On the Legalization of Pot

(In the wake of this article)

You know, worst case scenario - pot turns people into lazy, incoherent douchebags. Again, worst case scenario - legalize pot and people will use it indiscriminately, irresponsibly. I don't think this would realistically happen, but let's talk worst case scenario.

Is it really so bad? The way I see it, it's like natural selection - survival of the fittest. So, a subset of the human population gets addicted to pot and lays on the couch all day instead of going to work. So? They eventually become poor from not being able to hold a job, and guess what - that's more jobs for the people who are smart enough to avoid doping up (or the "few" smart enough to use pot responsibly, and not recklessly).

I fail to see why this is a bad thing. I think taking drugs is stupid, personally - although I believe there is such a thing as decency in moderation. The threat of addiction is, of course dangerous, which is one of the reasons I prefer to play it safe and not dip my toes in the water.

But then again, we can talk about different drugs and what they do (as well as how addictive they are). Some drugs are perfectly legal - like caffeine. Other drugs are legal but regulated - alcohol and tobacco. But that doesn't mean they're safe.

If anything, instead of outlawing pot for totally arbitrary reasons - there should be some kind of scientific inquiry into its effects and its level of danger, on the grand scale. Everything I've heard and read suggests that pot is more benign and less poisionous than alcohol and tobacco. So what's the big deal?

But, I would argue even further than that. Worst case scenario - legalize pot, and it opens the door for the bleeding heart liberals who want the right to decide what they put in their bodies (funny idea, that). So what? If some idiot wants to ruin his life and send himself to an early grave snorting cocaine and shooting up heroine, so be it.

It's one thing to want good lives for other people, and to want to guide them when you think they're making a mistake. But, ultimately, it's their life and their decision. And it would probably be a much safer decision without all the underground bullshit that comes with prohibition. You know, gang violence, impurities, and all the damn secrecy. I say, bring it all out into the open, and we'd all be better equipped to handle it.

You know, even from a Christian perspective, there's no virtue in forcing a man to avoid temptation - he has to choose it himself. Not that I put any weight in the Christian perspective, but it's worthwhile to point out the hypocrisy inherent in that view. Funny thing I was thinking the other day - God makes sketchy promises of rewards after death for avoiding temptation, but giving in to temptation is its own reward - here and now.

A quick note on voting

I understand that some people think voting is this uber-important thing. But there's this self-righteousness associated with voting that really pisses me off. "Vote, or you're a pathetic jack-ass." "If you don't vote, you're an idiot and you can't be my friend and I don't understand you."

If another person thinks voting is worth it, that's fine, it doesn't bother me that much, and I can still be friends with them. But the way people proselytize about voting - like as if it's not enough that they vote, they have to get you to vote, too. It reminds me of Christian missionaries, and you can probably guess how I feel about them. It's like, give it a break already.

All your arguments you have for voting may be entirely sound, and you may even go so far as to think that you can't believe in democracy and not vote. Well, let me tell you something, I don't believe in democracy. At least not in the sense of majoritarian rule. Voting for me is a broken system and I'm not going to participate in it because it doesn't do anything for me, it just takes my rights away from me.

Even if I happened to be in the popular majority (and that's never going to happen), and the elected candidate is working in my favor, it's still not fair to everyone else, and I still won't get the consideration I deserve because a) no one politician is that powerful, and b) the government on the whole isn't working for the good of the people, it's working for the good of the government.

Actually, that's just how the system works. If you think the patriots that built this country protected against that eventuality, let me just tell you one thing - the Constitution is open to interpretation. Whose interpretation? Why, politicians, naturally. And who puts them in their seats? The majority!

I don't believe in democracy. So go, enjoy your excitement on Election Day - you're entitled to it, and I wouldn't take that away from you. Just stop acting like if I don't vote, there's something wrong with me (and you, for not trying harder to change my mind), okay? Thanks.