Good thing we have all this extra money around to pay for it.

When sitting members of the US Congress are allowed to call for a shut down of the federal government and publicly disagree with the President when he issues an order that gays be allowed to serve freely in our military, I think the men and woman who are risking their lives to fulfill their duties have the right to question the wisdom of the polices they are enforcing. No one should be fired for having an opinion as long as they are doing their job. This is disgusting.

Snarfangel: Just think, they are punished more severely for expressing their opinion than they would be for pepper-spraying peaceful protesters.

That's pretty damning.

If everyone were allowed to question the War on Drugs, we might actually end up treating addicts instead of jailing them. The DEA would be transformed overnight from a gang of thuggish stormtroopers into a bunch of namby pamby do-gooders. The fourth amendment might even make a comeback.

Is that what we really want?

The whole thing is disgusting and rotten, through and through. And yet the political support for decriminalization is almost nonexistent in this country, at least through most media and political channels I see.

Yet nearly everyone I talk to about it agrees with me: legalize it, regulate it, tax it, eliminate the black market. Where are all these voters who keep voting for prohibition policy?

The one good cop out there was fired.
sigh

make me some tea: Yet nearly everyone I talk to about it agrees with me: legalize it, regulate it, tax it, eliminate the black market. Where are all these voters who keep voting for prohibition policy?

That's the trap.
On this one issue, they are in agreement.
But then they elect tough on crime politicians. sigh.

How is it that we needed an amendment to make alcohol illegal but used the commerce clause to make pot illegal?
The laws banning pot have got to be unconstitutional and yet havent been challenged.

Anyone know the state of medical pot lawsuits going through the federal courts? Has scotus even got close to hearing a case??

Snarfangel: Just think, they are punished more severely for expressing their opinion than they would be for pepper-spraying peaceful protesters.

Heh, that's sad but true.

make me some tea: in this country, at least through most media and political channels I see.

Yet nearly everyone I talk to about it agrees with me: legalize it, regulate it, tax it, eliminate the black market. Where are all these voters who keep voting for prohibition policy?

Follow the money.

basemetal: Snarfangel: Just think, they are punished more severely for expressing their opinion than they would be for pepper-spraying peaceful protesters.

Heh, that's sad but true.

Hell, they're getting punished more several for expressing their opinion than if they had busted down the wrong door and shot everyone inside.

Snarfangel: Just think, they are punished more severely for expressing their opinion than they would be for pepper-spraying peaceful protesters.

thanks for making me more depressed than ever before.

namatad: Anyone know the state of medical pot lawsuits going through the federal courts? Has scotus even got close to hearing a case??

Not definitively, but I found this: Link (new window)

basemetal: Follow the money.

People always say that, but what does that mean?

I would think a lot more money could be brought via taxing the stuff.

make me some tea: I would think a lot more money could be brought via taxing the stuff.

I'm guessing that amount is still less than what big pharmaceutical companies, alcohol distilleries, for profit prison systems and corporate entities bribe lobby politicians with.

make me some tea: People always say that, but what does that mean?

I would think a lot more money could be brought via taxing the stuff.

it's not the potential money you need to follow. it's the money people are making RIGHT NOW from the war on drugs. Everything from cop shops that get to keep what cash and assets they sieze to the private run prison systems that get paid per head in their cells. People make entire careers off catching and locking up anyone who uses cannabis. lobbyists, political parties, cops, gun makers, gun dealers, people who make tactical harnesses, security companies, drug testing outfits...there's a LOT of money in the business of keeping people away from cannabis.

Weaver95: make me some tea: People always say that, but what does that mean?

I would think a lot more money could be brought via taxing the stuff.

it's not the potential money you need to follow. it's the money people are making RIGHT NOW from the war on drugs. Everything from cop shops that get to keep what cash and assets they sieze to the private run prison systems that get paid per head in their cells. People make entire careers off catching and locking up anyone who uses cannabis. lobbyists, political parties, cops, gun makers, gun dealers, people who make tactical harnesses, security companies, drug testing outfits...there's a LOT of money in the business of keeping people away from cannabis.

Not to mention all that sweet, sweet, state and federal money that local police forces gets to fight the drug war. They have to justify their expenses, and tossing stoners in jail is a great way since it artificially increases the crime rate, which means they need more money...

Now that all does make sense. Now I'm depressed too.

make me some tea: Now that all does make sense. Now I'm depressed too.

And if you question the wisdom of a 'war on drugs' you can get fired. Not just if you're a cop either. i'm extremely careful about what I say when i'm at work. i've got a boss who's a prosperity gospel heretic. he really believes in evangelical christianity (and outsourcing to india too, greedy f*cker that he is) and is a borderline authoritarian. He's implied enough times that people who are 'immoral' wouldn't be welcome in his organization.

Weaver95: And if you question the wisdom of a 'war on drugs' you can get fired. Not just if you're a cop either. i'm extremely careful about what I say when i'm at work. i've got a boss who's a prosperity gospel heretic. he really believes in evangelical christianity (and outsourcing to india too, greedy f*cker that he is) and is a borderline authoritarian. He's implied enough times that people who are 'immoral' wouldn't be welcome in his organization.

Holey moley.

Just to play Devil's advocate here: If you're sympathetic to the illegal aliens and think the "war on drugs" is wrong, perhaps Border Patrol isn't the most brilliant line of work to get into.

Savoir-Faire: Weaver95: work. i've got a boss who's a prosperity gospel heretic. he really believes in evangelical christianity (and outsourcing to india too, greedy f*cker that he is) and is a borderline authoritarian. He's implied enough times that people who are 'immoral' wouldn't be welcome in his organization.

Wow. What's the product, so I know never to buy it?

nothing you could avoid even if you tried. As an aside, you should see my scores on the idiotic corporate ethics test they make me take every year.

Obama could fix this but doesn't

Farking While Farking: make me some tea:

Yet nearly everyone I talk to about it agrees with me: legalize it, regulate it, tax it, eliminate the black market. Where are all these voters who keep voting for prohibition policy?

Typically how old are they?

That's a difficult question to answer because he probably hangs out with people roughly his same age. My friends (23-27) all say the same thing. But I also know older people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s that also feel the same way or partake themselves. The thing is you don't know who those people are unless they know you share their same viewpoints.

CSB: When I was hunting with my 74 year-old godfather (military vet, former teacher) and a couple of his friends, I made an offhand comment about toking up with my friends on the weekends in my college days and that I see it as less harmful than alcohol. Sure enough, one of his buddies (around the same age) goes to his bedroom and comes back with a velvet Crown Royal bag filled to the brim with high-grade kush and a simple glass pipe. We ended up toking and playing poker til about 5 in the morning. He told me he always thought I was pretty straight-laced, and I told him it's cause I wanted you to see me like that (and I told him the same thing).

End CSB

make me some tea: basemetal: Follow the money.

People always say that, but what does that mean?

Who profits from drugs being illegal?
That is what is meant by follow the money.
Every LEO with a job who has ever arrested anyone for possession or anyone in the drug trade (growing, making, selling, transporting, etc), EVERY LEO profits from this. There would be less LEO jobs if drugs were legal.
Every judge needed to try these cases.
Every lawyer and DA.
Every prison and jail.
Every city which gets any money from fines and seized property.
They would all lose money.
Every company that build prisons and jails.
Every company which sells guns and equipment (to both sides of the war)
Every family of any of these people. If there wage-earner lost their drug war related job, that family would suffer.

if we want to talk about medical pot.
the drug companies which make alternatives.
pain meds and anti-nausea to say the least.

what else?
anyone who makes or sells alcohol, some people would switch to the safer drug, pot.


sigh
legalize ALL consensual crimes.
legalize ALL DRUGS
legalize prostitution
legalize gambling

you can use the taxes collected to treat, monitor and PSA to reduce usage.
we dont even need new laws to deal with behavior while under the influence. we already have those laws and use them.

think of the children?
LOL
it is already easier for kids to get drugs than it is to get alcohol. DUH

/freedom from religion means that religious people who disagree with my freedoms do not get to take those freedoms from me.
/the founding fathers were all for gambling, prostitution and drugs.
/the religious nuts took away our freedoms. to make us safer. BULL shiat

Police officers are no longer needed here. They're worthless, fat, lazy and never follow the bill of rights or the Constitution. Police officers are bought off, are corrupt, and don't believe in the old aspect of upholding justice. They are now useless.

make me some tea: The whole thing is disgusting and rotten, through and through. And yet the political support for decriminalization is almost nonexistent in this country, at least through most media and political channels I see.

Yet nearly everyone I talk to about it agrees with me: legalize it, regulate it, tax it, eliminate the black market. Where are all these voters who keep voting for prohibition policy?

Part of the problem lies with those putting the measures on the ballot. The most recent issue I can use is the local election where they had on Florida's ballots a call to add a constitutional ammendment (for FL) to make marriage only that between a man and a woman or supporting gay marriage...

I knew how I wanted to vote, and still had to read the damned thing 4 times before I knew wtf it was saying, and how I needed to vote... Then when the thing failed, despite everyone I saw making it plain that they supported gay marriage, the news media loudly proclaimed "The people have spoken, they only want a man and a woman to marry"...

Plus, when you have 1/2 the houses in the area abandoned, promises of property taxes doubling, and many other housing related problems, they had a ballot idea of making it go to the voters to decide before you could redistrict anything... Then when the realtors union, the developers, and the banks got behind a mass marketing bomb of "No on 4" that should have told people of why they should have voted yes on it... When the chief opponents of a bill are part of why we're looking at all these problems, take your heads out of your asses and figure out why...

But the public memory is so short, all they could remember was "No on 4" and "well, that sounds like it supports gay marriage"...

Farking While Farking: Typically how old are they?

Around my age, of course.

Although my far-right-wing 70yo uncle even agrees with decriminalization.

the_chief: It's the one percent that makes the other 99 look good.

/My crotch smells awesome today.

But technically he's not even a part of that 1% anymore. So he's no longer making them look good since they canned his ass for voicing his opinion thinking of cutting out one of their biggest sources of revenue/funding.

make me some tea: basemetal: Follow the money.

People always say that, but what does that mean?

During the California pre-voting period when the legalization of pot was on the ballat, the three counties that were most against the legalization of pot were Humbolt, Mendicino, and Trinity Counties. Those three countries each have multi-billion dollar pot industries, both legal and illegal.

namatad: make me some tea: Yet nearly everyone I talk to about it agrees with me: legalize it, regulate it, tax it, eliminate the black market. Where are all these voters who keep voting for prohibition policy?

That's the trap.
On this one issue, they are in agreement.
But then they elect tough on crime politicians. sigh.

How is it that we needed an amendment to make alcohol illegal but used the commerce clause to make pot illegal?
The laws banning pot have got to be unconstitutional and yet havent been challenged.

Anyone know the state of medical pot lawsuits going through the federal courts? Has scotus even got close to hearing a case??

I can't remember a legislative or executive politician being elected that activly campaigned on tough on crime. in fact I all I remember is the last 3 potus's admitting they did drugs at some point. that must have been back in the 80's or something when we had thiese guys who campaigned on tough on crime.

What REALLY creeps me out is:
If you dont like drugs, then dont use them.
If you dont like alcohol, then dont drink.
If you dont want to gamble, then dont gamble.
If you dont want to hier a woman/man/thing for the night, then dont.

The idea that some people are alcoholics, drug addicts, addicted to gambling, abuse victims is not a reason to make something illegal. Some people have eating disorders but we dont ban ice-cream.

If you think prostitution is immoral, dont go. Do you really think that it was legal, that wives would LET their spouses go? LOL. Why do the religious and lefty/women's movement nuts went to control people's freedoms? Why should women get equality and be free to choose what to do with their body with say abortion. but women are not allowed to choose to be a prostitute? a stripper is ok??

/just because you dont like it does not mean that it should be illegal. sigh.