Pubdate: Sat, 22 Feb 2014
Source: Glenwood Springs Post Independent (CO)
Copyright: 2014 Glenwood Springs Post Independent
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/ys97xJAX
Website: http://www.postindependent.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/821
Author: Bob Statler

WE MUST DEFEND PERSONAL FREEDOMS

In my opinion there are very few more respected in the community than 
Jonathan Rice. It is very likely I have never before disagreed with 
him, at least very rarely do I.

I have to give a lot of credit to the pro-marijuana group for taking 
up a cause and getting it to a point of legalization within a state. 
For those of us who believe the federal government is far too 
expansive, invasive and wrong much of the time, it is good to see 
this group did something about it. Not to mention the war on drugs 
and the lessons not learned by prohibition ... overpopulation of 
prisons ... and on and on.

This is exactly what we are supposed to do as a state, take charge of 
our own beliefs, addressing issues the federal government has no 
business involving itself in, and it should happen more often. Unlike 
Jonathan I don't have great reservations about being in conflict with 
federal law given my belief they have no authority. Reality put on 
hold on behalf of beliefs for the argument, that is.

I also don't buy into the impact on our youth portion of the 
argument. Having terrific examples such as Jonathan and ourselves as 
parents, our youth are exposed to what they need to make the correct 
decisions. What they don't need is always present - legal or not - 
regarding everything, and that is why we are here to point them the 
correct direction. I don't believe we need to argue the benefits or 
detriments of the use of marijuana either, as personal freedom is 
exactly that and we must defend others' personal freedoms, 
particularly when we don't believe in them ourselves.

There are plenty of legal means to do harm to one's self and the 
illegal means of doing harm to one's self are attainable to those who 
have no regard for any law or themselves. With tightening education 
budgets one might think someone in the school system would welcome 
more sources of funding given a portion of the taxes are supposed to 
go to education (a completely different couple of arguments there).

Good for Mr. Rice for not jumping on the bandwagon to receive more 
money for his cause, education. If only we had more people making 
public decisions like that ... regardless of agreeing or not. I don't 
use marijuana, but given the stressfulness of the state of the world 
(when you think about it), I do tend to notice those who do are a lot 
more relaxed than me. Perhaps I will join them.

Maybe I will switch over to publicly funded healthcare, get a card 
and let the rest of you pay for my recreation, I mean health care. 
All of that and I don't actually care if it is legal to sell in Rifle 
or not, I just wanted to argue with a guy crazy enough to respond via 
the paper when he already did what he believed correct.

Bob Statler

Rifle
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom