Dana Beal
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Dana Beal (born January 9, 1947 in Okemos, Michigan) is a social and political activist, best known for his efforts to legalize marijuana.
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[edit] Early activism
Beal's father was an archivist for the State of Michigan and a veteran of World War II. His ancestors can be traced back to the Hessians and to a signer of the Declaration of Independence. As a high school student, Beal began to immerse himself in philosophy and mathematics. He associated with students from Michigan State University (Okemos was close to East Lansing and MSU).
One evening a niece of the actor Eli Wallach brought him to "The Smoke Shop" - an early commune run by A.J. Weberman. Weberman saw Dana with a copy of Bertrand Russell's Principia Mathematica under his arm wandering about looking at the girls. AJ asked him if he wanted to smoke something that would give him real insight into "Uncle Bertie". (Weberman had reprinted Lord Russell's essay, "Why I Am Not A Christian," under his own name in the State News.) Weberman soon introduced Beal to marijuana and LSD.
Weberman was arrested for possession of marijuana in February 1964 and sent back home to Brooklyn. Beal eventually came to New York City where he got a job, enrolled at New York University, became an A student. He rented an apartment in the East Village with a girlfriend and amassed a collection of science fiction books in a floor to ceiling bookcase he constructed. The only problem he had was having once gotten up at a 1963 political meeting to say that if a tyrant ever takes over the government of the United States he should be shot. Someone in the crowd reported him to the U.S. Secret Service and every time a President of the United States came to New York City for many years thereafter, the Service would interview Beal or check on his whereabouts.
Dana was living the American dream until 1967 when Weberman turned Dana on to his first hit of LSD-25. Beal dropped out of college and formed the New York Provos. The underground newspaper, the East Village Other, gave him its old office on Avenue A and Dana put a large sign in the window reading PSYCHEDELIC REVOLUTION. Every undercover cop in the 9th Precinct stopped by to inquire what differentiated psychedelic revolution from normal run of the mill revolution? Dana started Street Sheet and organized marches through the East Village whenever their was a pot bust. The residents of the East Village showed their support by throwing flowers from their windows - unfortunately they also threw the flower pots.
In the Summer of 1967 Dana allegedly sold acid to a snitch named John Henry and was locked up. The Community Bail Fund got him out, however, Dana jumped bail in January 1968 and went underground - joining groups aligned with the Weather People. His associates at the time included Pat Small and Jerry Weatherman. He moved to Canada and Milwaukee where he wrote perhaps his most prophetic piece, RIGHT ON CULTURE FREAKS, in which he stated that someday the Culture Wars would transcend politics in its importance to change. Apprehended in Madison, Wisconsin, after a child-molester disguised as a Reverend turned him in, Dana did a year in click in Madison, where he was allowed to have his own typewriter. William Kunstler represented him in this matter.
Freed in the summer of 1972 Beal made his way to Miami where he led the protests against the Republican and Democratic Conventions with his trusty crew that include Tom Forcade and Aron Kay and others. Beal returned to New York and moved into a basement apartment on East 3rd Street then to 9 Bleecker Street, which now houses the Yippie Museum. From Number Nine Dana organized demonstrations against the Moonies, against Roy M. Cohn and John Mitchell and numerous anti-war rallies and RIOTS!! He organized affinity groups to TRASH D.C.. He proved himself to be a genuine American dissident and revolutionary.
At about this time, Beal helped with the "Rock Against Racism" concerts[citation needed] and has continued over the years to organize the Million Marijuana March (MMM) on the first Saturday of May every year in New York City.[1][2] The worldwide MMM event began in 1999 with Beal as the major organizer, and now takes place in hundreds of cities around the world in addition to NYC. His friend Weberman has stated on numerous occasions, "With that one joint I gave Dana I created a monster." NYC has had marijuana rallies since 1967.[3][4] Dana has been working for the legalization of marijuana and other issues since at least the mid 1960s, and is particularly known for his association with the Yippies. He soon made an enemy in Lyndon LaRouche, after leading a protest in front of the erstwhile Presidential candidate's house. In 1981, LaRouche published a "Dope Dossier" on Beal in "Investigative Leads," the LaRouchian newsletter for law enforcement personnel, in an unsuccessful effort to trigger a police investigation.
[edit] Ibogaine
Beal has been instrumental in promoting ibogaine as an addiction interrupter. Beal feels addiction is a disease and is determined to ameliorate its effects. Numerous scientific papers have been published attesting to ibogaine's addiction interrupting properties in human and test animals.
[edit] Social engagement
Beal's "Cures Not Wars" site includes information on the Million Marijuana March and the use of Ibogaine in addiction treatment. He also works on behalf of people with AIDS. He is unpopular with some Yippies, however, such as Sam Leff and Bob Fass, who believe that the Yippie movement died with Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. Paul DeRienzo was a close associate of Beal's, as was Thomas King Forcade, the founder of High Times magazine. The book Blacklisted News, is available from the Yippie Museum Press, 9 Bleecker St., NYC 10012, where Beal lives, and which also houses the Yippie Museum chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. The Yippie Museum Cafe and display area now occupies the first floor of Nine Bleecker Street, a landmark building designed by the partner of Olmstead, the man who designed Central Park. The building also houses the "Death To Hank Movement." Hank Nuesselin was a Nazi who infiltrated the Yippies and was caught with an arsenal he intended to use against the Yippies of 9 Bleecker Street. How "His bathtub runneth over" and the police discovered the weapons and grenade stash.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ "Museum will have Abbie’s trash, Rubin’s road kill". By Lincoln Anderson. The Villager. Feb. 1-7, 2006. Article on Dana Beal.
- ^ "Smoke and Jeers. Million Marijuana March Protests NYC's Record-High Pot Arrests". By Jennifer Gonnerman. Village Voice. May 5-11, 1999.
- ^ "Yippie Central". By Colin Moynihan, New York Times. April 29, 2001. Article on Dana Beal.
- ^ May 2nd 1998 New York City marijuana rally.
- ^ http://pieman.org/hanktheskank.html
[edit] Literature
- The Ibogaine Story: Report on the STATEN ISLAND PROJECT, 352 pages, ISBN 1-57027-029-5
