Arkansas City will not be the focus now, but we can still talk about the town. For now the blog is a blog in search of an identity. Considering what the new niche will be.
These people are real AMERICAN HEROES!!! They have chosen to endure the hardships of the 'frontier' instead of staying where they were and looking for a government handout! They have my admiration and prayers.
Completely unrelated, but what do you think should be the response of law enforcement? Should it be legalized? While it is not, should it be prosecuted?
I have no interest in starting my own blog, and I really don't care to comment on any of the current topics that are open for discussion. This was in the news, and I was wondering what the consensus was in AC with regard to the issue. I thought this was a community forum, and things often meander and take on a life of their own. I don't see how this makes me a "selfishpr!ck." If JJ ever asked that people stick to the topic at hand, I would certainly honor his wishes. It is his blog afterall. Untill then, I was just wondering what kind of support this movement had in this conservative, Mid- America bible belt.
Also, while I have honestly never smoked it, I have several friends that did, and many who still do. Some who are prominent people in the community. You would be surprised. I just thing there is a certain amount of hypocrisy with the way we deal with this. It is estimated that 1 in 5 high school students have smoked marijuana in the past month, while nearly half of all Americans have tried it at least once in their lifetime. In several surveys, teenagers reported that marijuana was easier to buy than beer or cigarettes. Many will cite "keeping it out of the hands of children," as one of the main reasons to keep the drug illegal. This is not working. It is easier for children to buy it than adults.
People also say, "We'll have an epidemic on our hands if it is legalized." Again, statistics do not bear this out. In the Netherlands where marijuana is legal, 16% reported using, compared to 42% in the US.
We can no longer tell our children it is bad for your health, addictive, that it will make you unproductive. The media is full of reports of very successful people using it with no ill effect. Entertainers, actors, athletes, politicians. Their mothers, and fathers, nextdoor neighbors, teachers...
So, what are we to tell our kids? "I know Obama did it, I know Bill Clinton did it, I know Michael Phelps does it, and Willie Nelson, and Toby Keith do it, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Whoppi Goldberg, Newt Gingrich, Alan Ginsberg, William Shakespeare, Margaret Trudeau all do or did it..., but you, you will kill your brain cells, become lazy and unproductive, get addicted and die of reefer madness. It is time we be honest.
The list goes on and on. Check it out: http://www.veryimportantpotheads.com/
If we regulated it like alcohol, we would demystify it, the lure might not be as strong, and we could increase revenue. A 2006 study estimated that marijuana production, at a value of $35.8 billion, exceeded the combined value of corn ($23.3 billion) and wheat ($7.5 billion). The study reports this would make marijuana the top cash crop in 12 states and among the top three cash crops in 30.
A Cherokee Legend The little boy was walking down a path and he came across a rattlesnake. The rattlesnake was getting old. He asked, "Please little boy, can you take me to the top of the mountain? I hope to see the sunset one last time before I die." The little boy answered "No Mr. Rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you'll bite me and I'll die." The rattlesnake said, "No, I promise. I won't bite you. Just please take me up to the mountain." The little boy thought about it and finally picked up that rattlesnake and took it close to his chest and carried it up to the top of the mountain.
They sat there and watched the sunset together. It was so beautiful. Then after sunset the rattlesnake turned to the little boy and asked, "Can I go home now? I am tired, and I am old." The little boy picked up the rattlesnake and again took it to his chest and held it tightly and safely. He came all the way down the mountain holding the snake carefully and took it to his home to give him some food and a place to sleep. The next day the rattlesnake turned to the boy and asked, "Please little boy, will you take me back to my home now? It is time for me to leave this world, and I would like to be at my home now." The little boy felt he had been safe all this time and the snake had kept his word, so he would take it home as asked.
He carefully picked up the snake, took it close to his chest, and carried him back to the woods, to his home to die. Just before he laid the rattlesnake down, the rattlesnake turned and bit him in the chest. The little boy cried out and threw the snake upon the ground. "Mr. Snake, why did you do that? Now I will surely die!" The rattlesnake looked up at him and grinned, "You knew what I was when you picked me up."
It is a double standard. Alcohol is a stronger drug than marijuana. Yet we celebrate alcohol. A good percentage - over half - of the people in jail are there for drug law violations. That obviously isnt working. They say drug use is a drain on our economy, but ... the drain of cycling people through a prison system is more of a drain. We could eliminate the over crowding of jails immediately, save a ton of money. and actually have more money from the tax revenues generated. You would also create a new industry and more jobs.
And it would be one less level of government .. to the people who want less government - why do we want government telling us what drugs we can use.
I think I agree, with all of these conservatives crying for less government, and the libertarians growing in number, I would think this is right up their alley. Why should the government tell people what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Of course you would regulate it like you do alcohol...
Why should the government tell people what they can and cannot do with their own bodies.
Your probably right!
That's not the Governments Job! But then you want to make it the responsibility of the Government when they are expected to provide for and/or re-hab the addicts (or their families). Or remove them from Society?
So which is it!
Your responsibility or the Governments?
Because you or someone else simply can't or don't want to be responsible!
Drugs destroy LIVES and FAMILIES! (even legal and prescription drugs when abused)
Drugs destroy LIVES and FAMILIES! (even legal and prescription drugs when abused) alcohol is a legal drug for th erecord making pot illegal is not stopping the majority from using . its just turning them into criminals. you dont know what the reason for the use is, so you have no right to judge other than to say its illegal. some use it as a coping method so they dont rip your head off when you feel the need to judge them without knowing the whole story
Nope, sorry. The reason doesn't matter. It is illegal. Period. If someone feels the need to do bodily harm when things don'e go their way, that person flat out does not belong in society.
you are included in that, overeating causes bodily harm , remember GLASS HOUSES. but I am sure you have never overreacted to anything in your whole life. Lighten up
you are included in that, overeating causes bodily harm , remember GLASS HOUSES.
Well you have some good points!
But it still goes back to what kind of Society you want to create and live in!
We have come a long way medically and we know the effects of certain drugs (chemicals) and their long term effects!
In the late eighteen early nineteen hundreds there were some products that contained a narcotic like substance like Coca Cola! That same susbstance was used to treat pain like toothaches etc. It was unregulated!
But it became evident that it was having a negative impact on Society! So it was band from retail products!
Even though we have progressed to a much more modern society what makes the lessons of the past any less relevant TODAY!
If anything we know what those chemicals do to the body and the brain! Some of them change the bodies and/or brains chemistry! (Might make someone want to rip off a head or two!)
Besides they have gotten a lot more creative in producing those chemicals in more and purer forms which result in a much quicker effect or addiction!
Even the Pot you want to promote is probably a much stronger substance than in the past!
So coping turns to addiction which turns into another life lost to Drugs!
So we are back to square one! What kind of Society do you want?
Even the Pot you want to promote is probably a much stronger substance than in the past! I never said I wanted to promote pot, word of mouth is doing fine on that front
As I stated in the original post, I have never tried it. Never really had the desire. Probably wouldn't even if it was legal. I have friends who smoke occasionally, and I can't really see that it has had any detrimental effect. Not promoting it, don't approve or disapprove, just think our laws are a bit of a mess, inconsistent, and hyprocritical...
We spend a lot of money prosecuting, and then incarcerating people for silly pot offenses.
So you are friends with people who knowingly break the law? Some of them having surprising prominence? And you sit idly by? You are a very poor excuse for an American citizen. These people are getting illegal drugs from somewhere. Turn their @sses in so we can find the big dealers and clean up this town. Otherwise you are contributing to the problem. If I found out that anyone I was friends with or my children were exposed to was on drugs, I would definitely distance myself from that person. You bleeding heart libs with your 420-NORML propaganda. "I dont do it but I know plenty of people who do...bla,bla,bla"
Just not my thing. Were it coke or heroin, were they molesting children or embezzling from their jobs, I'd make the phone call. I also know people who knowingly drive without a seatbelt, don't register their cars, and cheat on their taxes. Should I turn them in too?
whoever said at 4;36 that you are a poor excuse for an american must be a super duper American citizen(who smokes the pot) not that there is anything wrong with that, plain and simple , you just seem to know more than most about this stuff.for example what is 420 NORML? are you the president of this club? the only place I see it mentioned is in your post , so you must be the pot head expert.. not sure what it means but am sure you do . I think you calling people liberal and such is part of the problem , its people like you who are obsessed with labeling everyone but yourself,opps my bad your label is the labeler. FEAR THE LABELER , I am sure thats your only flaw.
@4:40 "So, does the drug consumer in America bear any responsibility for the horrendous activities of those Drug Cartels in Mexico?
Consumerism = the new anti-conscience?"
Absolutley. Which is another reason why legalizing pot makes sense. It takes the growth and distribution out of their hands.
Of course there would still be meth, and cocaine, and opiates from Afghanestan...
But yeah, the drug consumer bears total responsibility.
As does the coffee consumer bear responsibility for the deplorable conditions on coffee plantations, and the chocolate consumer bears responsibility for the child slavery On the Ivory Coast, or the athetlic shoe consumer for the abuse of workers in Thailand...
We want comfort and convenience at affordable prices, it dosen't matter that people in other parts of the world are paying a horrible price for our extravegant lifestyle.
Absolutley. Which is another reason why legalizing pot makes sense. It takes the growth and distribution out of their hands.
Probably wouldn't work quite the way you think!
Because they (Third World Countries) would still provide a higher quality product at a cheaper price!
Then
Wait till the Government gets involved in the production of Mary J.!
Afterall
They will be regulating their operations! (water, fertilizers etc.) Maybe they will even decide how much THC can be allowed in each joint! Put a filter on it?
Better to just get rid of it all together! That would reduce the Cartels Power too!
unfortunately
They probably still make Moonshine in those hills and drugs will never truly disappear!
These people are real AMERICAN HEROES!!! They have chosen to endure the hardships of the 'frontier' instead of staying where they were and looking for a government handout! They have my admiration and prayers.
ReplyDeleteCompletely unrelated, but what do you think should be the response of law enforcement? Should it be legalized? While it is not, should it be prosecuted?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1267696/National-weed-day-2010-US-4-20-pot-protesters-light-April-20th.html
Completely unrelated, but can I hijack your blog since I don't have the initiative to start my own?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.selfishpr!ck.com/blogtroll
I have no interest in starting my own blog, and I really don't care to comment on any of the current topics that are open for discussion. This was in the news, and I was wondering what the consensus was in AC with regard to the issue. I thought this was a community forum, and things often meander and take on a life of their own. I don't see how this makes me a "selfishpr!ck." If JJ ever asked that people stick to the topic at hand, I would certainly honor his wishes. It is his blog afterall.
ReplyDeleteUntill then, I was just wondering what kind of support this movement had in this conservative, Mid- America bible belt.
Also, while I have honestly never smoked it, I have several friends that did, and many who still do. Some who are prominent people in the community. You would be surprised. I just thing there is a certain amount of hypocrisy with the way we deal with this. It is estimated that 1 in 5 high school students have smoked marijuana in the past month, while nearly half of all Americans have tried it at least once in their lifetime. In several surveys, teenagers reported that marijuana was easier to buy than beer or cigarettes. Many will cite "keeping it out of the hands of children," as one of the main reasons to keep the drug illegal. This is not working. It is easier for children to buy it than adults.
ReplyDeletePeople also say, "We'll have an epidemic on our hands if it is legalized." Again, statistics do not bear this out. In the Netherlands where marijuana is legal, 16% reported using, compared to 42% in the US.
We can no longer tell our children it is bad for your health, addictive, that it will make you unproductive.
The media is full of reports of very successful people using it with no ill effect. Entertainers, actors, athletes, politicians. Their mothers, and fathers, nextdoor neighbors, teachers...
So, what are we to tell our kids?
"I know Obama did it, I know Bill Clinton did it, I know Michael Phelps does it, and Willie Nelson, and Toby Keith do it, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Whoppi Goldberg, Newt Gingrich, Alan Ginsberg, William Shakespeare, Margaret Trudeau all do or did it..., but you, you will kill your brain cells, become lazy and unproductive, get addicted and die of reefer madness. It is time we be honest.
The list goes on and on. Check it out:
http://www.veryimportantpotheads.com/
If we regulated it like alcohol, we would demystify it, the lure might not be as strong, and we could increase revenue.
A 2006 study estimated that marijuana production, at a value of $35.8 billion, exceeded the combined value of corn ($23.3 billion) and wheat ($7.5 billion).
The study reports this would make marijuana the top cash crop in 12 states and among the top three cash crops in 30.
A Cherokee Legend
ReplyDeleteThe little boy was walking down a path and he came across a rattlesnake. The rattlesnake was getting old. He asked, "Please little boy, can you take me to the top of the mountain? I hope to see the sunset one last time before I die." The little boy answered "No Mr. Rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you'll bite me and I'll die." The rattlesnake said, "No, I promise. I won't bite you. Just please take me up to the mountain." The little boy thought about it and finally picked up that rattlesnake and took it close to his chest and carried it up to the top of the mountain.
They sat there and watched the sunset together. It was so beautiful. Then after sunset the rattlesnake turned to the little boy and asked, "Can I go home now? I am tired, and I am old." The little boy picked up the rattlesnake and again took it to his chest and held it tightly and safely. He came all the way down the mountain holding the snake carefully and took it to his home to give him some food and a place to sleep. The next day the rattlesnake turned to the boy and asked, "Please little boy, will you take me back to my home now? It is time for me to leave this world, and I would like to be at my home now." The little boy felt he had been safe all this time and the snake had kept his word, so he would take it home as asked.
He carefully picked up the snake, took it close to his chest, and carried him back to the woods, to his home to die. Just before he laid the rattlesnake down, the rattlesnake turned and bit him in the chest. The little boy cried out and threw the snake upon the ground. "Mr. Snake, why did you do that? Now I will surely die!" The rattlesnake looked up at him and grinned, "You knew what I was when you picked me up."
*************
AND
They KNEW they were Drugs!
@5:01pm -
ReplyDeleteGreat story. Seriously.
But what has that got to do with whether or not marijuana should be legalized?
Yes, they KNEW they were drugs.
So what?
Alcohol is a drug, tobacco, caffeine, aspirin, penecilin...
So what?
My question is, how do we justify it's prohibition? Is it really that detrimental?
I mean, clearly everyone on the list I cited is a lazy slacker...
It is a double standard. Alcohol is a stronger drug than marijuana. Yet we celebrate alcohol.
ReplyDeleteA good percentage - over half - of the people in jail are there for drug law violations.
That obviously isnt working.
They say drug use is a drain on our economy, but ... the drain of cycling people through a prison system is more of a drain.
We could eliminate the over crowding of jails immediately, save a ton of money.
and actually have more money from the tax revenues generated.
You would also create a new industry and more jobs.
And it would be one less level of government ..
to the people who want less government - why do we want government telling us what drugs we can use.
I think I agree, with all of these conservatives crying for less government, and the libertarians growing in number, I would think this is right up their alley. Why should the government tell people what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Of course you would regulate it like you do alcohol...
ReplyDeleteWhy should the government tell people what they can and cannot do with their own bodies.
ReplyDeleteYour probably right!
That's not the Governments Job!
But then you want to make it the responsibility of the Government when they are expected to provide for and/or re-hab the addicts (or their families). Or remove them from Society?
So which is it!
Your responsibility or the Governments?
Because you or someone else simply can't or don't want to be responsible!
Drugs destroy LIVES and FAMILIES!
(even legal and prescription drugs when
abused)
How many example does the WORLD have to provide?
END OF MESSAGE!
Drugs destroy LIVES and FAMILIES!
ReplyDelete(even legal and prescription drugs when
abused)
alcohol is a legal drug for th erecord making pot illegal is not stopping the majority from using .
its just turning them into criminals.
you dont know what the reason for the use is, so you have no right to judge other than to say its illegal. some use it as a coping method so they dont rip your head off when you feel the need to judge them without knowing the whole story
Nope, sorry. The reason doesn't matter. It is illegal. Period. If someone feels the need to do bodily harm when things don'e go their way, that person flat out does not belong in society.
ReplyDeleteyou are included in that, overeating causes bodily harm , remember GLASS HOUSES.
ReplyDeletebut I am sure you have never overreacted to anything in your whole life.
Lighten up
you are included in that, overeating causes bodily harm , remember GLASS HOUSES.
ReplyDeleteWell you have some good points!
But it still goes back to what kind of Society you want to create and live in!
We have come a long way medically and we know the effects of certain drugs (chemicals) and their long term effects!
In the late eighteen early nineteen hundreds there were some products that contained a narcotic like substance like Coca Cola! That same susbstance was used to treat pain like toothaches etc. It was unregulated!
But it became evident that it was having a negative impact on Society! So it was band from retail products!
Even though we have progressed to a much more modern society what makes the lessons of the past any less relevant TODAY!
If anything we know what those chemicals do to the body and the brain! Some of them change the bodies and/or brains chemistry! (Might make someone want to rip off a head or two!)
Besides they have gotten a lot more creative in producing those chemicals in more and purer forms which result in a much quicker effect or addiction!
Even the Pot you want to promote is probably a much stronger substance than in the past!
So coping turns to addiction which turns into another life lost to Drugs!
So we are back to square one!
What kind of Society do you want?
Even the Pot you want to promote is probably a much stronger substance than in the past!
ReplyDeleteI never said I wanted to promote pot,
word of mouth is doing fine on that front
There is a difference between thinking something should be legal and approving or promoting it.
ReplyDeleteWow - can't see where you're going with THAT one!
ReplyDeleteAs I stated in the original post, I have never tried it. Never really had the desire. Probably wouldn't even if it was legal. I have friends who smoke occasionally, and I can't really see that it has had any detrimental effect. Not promoting it, don't approve or disapprove, just think our laws are a bit of a mess, inconsistent, and hyprocritical...
ReplyDeleteWe spend a lot of money prosecuting, and then incarcerating people for silly pot offenses.
So you are friends with people who knowingly break the law? Some of them having surprising prominence? And you sit idly by? You are a very poor excuse for an American citizen. These people are getting illegal drugs from somewhere. Turn their @sses in so we can find the big dealers and clean up this town. Otherwise you are contributing to the problem. If I found out that anyone I was friends with or my children were exposed to was on drugs, I would definitely distance myself from that person.
ReplyDeleteYou bleeding heart libs with your 420-NORML propaganda. "I dont do it but I know plenty of people who do...bla,bla,bla"
Just not my thing. Were it coke or heroin, were they molesting children or embezzling from their jobs, I'd make the phone call. I also know people who knowingly drive without a seatbelt, don't register their cars, and cheat on their taxes. Should I turn them in too?
ReplyDeleteI tried it, but I didn't inhale. :) hehe
ReplyDelete@9:12
ReplyDeleteQuite the crowd with which you've chosen to associate.
whoever said at 4;36 that you are a poor excuse for an american must be a super duper American citizen(who smokes the pot) not that there is anything wrong with that, plain and simple , you just seem to know more than most about this stuff.for example what is 420 NORML? are you the president of this club? the only place I see it mentioned is in your post , so you must be the pot head expert.. not sure what it means but am sure you do . I think you calling people liberal and such is part of the problem , its people like you who are obsessed with labeling everyone but yourself,opps my bad your label is the labeler. FEAR THE LABELER , I am sure thats your only flaw.
ReplyDeleteand to the 8;42 post , I am sure the crowd they associate with is QUITE they are Stoned
ReplyDeleteWhat part about POT and Drugs being illegal do you not understand?
ReplyDeleteIT'S I L L E G A L!!!
I'm willing to bet that if I got pulled over for not having my seatbelt on, I would get in alot more trouble if I had pot with me.
ReplyDeleteWonder why our legal system would choose to make the penalty more severe for pot? Maybe because one is worse than the other?
Even if I wanted to smoke pot, I wouldn't -- because it's AGAINST THE LAW.
For the record, I always wear my seatbelt, but they aren't even in the same category, so that's a stupid argument.
@10:45am "What part about POT and Drugs being illegal do you not understand?
ReplyDeleteIT'S I L L E G A L!!!"
And your point is?
Slavery was once legal.
Did that make it right?
If it were legal today, would you own slaves?
I'm just asking.
Just because something is legal, it isn't necessarily right.
And just because something is illeagle, it is not necissarily wrong.
Potheads (sorry, "occasional smokers") are some of the biggest rationalizers and justifiers in the world.
ReplyDeleteAnd apparently it affects you spelling? lol
ReplyDeleteI smoke the pot and i'm smert and suxesful! It shud be legale!
ReplyDeleteNot necissarily illeagle. I especially like how it was correctly spelled in caps in the bit that was pasted!
ReplyDeleteSo, does the drug consumer in America bear any responsibility for the horrendous activities of those Drug Cartels in Mexico?
ReplyDeleteConsumerism = the new anti-conscience?
@4:40 "So, does the drug consumer in America bear any responsibility for the horrendous activities of those Drug Cartels in Mexico?
ReplyDeleteConsumerism = the new anti-conscience?"
Absolutley. Which is another reason why legalizing pot makes sense. It takes the growth and distribution out of their hands.
Of course there would still be meth, and cocaine, and opiates from Afghanestan...
But yeah, the drug consumer bears total responsibility.
As does the coffee consumer bear responsibility for the deplorable conditions on coffee plantations, and the chocolate consumer bears responsibility for the child slavery On the Ivory Coast, or the athetlic shoe consumer for the abuse of workers in Thailand...
We want comfort and convenience at affordable prices, it dosen't matter that people in other parts of the world are paying a horrible price for our extravegant lifestyle.
Absolutley. Which is another reason why legalizing pot makes sense. It takes the growth and distribution out of their hands.
ReplyDeleteProbably wouldn't work quite the way you think!
Because they (Third World Countries) would still provide a higher quality product at a cheaper price!
Then
Wait till the Government gets involved in the production of Mary J.!
Afterall
They will be regulating their operations!
(water, fertilizers etc.) Maybe they will even decide how much THC can be allowed in each joint! Put a filter on it?
Better to just get rid of it all together!
That would reduce the Cartels Power too!
unfortunately
They probably still make Moonshine in those hills and drugs will never truly disappear!
Probably wouldn't work quite the way you think!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I left out!
If you make it legal?
What about BIG PHARMA?
Why not just make it a pill or a patch?
I really dont think making it legal would have much of an effect on usage, as far as the number of people using it.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I always wear my seatbelt, but they aren't even in the same category, so that's a stupid argument.
ReplyDeleteThe law is the law. SORRY