More Tex, less Mex

[Peter Giordano]

Tim sez:
>Regarding all this noise about "criminals," do Sojourner and the
>Librarian (or anyone else) really have a problem with No. Calif. marijuana
>growers who are the folks Jules was talking about.
>
>I suppose I'd be surprised to find that more than a few people on this
>list would consider the growing and harvesting of "that still useful
>substance" (or however TRP put it in his intro to Slow Learner) a criminal
>act, in the, um, negative sense.
>
>Just heard on the radio that 59% of the prisoners are in for drug-related
>offenses. I feel safer already.
I respond:
If by "the Librarian" you mean me, I'm not sure I understand the question -
Aren't there several different issues here?  Do I think it's "cool" to
boast of a life of crime which includes SELLING drugs?  No, I don't think I
do - What turned me off to the drug culture was a very sad segment on NPR a
few years back - They played a tape of a Federal DEA agent being tortured
to death by "friendly marijuanna growers" - I figured if those guys are
willing to murder and maim just to defend my right to toke up maybe I want
to find another form of recreation - If you mean do I care if somebody has
a potted pot plant on his balcony?  Why should I?  I also wonder if
fatherhood has changed trp's mind aboout drugs - It's been known to happen
- Personally, I wouldn't condemn anybody for seeking that sort of
recreation but I would condemn somebody who puts a gun to somebody else's
head for the sake of profit - Another way to put it: there are plenty of
good wholesome people who cultivate and/or smoke pot but there are a lot of
bad guys out there willing to do anything for a buck

By the way, there was an interesting article about soliciting drugs via the
web in the NY Times last Friday

Peter Giordano
Williams College
Williamstown, MA