Say "marijuana" and visions appear of immature pro-athletes like the two bozo's suspended from the Redskins last week as well as photographs of the Occupy (fill in the city of choice) idiots that remind me of modern depictions of characters in Hell so wonderfully portrayed centuries ago by Jeroen Anthoniszoon van Aken aka Hieronymus Bosch.
That said, after spending a few more moments reflecting on the "evil weed" and my thoughts turn to Mexico and the Obama Administration's ballet with that country's President who blames the U.S. for all the evil folks on his side of the border who are lethally adverse to the free market principle of competition.
No matter what I think of Mexican logic or their version of political ethics (try not to laugh too loudly at the concept), there are some very serious consequences attached to marijuana and its legal status here in the United States. First, some very fine law enforcement officials with our Homeland Security/Immigration/Border Patrol operations are being put in mortal harm's way due to the cross-border trafficking of the illegal herb. Second, our economy is in a hell hole due to the flushing of billions down the judicial sewer system for enforcement, prosecution, and incarceration related to marijuana possession and use. I'm not talking about the consequences of behavior while under the influence of the weed. Smoke MJ and do something irresponsible that results in causing harm to someone and all bets are off. Shame on you.
Look we are a very immature country when it comes to ethics and morality. Maybe it's the influence of too many Puritans fleeing England before the first turkey day. Who knows. The fact is we act like self righteous jerks when it comes to things other countries take in stride. And we are hypocrites to boot.
I come from a family where alcohol was not forbidden fruit. If we wanted it, we could have it. As a result, we rarely wanted it.
Big family meals might have had beer and wine available but most drank ice tea or Pepsi. My grandfather drank wine he made (sometimes with our help) but only a glass or two to compliment my grandmother's outrageous cooking skills. Christmas, Thanksgiving or just Sunday dinner had a pasta dish (ravioli, manicotta (we pronounced it old Sicilian style as "managota" etc. always homemade), a baked chicken, ham and a roast leg of lamb or beef (that's right all three at the same meal ...unless there was a big rock fish or maybe including the fish) with two kinds of potatoes and at least three kinds of vegetables. I kid you not.
I don't know the merits of medical marijuana. I don't care about the attraction of it's recreational use. As I mentioned I do care about the consequences of irresponsible use. Same as with alcohol or firearms.
At any rate I'm quickly coming to the position that it's time we as a nation grow up and allow our friends and neighbors to become adults and decide for themselves if they want to smoke pot or eat pot or just grow pretty pot plants without facing the full force of our criminal justice system. I also think it will be fun to legalize the substance and watch the Mexican President complain of that we just ruined his nation's economy.
That's the conservative thing to do.
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