Pubdate: Sun, 18 Jan 2015
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2015 The Washington Post Company
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Daniel Burnett
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n028/a09.html

LEAVE D.C.'S BUSINESS TO D.C.

Regarding the Jan. 14 Metro article "D.C. defies Hill on pot":

Congressional Republicans ought to tread lightly in their crusade to 
block the legalization of recreational marijuana in Washington. In 
their refusal to give the District autonomy over this issue, one that 
7 in 10 D.C. voters supported at the ballot box, Republicans are 
doing more to bolster the D.C. statehood argument than anyone else.

What's their motivation? The legislators' constituents largely do not 
care if Washingtonians smoke: Pew Research found that 83 percent of 
Americans wouldn't be bothered by people lighting up in their own 
homes if weed were legal. What might bother their constituents are 
the two far-left senators that the District would elect if it became 
a state- an argument unfortunately strengthened by Republican 
stubbornness on this issue.

Congressional Republicans' priorities are hazy, to say the least. The 
people of the District have spoken; now is not the time for outside 
legislators to interfere with the will of the people.

Daniel Burnett, Washington
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom