Think for Yourself
     The late Jim Rosenfield started Think for Yourself, in 1992, to present the voices dissenting from the majority official view, that we must suppress the use of drugs by criminalizing drugs users and trade in drugs. "Dissenting views have been suppressed through a powerful government-sponsored campaign of intimidation, demonization, ridicule and harassment. The World Wide Web now makes it possible to combat the government campaign and to present this material to all who are concerned."

     Jim Rosenfield was involved with the internet since 1980, when he used usenet bulletin boards to build volunteer activities for The Hunger Project.

Jim Rosenfield
Jim Rosenfield

     In 1990, he was awarded The Hunger Project's Decade Achievement award. He has delivered hundreds of courses, talks, editorials and articles on public interest issues. He has managed volunteers in the Los Angeles Area for the past 15 years.

     In the eighties he lobbied against the expanding CIA involvement in foreign wars, particularly supporting actions to expose actions in El Salvador and Nicaragua.

    In 1991, along with Dave Borden and Cliff Schaffer, he conceived and developed The Drug Reform Coordination Network, Think for Yourself, and the DRCNet DrugLibrary (World's Largest Online Library of Drug Policy)

     In 1994, he distributed a proposal to enhance media access for drug policy activists and then co-founded the Drug Policy Media Awareness Project (MAP), which monitors and responds to drug war propaganda with sophisticated letter-writing and lobbying campaigns. He created MAP's Purpose Statement: "Shift the Public Discourse on Drug Prohibition from Myth, Dogma and Hysteria to Facts, Science and Good Public Policy. "

     He was a proud producer of the following public interest websites:

     He produced many public events including television production, satellite linkups, concerts, debates and teach-ins. Los Angeles Medical Marijuana Day Media Event in October 1997 on the steps of the County Courts Bldg. Featured guest and speaker on Tom Leikis' top syndicated radio talk show on 1994 passage of California's Smoke-a-Joint-Lose-Your-License Law.

     His NORML Medical Marijuana Rally in Anaheim's LaPalma Park led to an ACLU challenge to and repeal of Anaheim's repressive Parks Exclusion Ordinance. The story was heavily covered in national and regional papers. As a panelist at the 1996 Drug Policy Foundation Conference in Santa Monica, he spoke on strategies for reform of drug policy in California.

     He led a successful pressure campaign to have Jimmy Montgomery receive medical release from 10-year Oklahoma prison term on medical marijuana conviction.
    Until his death in December 1999, he continued to help in formulating effective community participation to limit societal damage from drug-related policies.

     He was a businessman, husband and father of two children. In 1995, he founded Insight Web Marketing to design marketing programs and to assist businesses in utilizing the internet. Insight has developed over three hundred commercial web sites and several popular sites for non-profits. Insight also assisted businesses with computer systems -- design, installation and maintenance.

     Since 1977, he had been associated with ROMAC Supply Company, and Power Controls, Inc, as an officer as well as Director of Marketing and Information Systems. These firms service industrial clients -- stocking and servicing circuit breakers, motors, transformers, and manufacturing motor controls and switchgear.

     He was known throughout Southern California as an exciting and knowledgeable speaker on internet marketing, political and electrical safety issues. He has been widely published in electrical power industry journals on the subjects of preventive maintenance, standards for reconditioning circuit breakers and industrial electrical safety.