Zack Galifianakis on Bill Maher

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  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    Ya, we're on the same ship, but....
    I won't give up on my anti-prohibitionist stance just because it's a difficult fight. I certainly don't see it as any more difficult to overcome than any of the other issues listed here. Ending poverty, violence against women, fixing the environment, tax reforms, access to health care, gay rights....none of these are going to change overnight. In fact, aside from tax reforms, and maybe gay rights, these are probably a lot MORE difficult/complicated issues to tackle than prohibtion. Baby steps have been underway for years - medicinal pot, changes in hemp regulation, changes in public opinion....it's not hopeless, and I'd be surprised to see meaningful change in the next decade...but it's working and still a very worthy cause IMO.

    the thing is tho ... assuming we are talking about pot ... although its illegal, its about as illegal as is jaywalking ... i don't know anyone who smokes pot who feels like they have to do it in the bsmt at night and have to buy from dealers in shady spots ... people who want to smoke pot can do so relatively easily ...
  • vant0037vant0037 Posts: 6,142
    Ya, we're on the same ship, but....
    I won't give up on my anti-prohibitionist stance just because it's a difficult fight. I certainly don't see it as any more difficult to overcome than any of the other issues listed here. Ending poverty, violence against women, fixing the environment, tax reforms, access to health care, gay rights....none of these are going to change overnight. In fact, aside from tax reforms, and maybe gay rights, these are probably a lot MORE difficult/complicated issues to tackle than prohibtion. Baby steps have been underway for years - medicinal pot, changes in hemp regulation, changes in public opinion....it's not hopeless, and I'd be surprised to see meaningful change in the next decade...but it's working and still a very worthy cause IMO.

    No one (certainly not me) is saying you have to abandon your cause. But when the question is whether or not the War on Drugs issue is as pressing an issue as making sure 4 year olds have enough food to eat and proper health care, or making sure that gays have equal economic and social freedoms (including freedom from violence), or making sure that government-provided social services aren't cut even more in our current crisis (like unemployment benefits or healthcare for the elderly or poor), I'm going to simply say its not as pressing an issue. That doesn't mean ending the War on Drugs isn't important, but its simply going to have to take a back seat when we've got problems of hungry or homeless children and families, gays being beaten or killed and denied equal protection under the law and millions without work.

    My only point is let's fight the good fight but also keep in mind that right now, there's probably more urgent issues at hand.
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  • Drowned OutDrowned Out Posts: 6,056
    polaris_x wrote:
    the thing is tho ... assuming we are talking about pot ... although its illegal, its about as illegal as is jaywalking ... i don't know anyone who smokes pot who feels like they have to do it in the bsmt at night and have to buy from dealers in shady spots ... people who want to smoke pot can do so relatively easily ...
    I’m talking about the drug war in general (I oppose prohibition of any drug), but we can use pot as an example, sure…
    No, people don’t feel they need to hide in their basements, but you’re mistaken if you think it can be done repeatedly in the open without repercussion. You are seriously downplaying enforcement, and ignoring the hypocrisy of not convicting people for small amounts, while arresting the guy that sold it to them, or grew it for them. Minor possession arrests rose by 20% - 50% in all Canadian cities after the election of the Harper government killed the decrim bill the libs had introduced. Possession charges have averaged about 25,000 a year since 2006, after a dip in enforcement while the decrim bill was tabled. Since then, the Harper government introduced a bill (C-15) to begin mandatory minimums in Canada. It was thankfully killed by their prorogation, but they’ve promised to rewrite and introduce it again in March. So we're aking HUGE steps backwards in some aspects, AGAINST public opinion.
    So it is nowhere near jaywalking. In most cases, anything more than a joint or roach will get you arrested. And it’s basically left to the cop’s discretion. Police should not be interpreting law in a civilized society, they should be enforcing ALL just laws. It’s wrong for us to put this responsibility on them. When it’s discretionary enforcement, it basically amounts to harassment…Plus...you’re a white Canadian… Your opinion on this would probably be different if you were a black or Hispanic American.
  • Drowned OutDrowned Out Posts: 6,056
    vant0037 wrote:

    No one (certainly not me) is saying you have to abandon your cause. But when the question is whether or not the War on Drugs issue is as pressing an issue as making sure 4 year olds have enough food to eat and proper health care, or making sure that gays have equal economic and social freedoms (including freedom from violence), or making sure that government-provided social services aren't cut even more in our current crisis (like unemployment benefits or healthcare for the elderly or poor), I'm going to simply say its not as pressing an issue. That doesn't mean ending the War on Drugs isn't important, but its simply going to have to take a back seat when we've got problems of hungry or homeless children and families, gays being beaten or killed and denied equal protection under the law and millions without work.

    My only point is let's fight the good fight but also keep in mind that right now, there's probably more urgent issues at hand.
    I know what you’re saying, but we have to be able to multi-task on the activism front :) There will ALWAYS be something more pressing…someone has to work on these things. I could say that none of the domestic issues we face matter at all while we support via policy the ethnic cleansing/apartheid in Palestine, famine in Africa, human rights violations, military expansion and aggression etc etc….Tell you what….you work on gay rights, I’ve got the anti-prohibition thing. We’ll have a big pot smoking rainbow rally one day to flip a collective bird at the religious right and corporate America – the people working to inflict draconian laws on the rest of us.
  • vant0037vant0037 Posts: 6,142
    vant0037 wrote:

    No one (certainly not me) is saying you have to abandon your cause. But when the question is whether or not the War on Drugs issue is as pressing an issue as making sure 4 year olds have enough food to eat and proper health care, or making sure that gays have equal economic and social freedoms (including freedom from violence), or making sure that government-provided social services aren't cut even more in our current crisis (like unemployment benefits or healthcare for the elderly or poor), I'm going to simply say its not as pressing an issue. That doesn't mean ending the War on Drugs isn't important, but its simply going to have to take a back seat when we've got problems of hungry or homeless children and families, gays being beaten or killed and denied equal protection under the law and millions without work.

    My only point is let's fight the good fight but also keep in mind that right now, there's probably more urgent issues at hand.
    I know what you’re saying, but we have to be able to multi-task on the activism front :) There will ALWAYS be something more pressing…someone has to work on these things. I could say that none of the domestic issues we face matter at all while we support via policy the ethnic cleansing/apartheid in Palestine, famine in Africa, human rights violations, military expansion and aggression etc etc….Tell you what….you work on gay rights, I’ve got the anti-prohibition thing. We’ll have a big pot smoking rainbow rally one day to flip a collective bird at the religious right and corporate America – the people working to inflict draconian laws on the rest of us.

    Word up to that my friend. I'm in - let's do it. :D
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