Fox News isn't for thinkers. It's for people who have given up thinking.
--- In [email protected], "uncoolrabbit" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > John Fugelsang: Taking the "Drug War"... Seriously > Thu Apr 13, 10:35 PM ET > > > > I was watching Fox News the other night (because I'm a thinker) when > I came across a commercial for the drug war. Perhaps you've seen it. > It's the one that says "If you buy drugs, even pot, your money may > go to fund terrorists. > > Now this was really an eye opener for me. I grew up in America's > public schools, with all the traditional fear-mongering propaganda > about Pot. You know what I'm talking about - all the horror stories > they feed you about the evil things pot will do to your brain? I > can't recall any of it right now, but you get the idea. > > They always told us "Pot makes you violent. And Lazy." Which never > scared any kids I knew. I always thought if the violent people were > lazy, we'd have a lot less crime. Imagine the thug who > threatens, "I'm gonna kill you, man. Right after this burrito." > > And this is why so many kids have a hard time taking the drug war > seriously. We're always changing the reasons, but the message stays > the same. We keep telling them "drugs are bad! Drugs are bad! Drugs > are bad!" and that, my friends, is not the problem. > > The problem is not that drugs are bad. The problem is that drugs are > great. That's the problem. > > Addiction is bad. Overdosing is bad. Making stupid choices when > you're high is bad, and all you potheads who paid to see "I Robot" > know what I'm talking about. > > But now the White House is saying that if you buy pot, your money > will go to terrorists. Clearly, the message George Bush is > sending? Grow your own. > > I actually find it funny that the government is now actively linking > the war on drugs to the current war on terror. You see, the Drug War > as we know it began in that bastion of morality, San Francisco, back > in 1873. > > Back then, Chinese immigrants were the group everybody was allowed > to hate, and people really didn't like the thought of good Christian > folks going to smoke in the opium dens of "the heathen Chinese." . > White people took opium too, but they usually ate it, or shot it up. > You know, the wholesome way. > > So they passed a law taxing imported smokable opium. This is > noteworthy, since besides the obvious racism, it was the first time > the government used taxes not to raise money (as the founders > intended), but to punish and control private behavior. Thus began a > long tradition of drug laws that work about as well as British > toothpaste. > > The well regulated, law abiding opium houses shut down, the Chinese > underworld grew stronger: violence erupted; lives disrupted; police > and politicians corrupted; America interrupted. > > So it's extra ironic they'd link the drug war to the terror war. > Because now that the Taliban is out of power, people can finally get > decent opium again. > > The Drug war's been around so long it seems like it's part of our > heritage. But cannabis hemp was a major American crop from the > earliest colonial days. The US census of 1850 counted 8000 hemp > plantations. > > I'm going to repeat that, because I think it's worth noting. The > 1850 US Census counted 8000 cannabis hemp plantations. Growing > cannabis was as American as apple pie. And everyone knew that if you > smoked the flowery top of the plant, you'd want to eat a lot of > apple pies. But it was never a concern. Then, as now, the biggest > drug problem was alcohol. > > When the government made Marijuana illegal in 1937, the American > Medical Association officially protested. Because for hundreds of > years, it's medicinal and industrial uses were well documented. > > Washington grew hemp at Mount Vernon. Thomas Jefferson grew it at > Monticello, and actually helped smuggle rare hemp seeds out of > China. Nowadays, they'd go to jail for it. That is, if we ever > started locking up the rich white guys > > Benjamin Franklin started a colonial paper mill that made paper from > hemp fiber. I'm not suggesting Ben ever smoked any - I'm sure lots > of sober guys fly kites during thunderstorms. > > And since it's April, it's worth mentioning that from the 1600s to > the 1800s, cannabis hemp was used as a currency - legal tender. In > fact for over 200 years you could pay your taxes in cannabis hemp. > So next April 15th, try to send the IRS a few loose marijuana > cigarettes. I'm sure they'll appreciate your knowledge of our > history, and you can even file it as a "joint return." > > The point is, Cannabis has been in America for hundreds of years - > even longer than white people. But it's only been illegal for the > past 70. So technically, decriminalizing it is the true Conservative > point of view... > > And it's the issue of medical marijuana that makes this a moral > battle. I grew up in a Catholic family. An extremely Catholic > family. We used to have open casket reunions. Now I'm not anti- > Christian at all. My Mother is an ex-nun and my Father an ex- > Franciscan brother. I just view Jesus the way I view Elvis. I love > the guy, but some of the fan clubs scare me. > > Because what I learned from the bible as a child was that Jesus was > a radical nonviolent revolutionary; a man who hung around with > lepers, hookers and crooks; who never spoke English and wasn't an > American citizen; was anti-death penalty, anti-capitalist, anti > public prayer (Matthew 6:5, please remind them) but Never anti gay; > and was a long haired, brown skinned (yes, it's in there), homeless, > middle eastern Jew. And all he wants us to do is love people - > especially the people we don't like. > > So I have a hard time believing that JC would advocate locking up > sick people. > > In 1996 the voters of California approved a medical marijuana > proposal. The Clinton White House promptly put the kibosh on it. > George W. Bush is also opposed to medical marijuana. Now both of > these presidents have been vague, at best, about their drug > histories. But they've had no problem locking up others for the same > behaviors. Which I take as a sign that neither of them truly > believes in the drug war. > > Because if they really felt at their core that illegal drug use was > evil, they'd confess their crimes and ask forgiveness. Remember - if > they thought it was a sin, they'd turn themselves in. Imagine > Johnnie Cochran saying it - it'll sound better. > > I'm not saying that these two presidents are evil men. It's just > part of why the drug war makes no sense. It's a thousand piece > jigsaw puzzle where the pieces don't fit - and it's never going to > look like what they promised you on the box.. > > The drug war violates civil liberties, privacy rights, rights > against search and seizure. It's led to out of control crime, > corrupted law enforcement & business officials, and shown that the > wealthy can get away with what the poor cannot - in short, it makes > a mockery of any claim to be a free country. > > The war on drugs is a war on Americans. It's not even about race > anymore , but class - and the only color that matters is lack of > green. > > But we can't stop? You know why? We as a nation, a people, a tribe, > are hooked. > > Like Caffeine, Oxycontin, fructose or Vicodin - we are addicted to > the drug war. > > We know it doesn't work - we can't stop. > We know it's too expensive and we can't afford it - we can't stop. > We know there are a million people in prison and every year we pay > 40 grand apiece to keep them in jail; when they could be out > working, paying taxes and contributing to the economy - but we > cannot stop. > > There are two types of people who keep repeating the same behaviors > over and over, always expecting different outcome. Addicts, and > crazy people. > > So we'd better hope we're addicts. Because I don't' want to believe > the country I love is this insane. And the good news is this : if we > are addicted, we can get treatment. > > I've had the pleasure of being on 2 different episodes of > Politically InCorrect with Arianna Huffington, and to me she's a > shining example of how an opened heart and an opened mind can enrich > any community. My respect goes out to everyone intervening to help > America break this ill-natured addiction. > > Thank you all for doing the Lord's work. > ForumWebSiteAt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
