Pollan
    The Michael Pollan Fallacy
    Rado, Vincent
    Open Letter to Vincent Rado
    Reuter, Peter
    The problem with Modern Drug Reform Efforts
    Rovelli, Carlo
    Why Science is the Handmaiden of the Drug War
    Rudgeley, Richard
    Richard Rudgley condemns 'drugs' with faint praise
    Sabet, Kevin
    Why Kevin Sabet's approach to drugs is racist, anti-scientific and counterproductive
    Sanders, Laura
    Science News Continues to Ignore the Drug War
    Santayana, George
    If this be reason, let us make the least of it!
    Schopenhauer, Arthur
    What if Arthur Schopenhauer Had Used DMT?
    Schultes, Richard Evans
    The Drug War Imperialism of Richard Evans Schultes
    Segall PhD, Matthew D.
    Why Philosophers Need to Stop Dogmatically Ignoring Drugs
    Sewell, Kenneth
    Open letter to Kenneth Sewell
    Shapiro, Arthur
    Illusions with Professor Arthur Shapiro
    Smith, Wolfgang
    Open letter to Wolfgang Smith
    Unscientific American
    Smyth, Bobby
    Teenagers and Cannabis
    Sotillos, Samuel Bendeck
    In Defense of Religious Drug Use
    Stea, Jonathan
    The Pseudoscience of Mental Health Treatment
    Strassman, Rick
    Five problems with The Psychedelic Handbook by Rick Strassman
    What Rick Strassman Got Wrong
    Szasz, Thomas
    In Praise of Thomas Szasz
    Tulfo, Ramon T.
    Why the Drug War is far worse than a failure
    Urquhart, Steven
    No drugs are bad in and of themselves
    Vance, Laurence
    In Response to Laurence Vance
    Walker, Lynn
    Ignorance is the enemy, not Fentanyl
    Walsh, Bryan
    The Drug War and Armageddon
    The End Times by Bryan Walsh
    Warner, Mark
    Another Cry in the Wilderness
    Watson, JB
    Behaviorism and the War on Drugs
    Weil, Andrew
    What Andrew Weil Got Wrong
    Whitaker, Robert
    Mad at Mad in America
    Whitehead, Alfred North
    Whitehead and Psychedelics
    Willyard, Cassandra
    Science News magazine continues to pretend that there is no war on drugs
    Winehouse, Amy
    How the Drug War Killed Amy Winehouse
    Wininger, Charley
    Getting off antidepressants in the age of the drug war
    Wuthnow, Robert
    Clodhoppers on Drugs
    Zelfand, Erica
    Open Letter to Erica Zelfand
    Zinn, Howard
    Even Howard Zinn Reckons without the Drug War
    Zuboff, Shoshana
    Tune In, Turn On, Opt Out



    The latest hits from Drug War Records, featuring Freddie and the Fearmongers!


    1. Requiem for the Fourth Amendment



    2. There's No Place Like Home (until the DEA gets through with it)



    3. O Say Can You See (what the Drug War's done to you and me)






    computer screen with words DRUG WAR BLOG







    Some Tweets against the hateful war on drugs

    The Thomas Jefferson Foundation is a drug war collaborator. They helped the DEA confiscate Thomas Jefferson's poppy plants in 1987. They have refused to talk about that ever since.
    Only a pathological puritan would say that there's no place in the world for substances that lift your mood, give you endurance, and make you get along with your fellow human being. Drugs may not be everything, but it's masochistic madness to claim that they are nothing at all.
    The proof that psychedelics work has always been extant. We are hoodwinked by scientists who convince us that efficacy has not been "proven." This is materialist denial of the obvious.
    The 2024 Colorado bill was withdrawn -- but only when pols realized that they had been caught in the act of outlawing free speech. They did not let opponents speak, however, because they knew the speeches would make the pols look like the anti-democratic jerks that they were.
    We deal with "drug" risks differently than any other risk. Aspirin kills thousands every year. The death rate from free climbing is huge. But it's only with "drug use" that we demand zero deaths (a policy which ironically causes far more deaths than necessary).
    Prohibitionists are also responsible for the 100,000-plus killed in the US-inspired Mexican drug war
    Mad in America publishes stories of folks who are disillusioned with antidepressants, but they won't publish mine, because I find mushrooms useful. They only want stories about cold turkey and jogging, or nutrition, or meditation.
    I could tell my psychiatrist EXACTLY what would "cure" my depression, even without getting addicted, but everything involved is illegal. It has to be. Otherwise I would have no need of the psychiatrist.
    Drug warriors aren't just deciding for us about drugs. They're telling us that we no longer need Coleridge poems, Lovecraft stories, Robin Williams, Sherlock Holmes, or the soma-inspired Hindu religion.
    Every time I see a psychiatrist, I feel like I'm playing a game of make-believe. We're both pretending that hundreds of demonized medicines do not exist and could be of no use whatsoever.
    More Tweets






    front cover of Drug War Comic Book

    Buy the Drug War Comic Book by the Drug War Philosopher Brian Quass, featuring 150 hilarious op-ed pics about America's disgraceful war on Americans



    You have been reading an article entitled, The Dark Side of the Monticello Foundation published on April 27, 2022 on AbolishTheDEA.com. For more information about America's disgraceful drug war, which is anti-patient, anti-minority, anti-scientific, anti-mother nature, imperialistic, the establishment of the Christian Science religion, a violation of the natural law upon which America was founded, and a childish and counterproductive way of looking at the world, one which causes all of the problems that it purports to solve, and then some, visit the drug war philosopher, at abolishTheDEA.com. (philosopher's bio; go to top of this page)