Is Sarah Palin pro-marijuana?
During an appearance on Fox Business Channel this week, ex- Alaska Governor Sarah Palin articulated a somewhat indulgent outlook on the enforcement of cannabis laws. “I'm not for the legalization of pot,” whispered Palin. But “if somebody's going to smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody any harm, then perhaps there are other things our cops should be looking at….” OMG. Is this for real, who is Sarah Palin and why didn’t she speak of her understanding of marijuana when she ran for vice president of the united states.
It's been a busy half year when it comes to the news, but there have been a few hot topics that have overtaken the headlines during the first months of 2009. From evil octomoms to marijuana mayhem, this is a look at 5 of the hottest newsmakers of 2009 so far:
Mothers of Multiples - It all started with the Octomom. Nadya Suleman and her gigantic brood of children made her one of the most hated women in America. No one could understand how a woman with no job or a husband with one could decide that having eight children was the next logical step in her life (especially since she already had 6 at home!). There were allegations that Nadya Suleman was obsessed with Angelina Jolie and had undergone plastic surgery to look like her and wanted a big brood just like her. The doctors who allowed the Octomom to undergo fertility treatments also came under fire, and we all wondered where a single mom already taking care of six kids got the money for the fertility treatments and the surgery. After months of bickering over whether the Octomom should be allowed to have her own reality show like 'Jon & Kate Plus 8', she finally got her way. But by that time, our attention had shifted to another mother of multiples, Kate Gosselin of 'Jon & Kate Plus 8'. She ruled her roost with an iron fist, complaining about coupons that the family didn't even need, harping on Jon over every little thing (even breathing!), and rolling her eyes like an annoyed teenager when her kids would try to talk to her while she was talking to the cameras. But fans of the show 'Jon & Kate Plus 8' had known this about Kate Gosselin for quite some time. What got the attention of the rest of America were a few pictures of her husband Jon Gosselin out partying with a twenty-something schoolteacher. It didn't take long for more headlines of the couple's failing marriage to start flooding grocery store checkout lanes: did they have an open marriage contract? Was Kate Gosselin dating her bodyguard? Did Jon Gosselin go out and party with friends on Kate Gosselin's birthday? Should these two and their eight kids even be on a show? Were the stories about affairs just a big hoax to boost ratings? Is Kate Gosselin's haircut really cute? The two recently finally did get a divorce, ending the speculation. Still, the show might go on and the debate over whether the kids should be subjected to it won't end, and we're waiting to see if TLC comes up with a replacement for the large family if the show does end.
The Fight for Gay Rights - Prop 8 was big news at the beginning of the year, as was the fight to repeal it. It's frankly amazing to me that gay couples who live in one of the places in America that's viewed as the most liberal still can't get married, but I believe they will be able to in due time. The debate over gay marriage sparked one of the most interesting feuds of the year so far between former Miss California Carrie Prejean and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. During the Miss USA pageant, Carrie Prejean was asked whether or not she thought that gay couples should be allowed to get married. She completely flubbed her answer up, saying she believed in “opposite marriage”. Perez Hilton later had some choice words for Carrie Prejean on his blog, and Carrie Prejean responded with a tryst with right-wing media outlets like FOX News. She argued that she lost the title of Miss USA because she stood up for what she believed in (although I still say she just stumbled all over her answer) and tried to become a martyr for the anti-gay marriage cause. Then one set of topless pictures of Carrie Prejean hit the internet, which she argued away as modeling pictures that weren't abnormal for a girl in her position (they really weren't anything worse than what you'd see in a men's magazine; she was topless, but covering herself up with her arms). But then another set hit the net, and these really were topless pictures. Still, Donald Trump let her keep her Miss California crown, and co-director of the Miss California USA pageant and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler stepped down from her position after learning that Carrie Prejean was going to be allowed to keep her title. Eventually Carrie Prejean lost her title because she wasn't fulfilling her contractual obligations, although she stated that she believed it was because she wouldn't pose for more topless pictures in 'Playboy' or appear on 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!'. Another former beauty queen in the spotlight who had expressed her support for Carrie Prejean, Sarah Palin, had to have shed a tear as someone so similar to herself faded away from the media spotlight, her last hurrah being a few E-mails between herself and a Miss USA employee that revealed her true character. So it was score 1 for gay marriage, a point that was quickly taken away as prop 8 wasn't repealed. However, science might save the gay marriage argument: studies are revealing that gay and bisexual behavior is a natural occurrence in almost every species on the planet (remember the adorable gay penguin couple?). So evolution isn't the only thing the religious right is going to have to find a Bible-friendly explanation for now. But the gay community could be tearing itself apart over a film by Sacha Baron Cohen. 'Bruno' is a movie done in Sacha Baron Cohen's distinctive style of making people look like idiots by exposing their prejudice and hypocrisy by pretending to be a stereotype. But while the purpose of 'Bruno' seems to be to expose the ugly side of homophobia in a funny way, many members of the gay community are arguing that the movie just gives homophobes something to laugh about and that they'll completely miss the message. Sadly, those who will be laughing at Bruno and not with him probably would not change their minds, anyway, so it's best just to enjoy the movie and move on by fighting for gay rights where it counts: in the political world.
Celebrity Deaths - I don't want to focus on this subject too long, because it's depressed me enough this year, but there have been way too many celebrity deaths in these first few months of 2009. Natasha Richardson's unexpected death early in the year definitely educated us all on head injures; she fell and hit her head while skiing, seemed perfectly fine, and died hours later. Legendary radio voice and storyteller Paul Harvey died in February, and Golden Girl Bea Arthur, also known for her ground-breaking work on the show 'Maude', died in April. British reality star Jade Goody wasn't one of the biggest stars to die during 2009, but hers was one of the most-talked about celebrity deaths, as she allowed her struggle with cervical cancer to be documented to the very end. Other celebrity deaths include that of funnyman Dom DeLuise and porn star Marilyn Chambers. 'Kung Fu' Actor David Carradine's untimely end became one of the most talked about celebrity deaths of 2009 because of the bizarre circumstances surrounding it, leading some to believe that he died attempting autoerotic asphyxiation. But perhaps the celebrity deaths that have gotten the most attention this year are the slew of them that happened in June, including that of Johnny Carson's right hand man Ed McMahon and the blonde angel known as Farrah Fawcett, who died the same day as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. But while the news stories were pouring in about how MJ died, whether drugs and his doctor were to blame, and what would happen to his kids, another legend in his own right, infomercial king Billy Mays, died shortly after giving an interview about bumping his head. This led to speculation that he had died the same way as Natasha Richardson, but it was later discovered his death was from a heart condition. Of course these are just a few of the dozens of celebrity deaths that have occurred so far in 2009, and lets hope the second half of the year isn't so dark.
The Struggle of the GOP - The Republican Party has had it's fair share of blows so far this year. Despite no George Bush to bash, the GOP has had it's hands full with jokes about the likes of Rush Limbaugh being the voice of the right and the star that is Sarah Palin not fading away. In fact, Sarah Palin seems to be making the headlines quite frequently, probably striking fear in the hearts of those in her party who see her as presidential poison. (Don't worry, even Rush Limbaugh realizes how dangerous Sarah Palin is, and he won't let her end up being the Republican candidate). But Sarah Palin is still sitting somewhat pretty, as the GOP has likely lost two of it's possible candidates due to affairs. John Ensign fell after possibly being blackmailed by the husband of the staffer he had an affair with, and not too long after, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford made even more headlines when he went missing. No one seemed to know where he was, but it was only a matter of time before he admitted that he was seeing his mistress in South America. The media soon identified her as Maria Belen Chapu, prompting a frantic search for pictures of the former newscaster. It seems that Mark Sanford was truly head-over-heels for this woman, judging from the E-mails released (love letters from him to her), but he's decided to try and keep his wife and his job. Even if he doesn't step down as governor, don't expect a presidential bid from him; like Ensign, he voted to impeach Bill Clinton when he went astray. Being lovelorn and called a hypocrite would probably just be a little too much for him to handle during a debate. And one more blow to the GOP: Al Franken was finally declared Minnesota's Senator, giving the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority.
Pot Pushing - From the time that one of the most popular questions from an internet poll was posed to President Obama about legalizing marijuana, it looked like it was going to be a hot topic this year. There's always a marijuana story that's popular on the website Digg, and many are arguing that legalizing marijuana and taxing it could save our economy and put an end to the drug being smuggled across the Mexican border. News stations like CNN have done specials on the matter, weighing the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana, but it could be a long time before it's ever legalized. Still, as cigarettes are becoming less and less popular, tobacco companies are going to have to find someway to make money, and switching over to marijuana might be the way to go.
So from bad mothers times eight to great drug and marriage debates, there have been some interesting newsmakers of 2009 so far. I can't wait to see what the rest of this crazy year has to offer.
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_behavior_in_animals
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1878389/mark_sanfords_mistress_revealed_maria.html?cat=49
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1715963/miss_california_seminaked_pictures.html?cat=2
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1756586/at_least_kate_gosselin_has_her_haircut.html?cat=2
Marijuana…Legal In Ca.?
California electorate is divided over an initiative on the November ballot that would legalize marijuana for recreational use.The Public Policy Institute of Ca. poll out Wed (05/19/2010) found t 49 percent of likely voters would support legalization of cannabis, while 48 percent oppose it. The poll has a margin of inaccuracy of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The state of California already allows medicinal use of cannabis, but would become the first state to legalize recreational use if voters approve the initiative.The poll found that Democrats and independents are far more likely to support the initiative than Republicans. Not overly surprising. Support also is higher in the Bay Area, while L.A. and the Central Valley remain divided.The survey found that men are more likely to favor legalization than women.
One of the biggest cash crops in the United States is marijuana. Several states have legalized it for sale for medical use. If you compare where “pot” is now to where alcohol was back in the days of prohibition, there are some similarities. Even though recreational use is illegal in most parts of the country, its use, like alcohol back in the twenties, is still very widespread.
The only difference is that marijuana has some use medically while you'd be hard pressed to find a medical use for booze. Back in the twenties, the use of marijuana was primarily confined to Black jazz musicians in the south. Since it wasn't used by many whites, propaganda films like “Reefer Madness” were put out by the government to discourage Caucasians from using it.
The films carried all kinds of dire warnings. Just one little puff on a marijuana cigarette would lead to madness and like the character in the film, murder. Of course, this has been proven not so by scientific research.
But the real reason for it being outlawed was because of DuPont Chemical Company. It was a business decision. Hemp fibers in many ways did a better job for making clothing than cotton and DuPont was right on the verge of developing synthetic fibers like nylon and rayon. They didn't want the additional competition from hemp.
The argument for legalizing marijuana has been around for a long time. Why waste all of those billions of dollars that are going underground when you can legalize it and tax it. It could potentially go a long way towards solving the national deficit.
What is the downside to using marijuana? The only thing that the government has been able to find so far is that excessive use might cause you to become apathetic. At least it doesn't cause an inability to drive an automobile alike alcohol does.
According to CNN, in states where medical marijuana is legal, many families are becoming growers and processors. There are even some mother and son teams.
With more and more states legalizing at least medical marijuana, I think that it won't belong before the prohibition ends. I don't use marijuana anymore. A lot of my friends do. When you get older the thrill of a long afternoon nap outweighs getting that buzz.
It might be a good idea though to legalize the pot and put more restrictions on alcohol, or prohibit its use all together. Then we can go after cigarettes and solve the national health crisis.
How many lives could be saved if people no longer smoked cigarettes and drove drunk? Not to mention the tremendous savings on health cost. At least the tobacco companies don't have the enormous sway with the politicians that it used to have.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/03/09/spellman.marijuana.family.cnn?hpt=C2
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: california electorate, central valley, democrats, inaccuracy, independents, initiative, legalization of cannabis, marijuana, medicinal use of cannabis, percentage points, poll, public policy institute, republicans, state of california, survey found that | Comment (0)Will Ca. Pass First Marijuana Legalizations Bill
California electorate is divided over an initiative on the November ballot that would legalize marijuana for recreational use.The Public Policy Institute of Ca. poll out Wed (05/19/2010) found t 49 percent of likely voters would support legalization of cannabis, while 48 percent oppose it. The poll has a margin of inaccuracy of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The state of California already allows medicinal use of cannabis, but would become the first state to legalize recreational use if voters approve the initiative.The poll found that Democrats and independents are far more likely to support the initiative than Republicans. Not overly surprising. Support also is higher in the Bay Area, while L.A. and the Central Valley remain divided.The survey found that men are more likely to favor legalization than women.
In California, medicinal marijuana has been legal since 1996. Since then there has been an ever growing surge in supporters to legalize and tax marijuana, much the way alcohol and tobacco are. The Tax and Regulate Marijuana 2010 Campaign has just achieved its first major victory in that fight. With over 700,000 signatures, they have gathered nearly double the amount necessary for inclusion on November's ballot.
January 13th 2010, the Sac Bee reported, “Assemblyman Tom Ammiano emerged Tuesday from a victorious committee vote to legalize marijuana proclaiming history was in the making.
It didn't matter that his bill was dead on non-arrival. A separate Assembly health committee won't take up the bill this week, meaning it will miss a legislative deadline for reaching the Assembly floor.
But the political theater Ammiano stirred in winning a 4-3 vote in the Public Safety Committee for pot's legalization raises the curtain on a near-certain November ballot fight and heated skirmishes in the Legislature over the future of marijuana use in California.” For the full story go to http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2457715.html
In the 1920's and 1930's, America clearly learned that prohibition only increased criminal activity, violence and the frivolous spending on a battle that could not be won. Many people feel that our country continues to implement laws that only drive the crime rate up as well as add to our national deficit. The use of marijuana does not affect a person's mental state so as to become violent. The financial and criminal gains cause a person to become violent. Wars over territory bring about violence, murder and theft as well as a host of other crimes. The criminals are the only ones who gain from keeping marijuana illegal. There is an annual $14 billion illegal market. Imagine what would happen if that criminal economy was brought to an end and given to society as legal profits.
Those opposed to legalizing marijuana would have you believe that marijuana is harmful to your health in a way that far exceeds the affects of recreational alcohol and tobacco. Tobacco is single handedly responsible for the deaths of 500,000 Americans each year. 100,000 people die each year from alcohol related causes. To date, no deaths have ever been attributed to marijuana use.
According to the US Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics reported in December of 2008, there are over 600,000 people incarcerated for drug offenses in state and federal prisons. As also reported by the Department of Justice in 2008, the average annual cost of incarceration per inmate is $25,895. That is an annual cost of $15,537,000,000.
The Board of Equalization estimates that legalizing marijuana could generate about $1.4 billion in tax revenue annually.Public support for legalization of marijuana is at an all time high. Nation wide polls range from 44 to 52 percent. In California 56 percent of the population supports legalization of marijuana. It is an exciting and historical time for California as the battle for legalization is nearing an end, with victory lingering around the corner.
Sources:
Sacramento Bee http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2457715.html
U.S. Department of Justice http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/about/index.html
