I'm writing about Gary Borders' thoughtful column: Students lose another chunk of free speech" (7-9-07). Obviously, our so-called conservative Supreme Court justices felt high-school students should not have freedom of speech when they talk or write about our sacred war on drugs. "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" brings into question one of America's most sacred institutions: our war on drugs. Without our sacred war on drugs, America would not be the most incarcerated nation is the history of human civilization. And we would need far fewer law-enforcement personnel, far fewer prison and jail guards, and no prison or jail builders. Mesa, AZ [end]
The Supreme Court should take a cue from the nonsensical banner that inspired their decision to limit free speech. It might do them some good to take a few bong hits for Jesus. Before sacrificing more civil liberties at the altar of the drug war, they should ask themselves, what would Jesus do? Would Jesus persecute, incarcerate and deny forgiveness to nonviolent drug offenders? Zero tolerance is un-Christian. Morally, the drug war is wrong. On a practical level, the drug war is a complete failure. There were 786,545 marijuana arrests in 2005, the vast majority for simple possession. America is one of the few Western countries that punish citizens who prefer marijuana to martinis, yet lifetime use of marijuana is higher in the U.S. than any European country. [continues 80 words]
Re: "Inconvenient truths about marijuana laws," by Kathleen Parker," yesterday's Viewpoints. Yesterday, I attended an AA meeting at which a man in his 30s shared the following: "I am so sick of working hard and not having enough money. I know I should have been learning how to make money when I was in my 20s, but I was drunk all the time. Now I am paying the price. I don't want to drink over it, but I hate it, and I don't know what to do." Let people who want to make drugs and alcohol more available to young people reflect on that. Charles A. Dana, Dallas [end]
WASHINGTON -- News that Al Gore's 24-year-old son, Al Gore III, was busted for pot and assorted prescription pills has unleashed a torrent of mirth in certain quarters. Gore-phobes on the Internet apparently view the son's arrest and incarceration as comeuppance for the father's shortcomings. Especially rich was the fact that young Al was driving a Toyota Prius when he was pulled over for going 100 mph -- just as Papa Gore was set to preside over concerts during a 24-hour, seven-continent Live Earth celebration to raise awareness about global warming. [continues 636 words]
You May Balk at Legalizing Pot, but a Remedy Is in Order News that Al Gore's 24-year-old son, Al Gore III, was busted for pot and assorted prescription pills has unleashed a torrent of mirth in certain quarters. Gore-phobes on the Internet apparently view the son's arrest and incarceration as comeuppance for the father's shortcomings. Especially rich was the fact that young Al was driving a Toyota Prius when he was pulled over for going 100 mph - just as Papa Gore was set to preside over concerts during a 24-hour, seven-continent Live Earth celebration to raise awareness about global warming. [continues 639 words]
LUFKIN, Texas - The First Amendment rights of students took another whack last week when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a high-school principal who suspended a student for unfurling a banner that read, rather nonsensically, "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." The 5-4 ruling only adds to the assault on free speech that continues nearly unabated in today's political climate. It's more than a little depressing for those of us who still believe the 45 words that comprise the First Amendment are the linchpin of our liberties. [continues 760 words]
This is a little unusual for me, but I really must compliment President Bush for commuting I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's sentence last week. In case you've been living in a world modern media don't reach, Libby was convicted in March of lying to federal prosecutors and obstructing justice in the "outing" of CIA covert agent/employee Valerie Plame. I know a lot of people are frothing at the mouth over the president's action, and with good reason. [continues 254 words]
This summer marks the 40th anniversary of the so-called Summer of Love. Honest and intelligent people will remember it for what it really was: The Eve of Destruction. Forty years ago, hordes of stoned, dirty, stinky hippies converged on San Francisco to "turn on, tune in and drop out," which was the calling card of LSD proponent Timothy Leary. Turned off by the work ethic and productive American Dream values of their parents, hippies instead opted for a cowardly, irresponsible lifestyle of random sex, life destroying drugs and mostly soulless rock music that flourished in San Francisco. [continues 686 words]
News that Al Gore's 24-year-old son, Al Gore III, was busted for pot and assorted prescription pills has unleashed a torrent of mirth in certain quarters. Gore-phobes on the Internet apparently view the son's arrest and incarceration as comeuppance for the father's shortcomings. Especially rich was the fact that young Al was driving a Toyota Prius when he was pulled over for going 100 mph -- just as Papa Gore was set to preside over concerts during a 24-hour, seven-continent Live Earth celebration to raise awareness about global warming. [continues 633 words]
There Are Hidden Costs of Recreational Drug Use We hate to be a drag about recreational drug use, but hypocrisy can be such a bummer. Take, for example, the vegetarian, leather-free, anti-globalization activist who bristles at the thought of killing a cow and yet thinks nothing of lighting up a joint in her college dorm room just like her parents did. Consider the twentysomething law clerk who sees no problem partying late into the night with a snort or two of cocaine. [continues 275 words]
FORT WORTH -- Five years ago, Deezmond Henson was a young at-risk student, seemingly headed for a brief, violent life on the streets. But he went to a military-style summer camp as part of DEFY -- Drug Education for Youth -- and things turned around. Now he's headed to the University of North Texas. On Saturday, Henson, 18, delivered a simple message to this year's 67 DEFY campers: "Stay away from drugs, and keep those you care about away from drugs." [continues 232 words]
Hospital In Calallen Sets Grand Opening For Middle Of August Two months ago, Marvin Unger was ready to die. The 77-year-old had lost his wife, was depressed and had been diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer. He suffered from memory loss and had stopped eating and walking when his family encouraged him to enter Coastal Plains Hospital, a physical rehabilitation and behavioral hospital, to recover from his surgeries. The facility, which took its first patient June 6, offers services including physical therapy and geriatric psychiatry to adults 18 and older. It also offers drug detoxification services. [continues 518 words]
In response to "Free Speech 4 Jesus," June 27: The Supreme Court should take a cue from the nonsensical banner that inspired their recent decision limiting student free speech. It might do them some good to take a few bong hits for Jesus. Before sacrificing any more civil liberties at the altar of the drug war, they should ask themselves, what would Jesus do? Would Jesus persecute, incarcerate and deny forgiveness to nonviolent drug offenders? Zero tolerance is un-Christian. Morally, the drug war is wrong, and on a practical level, the drug war is a complete failure. [continues 121 words]
In January 2002, in Juneau, Alaska, Joseph Frederick had the sort of idea that makes a teenager seem like one of nature's mistakes. Last week, after five years and the attention of 13 federal judges, Frederick became a footnote in constitutional history. His case illustrated how the multiplication and extension of rights lead to the proliferation of litigation. It also illustrated something agreeable in a disagreeably angry era -- how nine intelligent, conscientious justices can civilly come to strikingly different conclusions about undisputed facts. [continues 688 words]
As a police officer, I focused on DUI and red-light running -- proven killers of innocents. When I found pot on a red-light runner who wasn't intoxicated, I wrote the traffic ticket and tossed the pot into a ditch. That allowed me to continue looking for public safety threats. I urge my colleagues to do the same. Simple possession of pot is a violation of the law but not a public safety issue. In my 18 years of service, I responded to zero calls generated by the use of marijuana. I don't agree with Barry Cooper. (See June 20 news story "Ex-cop markets DVD on avoiding pot busts.") But I understand his frustration that our profession has lost its focus on public safety. Dallas [end]
ONDCP Goes Old School When in doubt, go old-school or, at least, why not give it a shot, especially if you don't have anything and I mean anything else going for you? But remember: Retro isn't always hip and when it comes to the sad, sad (and ever more sad) White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, "retro" is just plainass embarrassing. Case in point: Now that summer is here, so is the ONDCP's latest attempt at scaring you into believing that drugs no, rather, marijuana, is bad, bad, bad. According to the new ONDCP youth anti-drug media campaign report released by the feds this month, kids (that is youth, ages 12-17) who smoke pot are "at least" four times as likely to join a gang as their nontoking brethren. [continues 902 words]
In January 2002, in Juneau, Alaska, Joseph Frederick had the sort of idea that makes a teenager seem like one of nature's mistakes. Last week, after five years and the attention of 13 federal judges, Frederick became a footnote in constitutional history. His case illustrated how the multiplication and extension of rights lead to the proliferation of litigation. It also illustrated something agreeable in a disagreeably angry era -- how nine intelligent, conscientious justices can civilly come to strikingly different conclusions about undisputed facts. [continues 691 words]
Suggesting that we "raise the price of alcohol" to impede teen-age alcohol access belies the fact that licensed dealers who handle the drug alcohol don't sell to high schoolers, thanks to legal regulation of their businesses. Regulation of risky drugs makes good sense. But we can't regulate those drugs unless they are legal to possess and to distribute. Legalizing currently illicit drugs assures that most all dealing will move off the unregulated street and into licensed businesses that can be easily monitored by state and local authorities. And it would immediately resolve a major dilemma for teen-agers. [continues 54 words]
The First Amendment rights of students took another whack last week when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a high-school principal who suspended a student for unfurling a banner that read, rather nonsensically, "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." The 5-4 ruling only adds to the assault on free speech that continues nearly unabated in today's political climate. It's more than a little depressing for those of us who still believe the 45 words that comprise the First Amendment are the linchpin of our liberties. [continues 752 words]
Bong Hits For Jesus Aren't Anti-War Armbands. It's as plain as that -- at least to the humorless disciplinarians on the U.S. Supreme Court. Joseph Frederick said the "BONG HiTS 4 JESUS" banner he unfurled across the street from his high school in Juneau, Alaska, during the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay was a nonsensical stunt to get on TV. His principal, Deborah Morse, wasn't amused. She confiscated the sign and suspended him. The justices decided that she could. [continues 805 words]
Inside Texas
