I support much of the Harper government's legislative agenda, but they're spectacularly, tragically wrong in their dogged determination to impose harsher marijuana laws. A case in point is their Bill S-10, currently before the Senate, which among other things proposes a mandatory six-month sentence for possessing as few as six marijuana plants. Passing such a law would be invidiously unjust and counter-productive, resulting in prison sentences and criminal records for substantially greater numbers of people, most of them young, for engaging in a harmless activity that millions of Canadians believe should not be criminal at all. [continues 761 words]
Scanning coverage of Conrad Black's release from prison on bail, I was amused (sort of) by a reporter's describing Mr. Black as a "one-time conservative." This assessment was based on Mr. Black's taking up the cause of prison and drug-law reform during his incarceration, and says more about the writer's superficial, stereotyped perceptions of "conservatism" than about Mr. Black's politics. Perspectives broadened, mind focused by circumstances, Mr. Black lobbed withering and well-deserved broadsides from behind bars at the United States justice system, which he accurately describes as "putrefied," "'a carceral state' that imprisons eight to 12 times more people per capita than the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Germany or Japan..." [continues 717 words]
A Stephen Harper fan and supporter, I applaud his foray into new media on YouTube last week answering a selection chosen by Google/YouTube producers from 1.800-odd questions pre-submitted by the online video service's users. However, I disagree with the prime minister's take on the dominant topic addressed - marijuana legalization - which he categorically dismissed, affirming he's personally been fortunate to live a drug-free life, and as a parent, drug use is the last thing he'd want for his own or anyone else's children. [continues 760 words]
I'm a Stephen Harper supporter. I think he's the best Canadian prime minister of my lifetime (the possible exception being Louis St. Laurent, but I'm not quite old enough to remember), and I would love to see Mr. Harper succeed in his quest for a parliamentary majority. However, even I'm getting fatigued by the Conservative Party's stridently negative attacks on Opposition leaders and members, and wish they would step back a bit - something most Canadians would appreciate and thus strategically beneficial to achieving that majority objective. [continues 788 words]
If you're fortunate enough to own an Apple iPhone, it seems whatever your interest, "there's an app for that," as the TV commercial tells us. "Apps" are software applications, usually small, specifically-focused, and inexpensive, that run on Apple's iPhone operating system, a slimmed-down version of Apple's Macintosh OS X for personal computers and servers. There are literally thousands of these little programs available on Apple's online App. Store, one of the newest Apple has approved for sale being named simply "Cannabis," a US$1.99 iPhone and iPod app by Los Angeles-based Activists Justifying the Natural Agriculture of Ganja (AJNAG), who operate the AJNAG.com Website and MedicalCannabis.org database. [continues 602 words]
