Perhaps this is a novel idea and perhaps it is not, but I do remember in Kindergarten being taught some golden rules. These included being nice to other people, sharing, waiting my turn, and cleaning up after myself. These were not hard to do and everyone else was doing it too. Kindergarten was a good place as I recall.
Somehow as we grow older, the rules slowly change and nobody really notices. Being nice to people no longer becomes important by high school for sure. Cleaning up after yourself - becomes "uh, is not that what we pay people"as for sharing -"hey, I worked hard to get my "stuff" why should YOU have any of it." Waiting - oh my goodness, heaven forbid you delay for a moment at a stop light, be slightly lost for those horns will come honking at you. Because that will definitely help - that horn blowing. Those of you in grocery lines with the frowns on your faces - hey, we're all waiting. That's just the way it goes.
You know, we're all in this together. We can be nice to each other, like we were in Kindergarten and maybe show our children a kinder, nicer world, or we can trod further down this cold road which is against every good thing we were taught in the very beginning.
Be nice.
Wait your turn.
Share and take your turn.
Clean up after yourself.
Oh and remember how it was a given we respected our elders, that would be rather nice too, but I'm not going to be unrealistic. Even I can't roll in that much catnip :P
Peace from the patch - belly up and feeling good.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Freedom for All
Why is it that gay people are so feared and hated in this country? I just do not understand this. In both Florida and California as we as a country took a giant step forwards towards change, these two states actually amended their state constitutions to FORBID two people in love to get married because they happen to be of the same gender.
I remember vividly a post from a so-called friend on MySpace ... urging his friends to vote in favor of the initiative in Florida to pass the amendment against gay marriage. This relatively bright young man used the argument "What we will allow next, people marrying animals?" That line brought bile to my throat. How could anyone possibly believe that simply granting the same civil rights to other human beings would open the door to ... bestiality? This fear mongering and unbelievable jumping to unreal threats to scare people (perhaps in their ignorance, these people truly believe this, I don't know) - but I do know that it is backwards, cruel and intolerant.
There is NO reason that in 2008/2009 we should deny any human being his or her civil rights. Those include the right to love and enjoy the same legal benefits as other humans in love who decide to legally join themselves. Heterosexual marriage is NOT some sacred thing. The divorce rate in this country is 50%. Hey, I'm divorced. I was able to have the privilege of getting married because I'm heterosexual - and it did not work. How fair is that to a couple that has been together for 20 years and yet is denied all the legal benefits my husband and I enjoyed for the eight years we were married? Obviously it is not fair at all.
Until we as a nation can be tolerant and treat each citizen equally, no matter the race, gender or sexual orientation, none of us are truly free. This is the dream we must strive to attain. We can be the greatest country in the world, but only if we embrace each other and the differences which actually make us so great.
Equality, tolerance, diversity. Wonderful words - better when in action.
Let's do it.
Yes, WE CAN.
I remember vividly a post from a so-called friend on MySpace ... urging his friends to vote in favor of the initiative in Florida to pass the amendment against gay marriage. This relatively bright young man used the argument "What we will allow next, people marrying animals?" That line brought bile to my throat. How could anyone possibly believe that simply granting the same civil rights to other human beings would open the door to ... bestiality? This fear mongering and unbelievable jumping to unreal threats to scare people (perhaps in their ignorance, these people truly believe this, I don't know) - but I do know that it is backwards, cruel and intolerant.
There is NO reason that in 2008/2009 we should deny any human being his or her civil rights. Those include the right to love and enjoy the same legal benefits as other humans in love who decide to legally join themselves. Heterosexual marriage is NOT some sacred thing. The divorce rate in this country is 50%. Hey, I'm divorced. I was able to have the privilege of getting married because I'm heterosexual - and it did not work. How fair is that to a couple that has been together for 20 years and yet is denied all the legal benefits my husband and I enjoyed for the eight years we were married? Obviously it is not fair at all.
Until we as a nation can be tolerant and treat each citizen equally, no matter the race, gender or sexual orientation, none of us are truly free. This is the dream we must strive to attain. We can be the greatest country in the world, but only if we embrace each other and the differences which actually make us so great.
Equality, tolerance, diversity. Wonderful words - better when in action.
Let's do it.
Yes, WE CAN.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Beginning of a New Era
Congratulations to our new President.
Now more than ever we need change. I know we need to look every where for change, but we absolutely must change the law that makes cannabis a Schedule I drug. A schedule I drug means that there is absolutely no medical therapeutic benefit at all. This is not true. Why, if it were true, why would the Federal Government still be giving it to five patients? That just simply makes no sense at all. They say it is compassion, but if it is of zero benefit (which we have seen from those patients, it is of enormous benefit) - oooh - you see where I'm getting tangled up here!
For the sake of scientific data - because I find that it is hard for people to argue with facts: here is yet another study showing again the promise of what this plant (not drug, do drugs make seeds?) holds for us - click here to learn about cannabis extracts killing drug resistant bacteria. Note in the article - we have cannabinoid receptors in our brain naturally -and that some can cause a "euphoric" effect while others do not. We do not allow any use of cannabis at all for medical reasons out of ignorance. Perhaps fear too?
We allow adults to smoke and chew tobacco. There is nothing safe about it. Every tobacco product is labeled thus, informing the intended user of the negative side-effects. At least the adults are making informed choices and in this great country, we allow adults to pursue happiness without judging them for their behavior. I would not dream of making it illegal to possess tobacco or to grow tobacco. Tobacco is merely a plant. It was here before the Europeans settled this great nation. Hemp was here as well. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were both farmers and amongst their varied crops, they grew hemp. Hemp is a hardy plant, suitable for many uses.
However, today, no farmer may grow this easy plant with its versatile uses. The scientific community is hamstrung by the way in which the more potent cousin of hemp - marijuana is studied in a medicinal setting as it is still not a Schedule II drugs even after all of the studies and published articles and state laws allowing for marijuana to be used for medical purposes
After reading the DEA's last rejection letter to reclassify marijuana, I now believe the sole reason marijuana is even illegal is because the DEA knows that if cannabis is no longer feared, they know the so call War on Drugs will be won. Money and lives will be saved. The people will finally be set free from an archaic law, passed due to overt racism, propaganda, fear and lies. The time for all that is over. The people know better. What is even more interesting, we certainly expect better now, don't we =D
YES, WE CAN!
Now more than ever we need change. I know we need to look every where for change, but we absolutely must change the law that makes cannabis a Schedule I drug. A schedule I drug means that there is absolutely no medical therapeutic benefit at all. This is not true. Why, if it were true, why would the Federal Government still be giving it to five patients? That just simply makes no sense at all. They say it is compassion, but if it is of zero benefit (which we have seen from those patients, it is of enormous benefit) - oooh - you see where I'm getting tangled up here!
For the sake of scientific data - because I find that it is hard for people to argue with facts: here is yet another study showing again the promise of what this plant (not drug, do drugs make seeds?) holds for us - click here to learn about cannabis extracts killing drug resistant bacteria. Note in the article - we have cannabinoid receptors in our brain naturally -and that some can cause a "euphoric" effect while others do not. We do not allow any use of cannabis at all for medical reasons out of ignorance. Perhaps fear too?
We allow adults to smoke and chew tobacco. There is nothing safe about it. Every tobacco product is labeled thus, informing the intended user of the negative side-effects. At least the adults are making informed choices and in this great country, we allow adults to pursue happiness without judging them for their behavior. I would not dream of making it illegal to possess tobacco or to grow tobacco. Tobacco is merely a plant. It was here before the Europeans settled this great nation. Hemp was here as well. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were both farmers and amongst their varied crops, they grew hemp. Hemp is a hardy plant, suitable for many uses.
However, today, no farmer may grow this easy plant with its versatile uses. The scientific community is hamstrung by the way in which the more potent cousin of hemp - marijuana is studied in a medicinal setting as it is still not a Schedule II drugs even after all of the studies and published articles and state laws allowing for marijuana to be used for medical purposes
After reading the DEA's last rejection letter to reclassify marijuana, I now believe the sole reason marijuana is even illegal is because the DEA knows that if cannabis is no longer feared, they know the so call War on Drugs will be won. Money and lives will be saved. The people will finally be set free from an archaic law, passed due to overt racism, propaganda, fear and lies. The time for all that is over. The people know better. What is even more interesting, we certainly expect better now, don't we =D
YES, WE CAN!
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