The time of the 2 (or 4) years is finally completed! Every September, our airwaves are flooded with ads, propaganda, and forwarded emails from public office candidates in hopes that their negativity towards their counterpart or their love for the nearly extinct Eskimo Curlew will sway our vote one way or another. I don't know about you, but I sincerely hate political ads. The fake smiles, the fake words, and the fake quotations taken out of context make me want to kill of the rest of the beloved Eskimo Curlew's of the world (wondering about the Eskimo Curlew? Click here to learn more about them).
I do, however, enjoy a good debate. After voting ended today, I find myself with a bad taste in my mouth because all I know about the candidates that I voted for are the things said on The Daily Show, Colbert Report, and major news networks. If a good 'ol debate had happened, I feel like I could have learned more about them.
On a slightly different note, Proposition 19 has been SHOT DOWN by California voters. If you're not familiar with Prop 19, let me give you the official definition with proper citations:
"Proposition 19 also known as the Regulate, Control & Tax Cannabis Act is a ballot initiative on the November 2, 2010 California statewide ballot. It would legalize various marijuana-related activities, allow local governments to regulate these activities, permit local governments to impose and collect marijuana-related fees and taxes, and authorize various criminal and civil penalties("State of California Initiative analysis". Lao.ca.gov. 2009-09-09. http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2009/090512.aspx. Retrieved 2010-10-05.). In March 2010, it qualified to be on the November statewide ballot(Banks, Sandy (March 29, 2010). "Pot breaks the age barrier". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/29/local/la-me-banks30-2010mar30. Retrieved March 31, 2010). It requires a simple majority in order to pass, and would take effect the day after the election ("California Constitution Article 2 Section 10". http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.const/.article_2. Retrieved 2010-10-05.). Yes on 19 is the official advocacy group for the initiative, and No On Proposition 19 is the official opposition group."
I hope that clears it up for you, beautiful. Yes, you are beautiful. Anyways, I'm personally pleased with the fact that it got voted down because, in my opinion, California would have been the starting point of a new beginning for pot being socially acceptable. People who smoke aren't productive citizens in the least; lets be honest here, what major accomplishments have been made under the influence of marijuana? Ok, so what if Albert Einstein was rumored to have toked up on occasion? So what if Michael Phelps' face looks like a foot and he was caught smoking the gonge? So what if President Clinton puffed but didn't inhale (and I'm not talking about pot...BAM!)?
My point is, in my experience being around someone who smokes weed only brings conversations such as the following (all true stories):
1) What if, like, aliens are looking down at us and saying, like, "they are using dogs and cats as pets..." Like, their dogs and cats might be, like, productive citizens and, like, the humans are their pets....
2) Dude, I'm Fu*king high right now
3) Brah, I know everything there is to know, like, about the inner workings of, like, the restaurant business. If I was in, like, charge of the place, we would be millionaires.
4) Dude, hahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa, I'm going to bed.
5) When are they going to, like, just, like, legalize this stuff? I can drive, like, better. Like, I focus better on, like, the road, and, like the rules of the road.
These are actual examples from people I have seen who were high. It is not a knock on these people because when they were sober, they were normal(ish) people who could carry on normal(ish) conversations.
That's all I have to say about that. I'm glad Prop 19 got shot down, but Pot lovers out there, please just listen to my plea: Stop whining about the fact that pot isn't legal. Put the roach down and do Coke like an adult (kidding...coke is bad too).
Goodnight Readers,
"People who smoke aren't productive citizens in the least; lets be honest here, what major accomplishments have been made under the influence of marijuana?"
ReplyDeleteYour argument here is baseless and stereotypical. A blanket statement like that is for non-thinkers and lazy people, you're better than that. Famous American scientist Carl Sagan smoked pot, billionaire Richard Branson of Virgin Mobile smokes, Steven King and Ted Turner do as well. The list goes on.
Mazel Tov
Let me hit you with some knowledge (you probably already know this but its fun to type it out)
ReplyDelete1) The founding fathers grew hemp. The constitution was drafted on hemp.
2) Marijuana wasn't illegal/criminal until the 1930's or so. This needs a citation or a correction.
3) Almost every musical visionary was under the influence of something. The Beatles, anyone?
4) You are aware that pot is incredibly safe and alcohol is not only more dangerous to the user but also to society?
5) As the poster above me said, that is a baseless and stereotypical remark. It just shows the reader that you have limited knowledge and experience around what you feel should be outlawed.
I'm interested in seeing a logical argument against the legalization of marijuana that you put together. Your writing style, while flawed, engages and entertains so I'm sure you can do it and make it interesting. All I'm reading now is "hrf drf I think all stoners are not productive hrf drf".
Until you are well-educated and informed in a topic that you are going to be making such brash generalizations about, perhaps you should try and take a neutral tone.
Really though, please put together a logical, intellectual and research driven report on why marijuana should remain illegal. Go ahead.
To the two comments above, thank you for reading and I appreciate your stance on the subject. I'm one of few people love opposing arguments and criticism. This is my opinion and it was typed at 2am when I couldn't sleep. I am a well educated person who, I can admit, could have written it in a more comprehensive and cohesive way. Maybe in the future I will put some more details about my stance but for now, I'm going to keep writing about what comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I understand, respect, and even agree a little with the arguments that pot isn't as bad as the mainstream media portrays, but I have seen it destroy lives and lead people to drugs that actually do harm to people.
Thanks for reading. A follow-up will surely be in the works.
PS: I don't know either of you, so it is exciting that people other than my facebook friends are reading. Thanks again.
I also agree with the first comment, the statements made from the point of you telling the reader that you do not support prop 19 and on were all very close-minded. Yes, I do agree with you that herb CAN potentially ruin some lives and even POSSIBLY lead people down the road to other worse, or more harmful drugs. However, you don't mention (or I just missed it) about all the lives that herb can potentially help. I see the herb as being a very therapeutic form of relaxation and as long as it is used and not abused it can also be a very useful tool for MANY artists of all kinds, as it helps them open the doors to inspiration. Not to mention the countless health benefits gained from smoking herb, anything from depression, to terminal illness, to migraines.
ReplyDeleteI choose to call it herb rather than marijuana because marijuana is the name our government called it back in the early 1900's as a form of negative propaganda during the time they were working to have pot "illegalized", as marijuana was a Mexican term and many Americans were scared of Mexico and Mexicans in that time era. Our government also released the movie "Reefer Madness" in 1936 as a form of propaganda aimed towards scaring Americans into voting pot illegal. In 1937 "marijuana" was officially illegal as a result of the Marihuana Tax Act.