On Transition Points, New Adventures, and Marijunana

Somewhere between getting on board the plane at the ring of hell that is LAX and tonight, I lost the impetus to write. I possessed a drive to do well with my studies, but there was little inspiration to actually write. Tonight, however, is different.

I suppose for me inspiration and motivation are like a freight train. It only takes one leap to grab on to it, but it requires some serious god damn gumption and diligence to ride the mother fucker to the last stop.

There have been some hastily scrawled notes in my cellphone, left over from the past two weeks. I've been meaning to put them down into the semi-legible genius I make readers choke down. On that note, I am finally announcing my first little project. A lot of my faithful readers have told me the Highways on Fire series should be put into print, and I (humbly) agree. After I get all the jumble in my head from the first few weeks of school, I believe that there will be something pseudo-worthy of ink and paper. The working title is going to be Transition Points. Comments, suggestions, and insults happily accepted.

In other news, I'm planning a new adventure with Rev. Hartman up to the North Country of Pennsylvania and New York. He started a blog and everybody is encouraged to check it out.

News aside, here's some content:

On January 11, Andrew Carroll stood in downtown Keene, New Hampshire with some marijuana in his hand. While surrounded by 30 protesters and several camera crews, he was arrested by a couple of Keene police officers. The two part video can be found here on Current.com.

Very interesting stuff.

I would like to commend Andrew Carroll on being such a brave soul. His peaceful protest is one of the things we should be doing to garner a greater public scrutiny of the War on Drugs. There are a few things I found surprising and/or upsetting about the video.

First of all, props to the cop who spoke to the cameramen in the police station. He handled the situation exactly as he should have (in the eyes of the law) and did not lose his shit for even a second. The officer calmly explained the situation, both without lying to the camera and without comprising himself. He was just doing his job, after all. I agree that this may not be a valid defense, but for the sake of realism I am sticking to it.

I found the protesters heckling the arresting officers to be nonconstructive and annoying. Yes, they are enforcing ridiculous laws, but if they didn't, especially at such a publicized event, they would get fired. And the economy is bad. Let's be real, people. Please.

In the end, I do not think that it was a question of Carroll's protest being the "best" way to protest marijuana laws. In reality, it was A way to protest marijuana laws in a peaceful fashion, and that's what counts. This won't get changed going directly through the legal system, because we first have to show the legal system that the public will not stand for this.

Anyway, enough of sounding like a revolutionary hack, and more of getting to the point. If you have made it this far, you now get the "hidden track". The most offensive picture that I could find today:

With Apologies to Mom and Dad: A Call to Arms at LVC for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws

An Open Letter to Lebanon Valley College Administration and Students:

Yesterday, my best friend was suspended from school and banned from campus for a year and a half, spent the night on a steel cot, and is facing two felony charges and a misdemeanor. What crime is he guilty of that warrants such heinous retribution? Why, it was simply the possession of a plant. Because he, an adult citizen of the United States of America, refused to buy into the propaganda and bullshit behind this “evil” flora he now faces a setback in his academic development and a criminal record that could haunt him forever. In this foul year of our lord, 2008, the mentality of our government is still decidedly anti-Marijuana, and to what end?

In 2005, there were 43,443 alcohol related traffic fatalities. Every year there are approximately 100,000 alcohol related deaths overall. Every weekend, bars are open until 2:00 AM and freely serve liquor, wine, and beer to those patrons who are of age. And in 2007 alone, there were exactly zero deaths related to marijuana overdose. The government condones the sale and consumption of alcohol, while it chases after and persecutes marijuana users more ardently than they pursue rapists and child molesters. While my friend is being banned from the Lebanon Valley College campus, there are five registered sex offenders living within a stone’s throw of my house. I know that I have been accused of being irrational, combative, and impulsive... but am I really the only one who sees a problem with this?

In my three years of college I have seen a drunk throw a chair, get in a fight with his best friend, destroy college property, and raise all sorts of hell. In my three years of college I have not once seen somebody under the influence of marijuana raise a hand against friend or foe, knock over a trash can, or otherwise be a total dick. Marijuana has countless medical benefits which could do good for all of mankind. Industrial hemp is a useful and environmentally sound alternative to cotton, plastics, glass, has many nutrition benefits, and doesn’t even get you high. Yet it is illegal because of its kinship with cannabis. Who else sees a discrepancy here?

LVC Administrators and Students, I am writing to tell you that neither I nor my fellow students will stand for this anymore. I, for one, refuse to relegate myself to the shadows with this anymore. I am willing to standup as a proud American citizen and say, “I support, and am willing to fight for, the decriminalization of marijuana.”

So, dear readers, especially those of you at LVC, I am going to go about establishing a chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws on the Lebanon Valley College campus. Who’s with me?

Rev.

PS:
Here’s a video of Seth McFarlane (creator of Family Guy) talking at Stanford. About five minutes into the video he gives a good rundown of why pot was made illegal in the first place. Here’s a spoiler: it was because of a government lobbyist back in the 1800’s. Check it out at about 4:30 minutes... you'll be enlightened if you haven't been already.

PPS:
This post is dedicated to the man who was persecuted by these swine. I'm sorry that it took a tragedy to move me to activism. Big ups to a true blood.