Marijuana should be legalized: How could legalizing pot be a good thing? For starters, conservatives pride themselves as looking at the facts while liberals tend to focus on feelings. With marijuana, the facts just don't support continuing this prohibition. Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes. Many normal productive Americans consume marijuana routinely. One-Billion-Dollars are spent annually jailing marijuana smokers. The underground system of marijuana production/sales supports terrorists. Many claim marijuana is a gateway to more harmful drugs, which may be true; but I'd argue that alcohol can also be a gateway, yet it is still legal. We can't make people behave right by passing laws. We need to stop the war on pot and focus our energies on more evil substances like the soaring addiction to prescription medication, spice, bath-salts, and other illicit drugs.
Voting for Republicans is often no better than voting for Democrats: Historically, Republicans have been the bigger spenders in Washington, D.C. Republican President George W. Bush along with a Republican controlled House and Senate ushered in Medicare-Part D which was the largest entitlement program in history until trumped by Obamacare. I will concede that President Obama has definitely helped the Republicans in their argument that they are the more fiscally responsible party by being the biggest spender to date, but that really doesn't justify the deficits piled up by the five previous Republican administrations. The truth is, both parties spend too much money, and there is little evidence that that trend will be reversed in the near future.
I am voting for Gary Johnson in November: This was a tough one for me. I have voted straight GOP ticket since 1984. I've never missed a vote, and I've always been a staunch defender of the GOP platform. However, I can no longer just go along to get along. I've finally come to the realization that the system of governing in this country is so broken, that we can no longer continue voting to sustain it in its present form. I believe the Libertarian, Gary Johnson, is the most fiscally conservative of the three major candidates. He does not share my position on social conservative issues, but after hearing his answers in this video to some of those questions, I came to the conclusion that his position on state's rights trumps any concerns I have about his social policy platform:
Now I know many reading this will suggest that voting for Gary is like throwing away my vote.. or worse..it is tantamount to a vote for Obama, but I disagree. With only 19% of voters believing that Romney and Obama are the best candidates, the political environment could not be better for the rise of a viable 3rd party candidate. Gary is on the ballot in all 50 states and appeals to fiscal conservatives and to many disillusioned Obama supporters. If the mainstream media will lift the black-out on news coverage of Gary, I would not be surprised to see him soar in popularity. Even Ross Perot with his wacky imploding campaign garnered 19% of the popular vote ...I can see Gary Johnson with his no-nonsense appeal doing far better. And the best reason to vote for Gary, is that he will fundamentally shift the power-structure in D.C. to a government that is not directed by party power-brokers.
Politics is all about deceiving voters. Our government is run by people who don't really answer to the voters. Vast amounts of money are spent by candidates in both parties to paint the most flattering picture of candidates, to attack their challengers, and simultaneously cover up voting records that are inconsistent with their stated positions. Candidates who are groomed and presented to the voters as champions of government reform (by both parties), often get into office and join in with corrupt status-quo government. A few incidents have happened recently that illustrate how the rhetoric of political candidates doesn't match their records:- Allen West and many Senate Republicans want to hang on to certain provisions of Obamacare.
- Mitt Romney has said he would not be opposed to gay couples adopting children
- Seven House Republicans voted against a sex-selection-abortion ban bill
- Obama said he would close Guantanamo, but he didn't close it and built a $750k soccer field there
Most 'Conservative' News Outlets are an arm of the GOP. Most of the online 'conservative' news outlets as well as Fox News parrot the talking points of the Republican National Committee in their news coverage. I don't mind having journalists with an opinion.. especially if I share that opinion, but I do mind journalists pretending they are offering up the best in conservative journalism while simultaneously towing the Republican Party line, even when the GOP is working against groups such as the tea party and other grassroots conservative organizations. It isn't really a secret.. the RNC is not a fan of the tea party. But, the tea party represents many of the ideals of Reagan conservatism that are detailed in the Republican Party platform. In my view, it is the duty of conservative news outlets to point out the inconsistencies that exist between the GOP platform and those candidates calling themselves Reagan Republicans, but that is not happening. Instead, these so-called conservative journalists are routinely dismissing the protests of grassroots conservatives in favor of promoting establishment politicians. These conservative news outlets need to stop calling themselves conservative and start calling themselves Republican, because that is a much more accurate portrayal.
Now that we are in the middle of an election season, I challenge you to reflect on your own stance on the issues. Does your support of a position stem from your own research and reflection? .. or have you always adopted the positions of your family, friends or your party? Is it possible that you've never really thought about why you support certain positions? What matters more to you.. rhetoric or results? Most Americans are nervous about the direction our government is taking us, but few are willing do what is necessary to reverse the trend. Now is the time to stop being paralyzed by fear and to stop being manipulated by politicians. This nation was built on the premise that we the people could govern ourselves. We are the only ones who can turn this nation around and restore what has been lost.
I do TOTALLY agree with all you say except for voting for Gary Johnson.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is not with his Fiscal Conservative stance.
It is with the Pandora's Box he has stood on.
By being more than a fiscal conservative - personally speaking, it is wrong for me to support what I have been fighting against.
Our nation was great and strong when our morals were great and strong,
back when we stood with grit for what was best for society as a whole.
I can not support what allows moral decay and societal deterioration especially when decades of POLITICAL legislation is at the root of the problem.
Our politicians need to understand that by legislating the rights for some against the rights for others - we have become attacked for CONSERVATIVE VALUES.
Truth is:
1- if there were no laws restricting the rights of people to call who they want as family - gay marriage would not be as large an issue.
2- Had marriage been kept as a RELIGIOUS ceremony then those who chose a non religious process could have been granted a CIVIL UNION which would have avoided many theological conflicts.
... if I were to spend a few hours on this commentary ... the rest of it could be elaborated on.
... but as most who know me - I am just an ol' mule headed hide!
I agree 100% with your position.. we definitely should elect leaders who uphold and defend our conservative values.
DeleteBut, you see.. there is this one problem. Neither Obama, Romney nor Johnson have a history of doing that. In fact, of the three, only Romney has actually issued gay marriage licenses; Romney and Obama have signed into law legislation that provided tax dollars for the purchase of abortifacients.
So what do we do then? I suppose we could sit home and not vote, write in the name of a candidate .. or.. maybe choose a lesser third party candidate (but, there isn't currently one on all 50 state ballots). But I feel like all of these options are really just leaving the decision to others.. and not giving us a voice in the process.
So, having said that.. I do agree with you, but I am voting for Johnson. He doesn't want the Federal government involved with social conservative issues .. which, at least, is preferable to Obama's position or Romney's record. He may not be the ideal candidate for social conservatives, but when comparing the top 3 contenders, I think it's a no-brainer.
I have to offer the antithesis because I can't believe what I am hearing. I would have thought that someone who is principled would stand firm on beliefs and not be persuaded to say whatever just to justify their new choice for November's election.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of drugs that aren't legal, not just marijuana and they are banned because they are dangerous. Phen phen as we know it is banned because it causes heart attacks. Darvon and Darvocet are more pain killers that are illegal because they cause fatal heart attacks. And the list goes on! But we don't hear anything about legalizing these drugs in a political forum. Why not? Why do we only want marijuana legalized? Is this just another platform to lead away the sheepple with eye candy?
I am bewildered as to why legalized drugs is number one on your list. I would have thought that jobs and the housing market would have made it somewhere in there. Have you lost your way? Or did the down turn in the jobs market ever mean anything to you? I have been effected deeply by the housing market bubble. I own my own business and many of my customers lost their jobs which resulted in my income dropping by 50%. Then there was the housing market crash. My house lost 85% of its value. I go on with the credit card crunch and how I can't borrow money to buy equipment for my business.
And if all of that isn't enough, we have a bunch of thugs who have been enabled to camp out in my beautiful parks and vandalize as they so please. Thugs also run my government and pay their loyal yes men with my hard earned tax money. Once respectable secret service agents now party the night away with hookers with all sorts of lewd conduct disorders on MY dime.
This is what is important. It is the only thing that matters. We must stop the current situation. And we must turn back to God. I would be glad to entertain your ideas if they had some relevance. However, in the light of what is going on in the government, I cannot focus on anything but a strategy to rid ourselves of Obama and his mobster delinquents that he calls Czars. Thus, if voting for Romney gets rid of the Marxism, then so be it! At least Romney is not a communist!
So I would like to challenge you and your readers to think about what they are doing by splintering off into hundreds of different directions with other almost not heard of candidates. We need every voter out there to unite with the GOP nominee so that we can put an end the Obama administration.
This is not a list of things I believe are most important, this is a list of things I believe that are controversial. Pot is #1 on the list because it is the most controversial of my positions..your reaction, as evidence of that.
DeletePot is not like Darvon or Darvocet(which were both legal by prescription for decades) because the active ingredient in Marijuana (THC) is sold legally in all 50 states as a treatment for Glaucoma, Cancer and other ailments and no research on THC or marijuana has shown a linkage between marijuana and illness, death, violence or disease. It just doesn't make sense to spend billions every year to try to stamp out the use of pot and jail pot smokers when much more serious issues face us (terrorism?). And what is even more disturbing, is that the underground system of distribution of marijuana is going to fund terrorists that are trying to kill us. Why are we spending all this money to actually PRESERVE the financing for terrorists? It makes no sense!
I do not think pot smoking is good, and I do not smoke pot.. I think it is a bad habit.. just like smoking cigarettes and drinking too much.. but those are both legal.
The only reason marijuana is illegal is because there was a lot of misinformation spread about it (particularly in the 60s - 70s) that convinced far too many that it was 'dangerous' and because it has a social stigma attached to it. Even the research commissioned by our own government into Pot in the 60's (that was supposed to be used in the 1970 court case) did not show a link to dangerous behavior or illness. They, of course, decided not to present that evidence in court.
My vote for Gary Johnson is BECAUSE of my convictions, not in spite of them. Even though I do not agree with his stance on social issues, I am very enthusiastic about his fiscal policies.. and if we do nothing to bring this country back from brink (and do it very soon) we may not have a next election to vote in. Gary does not wish to.. or plan to meddle in the affairs of states in regards to social issues.. that is more than I can say for Obama or Romney. Romney's record on socially conservative policies is dismal.
I am not 'splintering off' .. I've been a conservative as long as I have been a voter. It is the GOP that has decided that actually governing as a conservative is not possible (or perhaps they really don't want to).. I'm going with a candidate who has done it.. vetoed over 700 spending bills, balanced budgets and took a hard stance on spending and taxes. We desperately need that in Washington, D.C. .. and we need it NOW.
I stand by my positions
Stand there you may, but I still haven't heard a strategy of how to win. It is the voters, not the GOP, who are voting for Romney. We couldn't make head way over the voters with Newt or Perry, why then would we think that a "not even placing" Gary Johnson would overcome Mitt's 70 percent at the ballot box? You were right a couple of nights ago on twitter that we need to go on because Newt is not going to win. I believe the basis of your decision was that there is no point in backing Newt because he, even though a brilliant man who has been there, is not getting the backing needed or the money needed to win over Romney. And then after you so brilliantly presented your case, we are expected to believe that you are going to throw away what you just said and vote for someone who isn't even placing in this race. Your thoughts are in opposition and that cannot win. I am a Baptist pastor's daughter, graduate of Liberty University, and a strong conservative, but I am in it to win over Obama. That is what is important. Gary Johnson can't even place among conservatives, why then could he win over Obama? We can get bent out of shape over the mud slinging and saddened by the GOP, but in the end we can't get so hung up on the forest that we can't see the trees. The ultimate goal here is to oust the communism and restore order in this country. Now is the time to focus on beating Obama and winning the back the Senate. The house and the senate are the ones who will push Mitt further to the right so let's see the whole picture and not get bogged down with irrelevant issues.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, Darvocet has been banned. Here's the link.
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20101119/darvon-darvocet-banned
Actually, I believe that Gary Johnson will get as many votes from the Obama camp as he does from the Romney camp. And, we must not forget that half the electorate call themselves independents. I think he is the perfect candidate to take on the two-party system because he is appealing to a wide sector of the electorate. And, we must not forget those Ron Paul voters, who have no interest in Obama or Romney.. they are likely to enthusiastically join with the Johnson team.
DeleteGetting Obama out without doing anything to alter the culture of D.C. gets us absolutely NOWHERE. In fact, I've already written a couple of posts in the CVN forum addressing that very issue. Having ceded the party to 'moderate government' (translated big-gov't progressive government) we silence the voices of the very people (Tea Party) who are bringing back fiscal sanity to governing. It will be tough for those who cast a vote for Romney in November to stand up and denounce wasteful spending when Romney commences with his status-quo behavior. He is not just likely to 'negotiate' and 'compromise' with Democrats on spending and deficits, I believe it is inevitable that he will do so. Once that occurs, the credibility of the tea party suffers a terrible blow. Then we will see long lasting repercussions in 2014 and beyond. Everyone agrees Obama is the enemy.. I just don't think voters (particularly conservative ones) realize just how corrupt and dangerous the RNC is.. they not only dismiss the Tea Party's concerns, we may never see a return of 'Reagan-style' conservatism in the GOP because of them. I will not participate in that. I am on the record now.. a vote for Romney by any fiscal conservative is a vote they will soon regret.
Having said that, I will enthusiastically support and campaign for non-establishment Republicans such as Ted Cruz. There are still races in 2012 that need to be won by the GOP, I am just not falling into the Romney trap. He is the one GOP contender that will not be getting my vote.
Yes, Darvon is also banned.. because both Darvocet and Darvon are linked to heart damage. That can't be said about Marijuana.
Sue, If we could only ask the children who aren't sufficiently supervised while mom or dad are smoking pot. Especially the infant in the car seat left on top of mom's car as she drove off. They would probably view legalizing pot differently than you.
ReplyDeleteThe short-term effects of marijuana include:
Distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch)
Problems with memory and learning
Loss of coordination
Trouble with thinking and problem-solving
Increased heart rate, reduced blood pressure
Sometimes marijuana use can also produce anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic.
Above info taken from: http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pot/a/effects.-Lya.htm
I believe every side-effect you've listed is probably attributable to marijuana use, but, by that criteria, alcohol, over-the-counter sleep aids, antihistamines and a host of other substances that are now legal should be illegal.
DeleteI am not suggesting people should start smoking pot. I AM suggesting we stop spending a billion dollar a year attempting to stop recreational use of pot.. it is NOT working, it is funding terrorism, and it is diverting the work of law enforcement. We are going over a financial cliff.. and this is definitely one cut that makes sense.
I just want to bring attention to one thing in your deficit chart. Clinton looks pretty good on this chart; but we know that is only because of an outstanding Speaker of the House and his Contract with America.
ReplyDeleteExactly! ...if you look at spending by which party has control of congress, EXCEPT for Newt Gingrich's GOP House, we really haven't seen cuts in spending out of either party. Here is a link to a graphic that shows spending going UP, UP, UP since 1965!
Deletehttp://abriefhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/FederalSpending077.gif
Newt was my first choice... for that very reason. It sickens me that the GOP worked to stop him when he was really the only candidate in the GOP who's actually cut spending and balanced budgets before. I guess that tells us a bit about their priorities in governing?
What were you saying about non existent side effects. It causes brain damage and heart failure! Yay, lets run out and legalize this so that we can get rid of some mother's college kid! Just Saying........
ReplyDeleteWell, if Newt is such a great choice, then vote for him. I did! Believe in your choice! There couldn't be a smarter person in this race. In the general election, I plan to vote to annihilate Obama and send him home crying! LOL
1>
"Marijuana side effects include physical problems like breathing difficulties and deteriorating physical abilities. Despite a popular belief, marijuana side effects speed up the heart, blood and breathing rate. The body is taxed more and this speeds up the aging process just like methamphetamines do. The marijuana side effects from this extra exertion on the body include a higher risk for lung cancer, heart attacks and strokes.
Marijuana side effects also wreak havoc on the brain when the drug is used habitually. The natural chemical balance of the brain is disrupted affecting the pleasure centers [in the hypothalamus] and regulatory systems [ph balance]. The ability to learn, remember and adapt quickly to changes is impaired by marijuana use. Depression often occurs with marijuana usage, which feeds into the cycle of more drug use to treat the pain created by drug use. This cycle of addiction is very powerful and users soon find that they cannot stop using the drug even if they want to.
Marijuana addiction is a progressive disease and marijuana side effects include withdrawal and obsessive thought with the drug when it is not made available. Addiction is identified as a compulsive, uncontrollable craving for the drug even with pending negative consequences. Often users will attempt to stop smoking marijuana for an important event such as a job interview or court hearing and find themselves using very close or just before the event. This act goes beyond a flexing of willpower. This describes being enveloped by a disease that has taken control and needs to be treated."
http://www.marijuana-addiction.net/marijuana-side-effects.htm
2>
"Marijuana also may affect mental health. Studies show that early use may increase the risk of developing psychosis (a severe mental disorder in which there is a loss of contact with reality) including false ideas about what is happening (delusions) and seeing or hearing things that aren’t there (hallucinations), particularly if you carry a genetic vulnerability to the disease. Also, rates of marijuana use are often higher in people with symptoms of depression or anxiety.2
Effects of Marijuana On Other Organs
Effects on the Heart
Shortly after smoking marijuana the heart rate increases drastically and may remain elevated for up to 3 hours. This effect may be enhanced if other drugs are taken with marijuana. One study has suggested that the risk of heart attack may increase by up to 4.8-fold in the first hour after smoking marijuana.11 The effect may be due to the increased heart rate, as well as altered heart rhythms. The risk of heart attack may be greater in those with specific risk factors such as patients with high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, or other cariac disease."
http://www.drugs.com/marijuana.html
These sites are not reputable sourcing.. you need to check WebMD, Stanford Medical, the Mayo Clinic, the Rand Corporation, the American Medical Association and last (but not least) our own governments study into the effects of marijuana use that was commissioned in the 60's. All of those dispute your claims.. and I, for one, trust their authority on the subject.
DeleteIf you have watched one of those commercials for the various anti-depressants, rheumatoid arthritis and/or high cholesterol, the list of side effects for those are STUNNING, yet all of those drugs are legal by prescription in all 50 states. Nothing you've stated here is as shocking as some in those ads. So why is marijuana held to such a high standard? It makes no sense.
I am curious though, what about the billion dollars a year to enforce marijuana laws and lock up marijuana smokers? This is what you prefer? Are you okay knowing that the billion dollars spent annually on pot by millions of Americans is going to fund groups like Hamas? .. and the drug cartels of Mexico? So we just leave the laws on the books ..'as is'.. make no changes.. and keep throwing more money at the problem.. when it has done NOTHING to decrease the availability of use of marijuana?
I support legalization of marijuana. The hysteria (as evidence in some of the reaction here) just shows how powerful that propaganda war of the 60's (Reefer Madness) has had on the American psyche. I intend to continue educating my fellow conservatives on this issue.
One of the brightest conservative minds of the last century, William F. Buckley, also believed as I believe.. and was routinely berated by other conservatives for his views.. but what he said got me to doing my own research.. and led me to my current position on the issue, so I am thankful he had to guts to speak out.
Perhaps some of those reading these comments will do their homework as well.
WebMD is just as credible as my Psychological Anatomy text books. Since I have a degree in brain functions and thought processes, I am the credible expert. I am telling you that Marijuana inhibits the brain's ability to store and retain memory and it causes the neurotransmitters in the vegas nerve to the heart to be unbalanced thereby increasing the rhythm of the heart. In other words, brain damage and heart failure!
ReplyDeleteCould you give me the title of your text so I can check the source?
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to the Rand Corp. Research:
http://www.rand.org/multi/dprc/marijuana.html
Here's an excerpt from a Forensic Medical Review: Cannabis: A Forensic-Medical Review; Cohrssen, John J. ; Lieberman, Carl M.
http://bit.ly/MIvOp7
An article from WebMD:
Marijuana Smoking Doesn't Kill - Illegal Herb Not Harmless, but Data Show No Link to Death
http://bit.ly/JNMjK0
A documentary on the legal history of Marijuana from the History Channel:
http://bit.ly/JNMKUF
I like your article from webmd and how that it says it isn't harmless. It that another way of saying that it is harmful? .....Even still if I had used any of these sources in my term papers, I would have never passed. The sources that I needed to do a research paper had to come from professional journals such as The American Journal of Medicine or The Journal of Psychological Medicine for example.
ReplyDeleteSince you asked, I went to my university library and found a few sources of research on the effects of marijuana on the brain and the heart. Stunning information!
1)
Marijuana smoke can have harmful effects on the heart. But one of its active components may ease inflammation and slow the progression of coronary artery disease.
Roth, M. D. (2005). Marijuana and your heart. Nature, 434(7034), 708-709. http://search.proquest.com/docview/204595193?accountid=130527
2)
Abstract (summary)
The effects of smoking marijuana on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cognitive performance were assessed in 12 recreational users in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. PET with [(15)Oxygen]-labeled water ([(15)O]H(2)O) was used to measure rCBF before and after smoking of marijuana and placebo cigarettes, as subjects repeatedly performed an auditory attention task. Smoking marijuana resulted in intoxication, as assessed by a behavioral rating scale, but did not significantly alter mean behavioral performance on the attention task. Heart rate and blood pressure increased dramatically following smoking of marijuana but not placebo cigarettes. However, mean global CBF did not change significantly. Increased rCBF was observed in orbital and mesial frontal lobes, insula, temporal poles, anterior cingulate, as well as in the cerebellum. The increases in rCBF in anterior brain regions were predominantly in "paralimbic" regions and may be related to marijuana's mood-related effects. Reduced rCBF was observed in temporal lobe auditory regions, in visual cortex, and in brain regions that may be part of an attentional network (parietal lobe, frontal lobe and thalamus).....
OLeary, D.,S., Block, R. I., Koeppel, J. A., Flaum, M., Schultz, S. K., Andreasen, N. C., . . . Hichwa, R. D. (2002). Effects of smoking marijuana on brain perfusion and cognition. Neuropsychopharmacology, 26(6), 802-16. doi:10.1016/S0893-133X(01)00425-0
3)
.associated with marijuana intoxication and heart rate were measured before
...and 65 minutes after marijuana smoking. Heart rate was monitored continuously
...R, Cohen S. Tolerance to marijuana: heart rate and subjective "high
Huestis, M. A., Gorelick, D. A., Heishman, S. J., Preston, K. L., & al, e. (2001). Blockade of effects of smoked marijuana by the CBI-selective cannabinoid receptor antagonist SR141716. Archives of General Psychiatry, 58(4), 322-8. http://search.proquest.com/docview/207988737?accountid=130527
4)
Hart, C. L., Wilfred, v. G., Haney, M., Foltin, R. W., & Fischman, M. W. (2001). Effects of acute smoked marijuana on complex cognitive performance. Neuropsychopharmacology, 25(5), 757-65. doi:10.1016/S0893-133X(01)00273-1
5)
Ilan, A. B., Smith, M. E., & Gevins, A. (2004). Effects of marijuana on neurophysiological signals of working and episodic memory. Psychopharmacology, 176(2), 214-22. doi:10.1007/s00213-004-1868-9
6)
...marijuana-using twin reported not using marijuana for at least 1 month prior
...consequences of regular marijuana use 1241 Table 1. Neuropsychological
... or depressed, sweating, rapid heart beat, delirium tremens, hallucinations
YLYONS, M. J., BAR, J. L., PANIZZON, M. S., TOOMEY, R., EISEN, S., XIAN, H., & TSUANG, M. T. (2004). Neuropsychological consequences of regular marijuana use: A twin study. Psychological Medicine, 34(7), 1239-50. http://search.proquest.com/docview/204511725?accountid=130527
Good grief! FYI, I posted a research report in my prior list and several reputable sites, so you can just click on those if you want to hear a different opinion (apparently you don't)
ReplyDeleteYou are not addressing my arguments, you are simply going on and on about the health issues related to marijuana use. The science/research behind the use of marijuana is far from decided, but there is plenty of research suggesting that marijuana reduces the growth of tumors, can be used as treatment for glaucoma, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and other diseases.
Here are the health/safety issues related to ALCOHOL abuse:
anemia, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, violence, auto-accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, dementia, depression, seizures, gout, high blood pressure, infections, nerve damage, pancreatitis
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/alcohol-abuse/features/12-health-risks-of-chronic-heavy-drinking?page=3
Alcohol destroys people.. destroys families. In the time it took to post your last comment, hundreds of people were killed or adversely affected by the use of alcohol. BUT IT IS STILL LEGAL! I do not condone Alcohol abuse OR pot smoking. But I believe it is the RIGHT and the RESPONSIBILITY of the individual to choose how they will behave. Laws do not stop people from consuming these substances.. and they NEVER WILL.
I support the legalization of marijuana. I want the government out of the business of regulating the bad habits of American citizens.
Your comments have been very enlightening as to who you are and what your goals are as far as the presidential election. I have thoroughly enjoyed the chance to debate the issues.
ReplyDeleteI just exited off the 6 line highway and I am sure that there were loads of drivers who don't think government has any business regulating their bad habits! Simple anarchy the highway has become. Love those big trucks who think the government hasn't any business telling them how fast they can go or what not to drink before they drive.
ReplyDeleteActually, the government needs to regulate bad behavior. Murder is on the top of my list along with stealing.
If I were to take this train of thought all the way into the station, I'd say you're in favor of the government regulating Eric Holder enough to put him in jail, and others in the current administration like the boys in the secret service who have been with more females than they have cities in the USA. But when it comes to your presidential hopeful, you're willing to say whatever he says so that you can vote for a "conservative." Unfortunately, your guy is not conservative. Legalizing drugs for the sake of recreational use is purely out of the liberal playbook. Gary Johnson is designing this issue to appeal to and attract young liberal voters. Gary knows full well that the president doesn't have anything to do with the way the house and the senate vote, and would it never become law except maybe in San Fransisco where everyone is deranged to begin with.
So I hope you aren't too disappointed when and if Gary should surprise us all, and overcome Obama and Romney and become president that he doesn't keep this campaign promise.
Gary Johnson is far more fiscally conservative.. than ANY candidate who has run this cycle.. but he is not socially conservative (and I've never suggested that he was).
DeleteI support his stance on legalizing pot, I don't support his positions on abortion or gay marriage.
No president can govern alone, they have to work in conjunction with a house/senate and Supreme Court .. who may, or may not, go along with them.
Gary may not get much accomplished, but he's a pretty stubborn fellow when it comes to NOT signing legislation he disagrees with. His 750 vetoes of spending bills is all the reassurance I need that I'm making the right choice for me.