Marijuana Laws - Federal, State, or...Seriously?

First, let me say that I am neither advocating the use of, nor criticizing the use of marijuana, and the reason I decided to write about this topic is that, daily (see blog title), I check out various news sites.  USA Today published an article yesterday regarding marijuana laws and a new memo that our beloved Department of Justice sent to their US Attorneys, nationally, on June 29, 2011.  In the memo, it states that no patient or other user is shielded from prosecution under state laws.  All this, it seems, on the heels of Michigan's Attorney General going wild last week and declaring that there is widespread lawbreaking linked to medical marijuana.  Basically, the feds are now going to crack down on medical marijuana growers and distributors and could, potentially, target users.  They are fed up with an industry that tries to shield itself from prosecution under the guise of being 'medically necessary' while raking in millions of dollars.  Whew....I feel the need to throw a few facts in here as this topic seems to be heating up again, especially since I've already advocated legalization, taxation, and cleaning up the economic issues we seem unable to fix.

First, I did a little research to find, what I considered to be, important facts.  There's a fairly big myth out there that the government continues to spread.  Namely, is marijuana addictive?  The answers I found surprised me and, quite honestly, made me shake my head in disbelief.  The answer, simply based on a 'physical addiction' is NO.  The reports that I read, mainly studies done by and for the government, suggest it IS physically addictive, however the eventually hedge their bets.  Mainly, they say that it is psychologically addicting - the more you smoke, the more you want to smoke.  Well, yeah, I get that one.  The best part, however, is the 'Chart' they kept suggesting I refer to.  On the chart, they rated several substances in terms of "social dependency" - the percentage of people who have tried the drug that are now dependent on it in terms of enjoying it on a regular basis.  Interestingly, they rated tobacco, alcohol, heroin, and marijuana.  The statistics were alarming!  Ready for the numbers?  Tobacco - 21%, alcohol - 11%, heroin - 7%, and marijuana - 4%.  Let's see.....if I'm doing my math correctly, marijuana has the lowest level of 'social dependency' at 4%, while alcohol is 2 1/2 times higher!  Just a few numbers so we can determine whether it truly is addicting.  I think not.

Another issue brought up is that marijuana is a 'gateway' drug - it leads to harder substances.  Okay, for this juicy little tidbit, I have to point out that the author says, point blank, that it being a gateway to other, harder substances is due to curiosity.  If that's the case, then we have to label alcohol and tobacco the same way.  Curiously, I've tried both and they made me want to try other things.  Bad tobacco.  Bad alcohol.  Bad, bad, bad.

There are a few other numbers I need to point out, too.  Overdose statistics are a big 'red flag' for this drug.  My findings?  I think you already know.  There has NEVER been one reported case of a marijuana overdose.  You see this, right?  NEVER.  I have not only heard of heroin overdoses but, honestly, recall seeing more than a few stories about alcohol poisoning recently.  Kids on college campuses dying because they drank too much and their friends never got them the help they needed.  Let's face it, anyone  nearing the 'end of the line' while smoking a joint only get hurt when their friends continue top bring them chips and salsa, Oreos, and Fruit Rollups.  The munchies get them, not the weed.  Of the most interesting stats, though, was in regard to traffic accidents.  When mentioning marijuana-related traffic accidents, the studies almost always inferred that this was in conjunction with other drugs.  For the purpose of my writing, I'm going to give them this one and suggest that it was pot, alone, that was the causative factor.  So, in total, there were 400 deaths annually due to pot smoking-related car accidents.  On the flip side (hold on to your hats for this one!), there are 50 alcohol-related deaths DAILY.  That means that it takes eight (8) days to have as many deaths due to alcohol as it does for an entire year of deaths due to pot smoking in a car.  Alcohol is the legal one, right?  Yeah, thought so.

I've made the argument before, and there are staunch adversarial arguments against, about the legalization and taxation of marijuana.  It's time.  For those in a prior generation or two, I understand you do not want to see it, but let's be honest - it's because you never tried it and are relying on the things you've been told or read about it.  These are the same generations that held Christmas parties where employees put lampshades on their heads before crawling into their cars and driving home.  We continue to kill people because alcohol is legal.  I want to know why.  I want to know why a drug that is 2 1/2 times more addicting than marijuana is legal.  I want to know, based on legitimate statistics, why marijuana isn't.  If alcohol is legal, shouldn't this be, too?  We are spending billions of dollars every year to fight a war on drugs and one of the most sought-after is marijuana.  It's the most prevalent, hence it is easy for the government to appear they are waging a battle that is even close to being won.  If we spent the same money going after cocaine, heroin and meth, wouldn't we be taking the harder drugs off the street while utilizing this (a drug less harmful, apparently, than alcohol) to produce revenue to continue the war on drugs while lowering the deficit, too?  Just a thought.  I know it's a subject that will be debated for years - always has been, always will be...but know this - it will eventually be sold legally.  Let's hope we wise up and figure out how to do it soon.  Anyone want to share your thoughts?  I'd like to hear other views.

Until next time.......

Kizzy and Trophies

Interesting title?  I'd like to think so.  Kizzy, my friends, is my new-found heroine.  This is a Milwaukee mother - a black lady with a 13-year old daughter and 15-year old son.  It seems that after Summerfest, which I believe to be a 4th of July festival held along the lake, there was looting and a few robberies in the Riverwest neighborhood in Milwaukee on Sunday evening.  As Kizzy sat watching the news, the surveillance video played and, lo and behold, who should she see but her lovely children taking part in the looting.  Upon arriving home, mom decided to have a little chat with them and told them what she had seen.  She decided to sleep on it that evening and the next day - BAM!  Yes, she placed her kids in the car and took them to the police station.  Mom ratted out the kids.  For that, I say mom gets recognized.  She told the local news that she provides a stable loving environment and how sorely disappointed she was when she saw how her kids acted when she was not around.  Kizzy acknowledges that this is wrong and is telling other parents to do the same.  Is she doing anything out of the ordinary?  Well, not if this was 1975, but this is 2011!  How many times do kids get to publicly show their sense of entitlement until we say, "Enough!"?  This is one parent taking a stand and I, for one, think she deserves a lot of credit.  Way to go, Kizzy - You, my dear, are a rock star!

How did Kizzy go so wrong?  She didn't...and that'why I put 'trophies' in here, too.  Once again, one of my pet peeves made the Today Show.  Glaring and bold, they asked if giving trophies to every kid, merely for participating, is the wrong thing to do.  The question posed to a psychologist this morning was, "Are we helping or hurting our kids by doing this?"  I think the example above is a fine one that points, as they mentioned, to the sense of entitlement kids have nowadays.  Giving kids a trophy, as I have said (loudly) in the past, sends the wrong message.  We are telling our kids if they show up they get rewarded.  It isn't that way in sports, nor in life.  Life is not fair, though many of today's youth seem to think it should be.  Again, I'm really, really sorry that Timmy came home crying because he didn't get a trophy.  Tell Timmy to work harder.  Hey, Dad - go throw the ball with Timmy so he doesn't get smacked in the face with it and expect a trophy.  For what?  "Kid whose face stopped the ball fastest"?  We are hurting our children when we do not discipline or let them get hurt, either emotionally or physically.  Hate to break it to you, Mom and Dad, but you will not be there when your kid experiences some of life's most bitter disappointments.  Stop trying to shield them and stop thinking that they are all going to excel at everything.  Maybe Timmy can save his face if you take him to piano lessons rather than baseball.  Maybe, too, Jack, the ballet dancer, ought to be fielding punts instead of doing a pirouette.  Think about it.  Let's do right by our children and find what they do best...instead of what we WANT them to do best.

Until next time..........

Our Moral Compass Seems to Point Due South

Wow, what a day.  Technically, what about the last 30 hours or so.  Please understand - I am not speaking solely about Casey Anthony again.  I don't want to give her a moment's effort more than is necessary.  Quite honestly, I read today that there are those that think, myself included, that she will profit greatly from this case.  She already has people eager to speak with her to secure book and movie rights.  It is, in my opinion, pathetic and disgusting.  I said yesterday that I did not agree with the verdict.  If she did not kill her daughter, who did?  Trust me, though I have no experience in the medical examiner's office, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night and I watch CSI.  All of them.  To this point, I'd like to say, unequivocally, that dead bodies don't wrap themselves in three garbage bags.  Again, accidents are not made to look like murder.  Lastly, a little girl is gone and we have no one searching for the killer.  Face it, they had the killer...they blew the case.  So what does Casey Anthony get?  She gets a guilty charge on 4 misdemeanor counts of lying to investigators.  Maximum sentence for each is one year and she's served three already.  Anyone want to guess what happens tomorrow when she gets sentenced?  Smart money is on 'time served' and she walks away free and clear.  Go online and check - I bet there's a line in Vegas as we speak.

No, the 'Moral Compass' part only partially involves Casey.  You see, at most she gets one more year.  Period.  On the opposite side of the spectrum, however, is an 18-year old student in Rush County, Indiana.  This young black man has been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, and institutional criminal mischief, a felony that carries a two to eight-year prison sentence.  The Rush County Prosecutor, Philip J Caviness said he does not plan on seeking any jail time but the charges are warranted.  Wait, I forgot to mention what, exactly, the devastating 'Criminal Mischief' pertained to.  What could this kid have done to warrant up to eight years in jail?  Did he set fire to the school?  Maybe a bomb?  Did he take weapons to school?  What DID he do?  Uh, you might be startled to find out he placed a blow-up sex doll in a bathroom stall on the last day of school.  That's right.  There's the criminal mischief.  To be fair, I need to point out that a janitor saw this kid run from the school (and? so?) and, after examining security footage, school officials saw a person entering the school wearing a hooded sweatshirt and gloves while carrying a package.  That person left 5 minutes later without the package.  They then locked down the school and had the bomb squad and K-9 units searching when they found the doll.  See below - should this kid really go to jail at all? 

This case has raised questions about race (go figure), prosecutors who are a tad overzealous (a shock!), and our collective mindset these days.  For the record, the boy's father has denied race had anything to do with this.  Thankfully, he and his wife both seem to agree that it had nothing to do with it.  For a prosecutor to file the charges, though, that will carry a felony conviction is suspect at best.  As a matter of fact, Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University said it best - "The question is what type of society we are creating when our children have to fear that a prank (could) lead them to jail for almost a decade. What type of citizens are we creating who fear the arbitrary use of criminal charges by their government?"

And there it is.  That statement sums it up better than anything I could present.  Our children...better yet, ALL of us...have to fear our actions might, in this day and age, lead to a criminal conviction based purely on a joke or prank.  Who got hurt here?  Who suffered or was injured?  Even the boy's father said he'd understand if they used the school disciplinary code to punish his son.  Jail time?  For a sex doll in a bathroom stall?  I understand the package and the hoodie and the running.  I know how it appears.  I get it.  Can we all, please, take a collective breath and relax for a minute? This kid plays a prank and may get up to eight years in jail.  No, I don't think he'll get it, but that's not the point.  The point, my friends, is that we let Casey Anthony walk yesterday.  The system worked, the prosecutors sucked.  The difference is, that was a life that was lost and this was a high school prank.  Have we lost our minds?

We are a society faced with unbelievable issues these days.  Since 9/11/01, we have been on edge waiting for the next wave of terrorist attacks.  We knew it could not happen here.  We just KNEW it.  Yet it did.  It happened and we have not been the same since.  If you doubt that, then know this - the terrorists have already won.  Witness the reaction to a high school prank.  We are consumed, sometimes rightfully so, about packages left unattended and people running.  Running!  I have figured at least one thing out in all my years, something my dad used to say that I find to be eerily accurate - "Ain't none of us getting out alive."  grammar notwithstanding, it's an accurate statement.  We don't know if tomorrow will come and, quite honestly, there's nothing you can do about it.  I hate to burst anyone's delusional bubble and be the bearer of bad news, but that's why you have to live every day with as much 'life' as you can.  Tomorrow is promised to no one.  We know it to be true, yet we act as if we have some type of control.  We don't.  End of story.  get out and live life, laugh at sex dolls sitting in a bathroom stall, enjoy friends and family.  It's what makes us different from the rest of the world,,,,and why it's so cool to be an American.

Until next time.........

Is The Justice System Flawed? You Know Where This Is Going...

It's been almost six hours now.  Almost six hours since America sat stunned.  Almost as stunned as we were about fifteen years ago when, "If the gloves don't fit, you must acquit."  That, too, was a particularly gruesome crime, yet it didn't resonate the way this case has.  This one touched us all because it involved a child.  A beautiful, wonderful, loving child that we only ever saw smiling in her pictures.  This one touched us all because we're parents and this verdict doesn't make sense.  We feel as if we've lost someone dear to us because that's how we're supposed to feel about children.  We're supposed to love them and protect them.  We're supposed to make sure no harm comes to them.  Ever.  Sadly, though, 'supposed to' isn't always the way it plays out.

But I digress...and will get to that in a minute.  First things first.  The main question, and one I've seen bantered about everywhere today is, "Did the judicial system fail this child?'  Hold on tight - I'm not sure you'll like the answer.  Breathe deeply for a second, clear your mind...and open it, if only for a few minutes.  Quite simply, the answer is......."No, it didn't."  Before anyone freaks out, kicks their computer, or thinks I ought to be beaten, too, let me explain.  The judicial system is neither a joke nor flawed.  It provided exactly what it was supposed to provide - due process.  Granted, we did not like, nor did we agree with, the verdict.  The fault of this case and the verdict, however, lies not with the system or the jurors but with the prosecution.  They did not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.  It's really that simple.  Do I think she did it or, at the very least, knows who did it?  You're damn right I do.  I think OJ killed Nicole and Ron Brown, too.  The problem isn't with the system, one that's treated us all the same way for many, many years.  It's with the prosecution and their handling of the case.  Remember, too, that none of us sat on the jury and heard every word or saw every exchange.  We got the case through the media.  Be honest, we didn't see or hear everything the jurors did.  Did the jurors get it wrong?  I think so and, for whatever reason, they voted to acquit.  We were spoon-fed snippets, daily, and we think she is guilty.  Who wouldn't?  Trick question - apparently, 12 men and women in Florida.

We have a very difficult time understanding this verdict because of a few things we all know to be true.  The biggest, most glaring issue is how a parent, any parent, could have a child missing for 31 days...A MONTH... and not report it to the police.  That is, unless they're guilty of foul play.  Face it, if any of us have ever had it happen, you know what your heart and mind do when your child is out of your sight.  I remember once when my daughter was in a store with me and decided a quick game of hide & seek was in order.  I'm quite sure some of you have also had this 'fun-filled, exciting adventure', right?  What did you do?  First, you frantically began calling their name, followed by dropping everything you were carrying, before asking any and every fellow shopper, "Have you seen a little girl?"  Meanwhile, your heart skipped several beats, the pace of your breaths increased, and you, well, panicked.  I did, anyway.  When I found her, it was a mixture of emotions.  I wanted to hug her closer than I ever had, while at the same time wanted to make her bottom as red as I could.  Those were my feelings...but I am guessing many of you are nodding as you read this, huh?  What I can state without hesitation is.....I NEVER (had she truly been lost) would have entertained the notion of keeping it quiet, going shopping, getting a tattoo, partying.  As I mentioned to someone earlier today, I would have been one of those parents (like the rest of you) arguing with the police that, "I don't WANT to wait 24 hours before filing a missing persons report!  Do it NOW!"  Face it - any normal, innocent person would have.

As for the defense theory that this was an accident that "snowballed out of control," I'd like to call bullshit.  Excuse me but, as the prosecution contended, "No one makes an accident appear to be a murder."  Again, it defies any and every law of common sense.  If someone dies accidentally, especially your beautiful two-year old, you are despondent and need to be medicated and sedated.  Heavily.  My goodness, I cannot imagine it happening now, much less when my daughter was two.  It defies explanation.

The smell in the car?  Decomposition.  Plain and simple, it was the smell of a dead body that even her mother noted.  Casey's activities, as I mentioned before, were out of character.  She backed the car into their garage (neighbors said she had never done that), then borrowed a shovel (she never spoke to the neighbors before that).  Hey, if it walks like a dog, barks like a dog, and looks like a dog, you can pretty much guess it ain't gonna meow.  Again, the 'common sense' card has to be played.

She lied to investigators...and got busted for that and that alone.  Did the justice system fail?  Nope.  The prosecution, again in my humble opinion, was so absolutely certain they had a case of first-degree murder, that they over-charged her.  They could have gone for lesser charges and had a burden of proof that was less than the first-degree charge, however they knew they had her.  They KNEW it!  In the end, though, without a cause of death and absent the needed forensic evidence, they blew it.  They couldn't sell it.  That, my friends, is what this boils down to.  They could not sell their theory and there was reasonable doubt.  If it's a first-degree murder charge and the death penalty is on the table, you'd better have it together and have more than a circumstantial case.  There were, quite honestly, too many loose ends they couldn't tie.

Do I agree with the verdict?  Absolutely not.  Do I believe we will see a book by Casey or a family member?  Absolutely.  Do I think it ought to be part of the sentence, if possible, that she NOT be allowed to profit from this?  I do, however that won't happen.  Sadly, the only way to hit this freak where it hurts is to NOT purchase said book when it hits the bookstores.  Guess what?  That won't happen either.  What happened today is unreal, however the real travesty occurred three years ago.  The life of a beautiful, smiling little two-year old was taken forever with no rhyme or reason other than (from what we all believe) her mother wanted to live a single, partying life.  It was obvious from the photos above, don't you think?  What happened today isn't right, it isn't fair, and it makes us lash out.  We want to hate the system and call it a joke.  We want to say the judicial system sucks or is slanted.  We want justice for this little girl.  That burden, however, is on the prosecutors.  They are the ones that had a responsibility to speak for this poor child.  Sadly, they failed...just as surely as if their mouths were covered with duct tape.



Until next time........

Independence Day...and Our Founding Fathers

It's here, once again.  July 4, 2011, the 235th anniversary of our founding fathers signing the quintessential birth certificate.  July 4, 1776 is the day we officially recognize as our place in history - our birth.  The day that we thumbed our noses at rule by the British and King George.  Unfortunately, it's something that, I fear, is not being taught to our children in the most significant terms.  They know the day to be 'Independence Day' but do they really know what was fought and won with the signing of this historic document?  I remember, once, in a scene from the movie, "With Honors," that Joe Pesci played the part of a bum and found himself in a law class.  The exchange between he and the professor caught my attention and was something that I thought explained, in detail, what was so important and brilliant about our forefathers and the documents they authored that we revere to this day.  These great men, the ones we applaud annually for giving us a system of government that has served us well, were nothing more than ordinary citizens.  Ordinary citizens with a foresight that is unparalleled.  The brilliance of this was caught in the exchange in the movie when the professor asked , "What is the particular 'genius' of the Constitution?"  Joe Pesci was playing the part of Simon Wilder, the bum, and this was the exchange:

Simon Wilder:  You asked a question, sir.  Let me answer it.  The genius of the constitution is that it can always be changed. The genius of the constitution is that it makes no permanent rule other than its faith in the wisdom of ordinary people to govern themselves. 


Mr. Picannon:  The faith in the wisdom of ordinary people is exactly what makes the Constitution incomplete and crude. 


Simon Wilder:  Crude? No, sir. Our founding parents were pompous middle-aged white farmers, but they were also great men, because they knew one thing that all great men should know; that they didn't know everything. They knew they were going to make mistakes, but they made sure to leave a way to correct them. They didn't think of themselves as leaders. They wanted a government of citizens, not royalty. A government of listeners, not lecturers. A government that could change, not stand still. The president isn't an elected king, no matter how many bombs he can drop, because the crude Constitution doesn't trust him. He's a servant of the people. He's a bum. Ok, Mr. Picannon? He's just a bum.  The only bliss that he's searching for is freedom and justice.


That exchange has always stuck with me for some reason.  I believe the writer was incredibly insightful and absolutely poetic.  Our Founding Fathers had the wisdom to know that, in this world of ever-changing circumstances, there needed to be 'an escape clause'.  There needed to be a way to correct that which was done in error.  In my humble opinion, it was simply brilliant.  These little pieces of paper, housed in Washington, DC, are the framework for the youngest, yet most civilized, of countries, and were written by farmers.  Men that, over 200 years ago, knew we'd face different issues than they and, in order to keep this most perfect of Unions, would have to have a method of handling those issues.  THAT, in my opinion, is what our kids need to know.  We need to make sure they, too, can think this far into the future and see that their actions must stave off the types of civil wars and unrest in other countries.  We are charging them with keeping these documents, and their ideals, alive long after we are gone.


Along those lines, we need to celebrate these things.  We need to continue to fly our flag, have parades, and set off fireworks every year.  I cannot recall if it was Jefferson or Adams that said, after the document was drafted and they returned home, that we'd have something that would be celebrated every year with fireworks, parades, and festivals.  I know some of you might get irritated that neighbors are setting off fireworks.  I have friends that have heard their neighbors ask, "Are you finished yet??"  My suggestion to everyone, everywhere, is to take a few minutes as you watch these fireworks head toward the sky and give a resounding,"Boom!" before exploding magically into various shapes and colors, and think of this country.  Think of the way we live compared to other countries we see on the news every day.  Imagine what a risk our great-great-great-great grandparents took when they told the ruling body, "Yeah, um, thanks...but we can handle it from here."  The sound of those fireworks?  Yeah, that's the sound of letting freedom ring.  Lighten up...and enjoy it a bit....


Until next time......

An 'Updated' Conversation Regarding Independence Day

Seriously, don't you wonder what the conversation might have been like among the men that drafted the Declaration of Independence?  Wouldn't it have been nice to hear them debating the whole plot to break free of British rule and King George?  I imagine it would have been quite interesting to hear Jefferson and Adams, Lee, Washington, Franklin and others preparing to give us our 'Brave New World'.  It probably started over a pint of ale, I'm thinking....

JEFFERSON:  You know, John, I'm really getting tired of this damn war.  I think everyone is.  Your thoughts?

ADAMS:  Couldn't agree more, Tommy.  Pass the bread.  So...what are you thinking we ought do about this...frackas?

JEFFERSON:  I was thinking we need to tell ol' King What's-his-name to piss off.  Seriously, I can't take it anymore.  You should see the taxes he's levied on my new wine crops.  No way can I turn a profit this quarter.  It sucks, man.  We don't get any representation in Parliament, but this bonehead thinks he can charge us a tax?
 
ADAMS:  I'm with you, Tom.  Things haven't been the same since they passed the 'Coercive Act' two years ago.  Man that Tea Party really pissed him off, huh?  You got any more of those little crackers?

JEFFERSON:  Here...and top off my mug.  Where DID this ale come from?  Good stuff.  So anyway, I was thinking...we ought o formally DECLARE our independence from these douches.  Whaddya think?

ADAMS:  Ooh, formal.  I like it.  We probably ought to talk to the guys, though.  What time do they get in?

JEFFERSON:  Franklin will be here first.  Livingston and Sherman are coming in together.  I hope they're bringing their cash, too.  Franklin cleaned me out at our last game.  Tonight's my night.

A few hours later, the 'Committee of Five' were in the same place, ready to debate and author the Declaration over a few beers and a poker game.

FRANKLIN:  Tom, get me an ale while you're up, would you?  So let me get this straight - you guys want to write something to tell King George, formally, that we think he's a being an idiot and there's no way we're putting up with any more of his crap.  That about it in a nutshell?

ADAMS:  Precisely.  You want to raise or call?  It's been raised to fifteen to you.

FRANKLIN:  Check.  So what do we really want to say to him?

LIVINGSTON:  Hey, I'm not sure I'm good with words.  Maybe Tommy J ought to write this.  Call.

SHERMAN:  I feel the same.  TJ always had a way with words.  How do you think he got Martha?  Tom, get me an ale, too?

FRANKLIN: (to the others at the table, quietly) Hey, by the way...NO mention of Sally Hemmings.  Even though Martha died, it's still a touchy subject.

ADAMS:  So we agree - TJ, you're writing this bad boy.  We'll all offer any suggestions and help, but you're the poet of the group.  You're brilliant, man...simply brilliant.

JEFFERSON:  Alright, listen.....I'll do it on one condition.  You guys are taking credit for this, too.  Last thing I need is for King George to send one of his 'death squads'.  Since Witness protection won't be around for another hundred plus years, I got no where to go.  deal?

ADAMS:  Deal.  By the way, you're light in the pot.  Pass the pretzels, too.

JEFFERSON; (pondering, then...) I got it.....Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness.  How does that sound? I can make this work.  I'll have to fit it in somewhere but it has a great ring to it, doesn't it?  Man, this could be big if we do it right.....

Anyway, I think it might have gone something like that.  I'm not certain, but it makes it a little more interesting to read, no?  Here's to hoping everyone has a great 4th of July.....and remembers what our Independence really meant.

Until next time.......

What Part of 'Illegal'.....

It's happening again.  On the weekend before we celebrate the country's 235th birthday, there is more civil unrest, this time in Georgia.  Once again, there's a new immigration law and people are up in arms over said law.  I suppose, after reading the portions that are being heavily debated, I can honestly say I don't understand.  Please, seriously, will someone explain this to me?  The people that stormed the Georgia Capitol today say the new law, "creates an unwelcome environment for people of color and those in search of a better life."  Also, there are provisions of the law that are being challenged - 1) authorizing police to check immigration status of suspects without proper identification, 2) allowing them to detain illegal immigrants, and 3) penalizing people who knowingly and willingly transport or harbor illegal immigrants while committing another crime.  It is also a felony to use false information or documentation when applying for a job.  Period.  Again, I ask - what am I missing?

One of the best parts of this protest and the people inciting it was the black pastor that told the crowd, "We're going to send a message to the powers that be...that when the people get united, there is no government that can stop them.  Don't let them turn you around."  Wait...say what?  Excuse me, dear reverend, but this is still the United States.  While we may not always agree with the government, the way we go about changing it is not by inciting riots and violence.  It's not who we are.  We are the country that gets brilliant people (so we hope) together to argue and debate these very issues.  We do it in a civil manner and treat each other with respect, even when disagreeing with the opposing views.  Who do you think you are?  Let me say, for those in the peanut gallery - We are not debating immigration.  We are debating ILLEGAL immigration.  Why should the police NOT be allowed to check people's identification?  If a cop stops me, he asks me for my license and registration.  If someone IS an illegal immigrant, why (as it IS against the law and has been for some time) should they NOT be allowed to detain them?  Hey, as documented Americans, we have to use the proper information when applying for jobs.  Will you people PLEASE get over this?  Illegal means illegal.  It's "against the law."  We all have to abide by it and so should you.  You want to have a better life here?  Get your citizenship!  It's that easy!  Now, in the name of all that is holy can we PLEASE stop arguing about what 'illegal' means.  If you do not like the laws, by the way, there is a simple solution - GO HOME!  No one is holding a gun to your head saying, "You're staying, get used to it."  If this is so horrible, move back to your homeland. I promise, we will not be offended.  We will not stop you.  We will not....what?  It is?  That bad?  THAT'S why you're here?  Oh, NOW I get it.  Then zip it and abide by the law.  Thanks - we appreciate it.  Don't make me come down there....

Anyway, it's time for the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona Beach.  For all you 'Non-rednecks', it's NASCAR. We like it because they go fast and only have to turn left.  A lot.  Pretty cars, too.  Seriously, I'm hoping everyone has a great 4th.....and we'll discuss THAT little tidbit tomorrow.  Now, go grill those burgers and steaks...and have fun.

Until next time.....