The New Argument Against Marijuana Legalization: It Will Kill Everyone
Having apparently run out of other ideas, opponents of marijuana legalization are now arguing that people are going to die. Seriously:
Carnage? Lost Lives? Ok guys, you just keep on talking like that and see what happens. Frustrated and desperate, the anti-pot crusaders have finally and firmly established themselves as the true nutjobs in the marijuana debate.
For decades, the prohibitionists have taken pot politics for granted and their sudden struggle to adapt to the current political climate is indeed an ugly thing to behold. The very notion of an organized, intellectual and popular movement for marijuana reform is utterly incompatible with their deeply ingrained prejudices. By shielding themselves from even a vague comprehension of the case for reform, they're now entering the debate armed only with the same antiquated rhetorical weaponry that's been alienating the public by growing margins each year.
In other words, let them claim that legalization will kill people, let them childishly insult and stigmatize our supporters, for it is precisely those behaviors which have served to expose their ignorance, while catapulting our cause into the political mainstream.
Looking for the easiest way to join the anti-drug war movement? You've found it!
Learning from the language
Listening to all of the prohibitionist agitators in this spot, notice that they all begin by saying "I feel", and "I believe".
It's a far better thing to be able to say "research indicates" or "studies have shown". What we have now is a struggle between informed, rational policy, and emotional, faith-based policy. Let's hope rational thinking keeps gaining momentum.
www.glenstark.net
Bad info
The guy with his collar backwards is talking about "drugs", not just cannabis. His ignorance of the fact that cannabis is not the problem is amazing! The religious right, pseudo-Christians, like this guy, know nothing about our freedoms in this country. He is so uninformed. Then, it is the same group that encouraged alcohol prohibition. The alcohol prohibitionists saw some of their own defect, when it was such a tremendous failure, in really protecting the populace.
Why would he want the dealers to continue their free reign in our school. They are handing the dealers the kids on a silver platter! And the fearmongering continues!
Marijuana kills? No, the war on marijuana kills
The war kills through black market related violence, through forcing people who want to get high to use killer alcohol, and by denying some desperately ill patients the only effective medicine, or the only affordable effective medicine.
Anyone who claims cannabis kills in and of itself needs to point to specific deaths if they want to be taken seriously, and not only a handful (even that isn't so easy), because alcohol kills a handful or two of Americans every hour.
Loss of Social Status Plagues Prohibitionists
In the 19th and 20th century temperance movements, white rural Protestants imagined themselves culturally superior to the allegedly demon-rum-soaked Catholics, German and Irish immigrants.
In the 60s, white rural Protestants, along with the descendants of rum-soaked Catholic, German and Irish immigrants, believed themselves superior in status to all those dirty hippies, commies, liberals, radicals, and alleged ne’er-do-wells, all of whom were symbolized by their drugs of choice, often demon cannabis.
Today’s prohibitionist is a worn-out caricature of the insane ideologue. Despite the millions of people prohibitionists sacrificed on their alter of a pure and perfect society, it’s done nothing for society or prohibitionist credibility. Few care what the drug warrior thinks or says anymore, unless it’s to ridicule it. So the prohibitionist makes a bigger noise by screaming murder.
The drug warriors’ angst is part of the natural process of taking their rightful place in history, right next to inquisitors, witch hunters and Holocaust deniers. Such is the destiny of all petty tyrants.
Giordano
To expond on Giordano's observation
Here's what many editorial cartoonists of the alcohol Prohibition era thought of prohibs.
Take a look at the preacher-coated, top-hatted, bespectacled fanatics in those cartoons, generally identified as "Mr. Dry". Remind you of any drug prohibs you've seen lately? All that's changed is the date on the calendar and the wardrobe; the (as William S. Burroughs put it) 'mean, pinched, bitter evil faces' remain the same.
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