Posted by Ryan on July 24, 2001 at 20:18:05:
In Reply to: Re: interesting... posted by Diarmuid on July 24, 2001 at 14:47:55:
Good stuff about people and their inability to think truly logically about issues. I think it's interesting to point out that a lot of these people who oppose marijuana usage and legalization are the same people who were smoking the stuff in the 60s and early 70s. Why are they so against it now? Maybe they are just stupid from old age... but most likely it's because they now have children... and parents don't want their children smoking pot. But clearly there is no logical reason for parents who smoked pot as teenagers to be so against their children smoking it. I mean, the parents turned out more or less okay. They all hold steady jobs and drive SUVs now.
The reason for the change of views, in my opinion, is because most people who smoke pot deep down feel that smoking it is WRONG. They are doing it out of rebellion and to try to feel like an individual, seem cool, fit in with friends, etc. I don't think a lot of people who use the drug actually feel like there is absolutely nothing wrong with what they are doing. And of course the reason they feel that smoking marijuana is so wrong is because of how they've been brainwashed by the media with all the anti-marijuana messages. These messages are either ignored or consciously rebelled against, but deep down they register at a subliminal level... and once the young person is past their rebellious stage and has a couple of kids these messages surface in the conscious mind. "I don't want my kids to be bad like I was," the former rebel says to himself. "I want them to be little angels and become doctors and lawyers and drive BMWs and Saabs, etc etc blah blah..."
It's only those who think the drug issue logically through, or those who have feelings strong enough to subvert any of the anti-marijuana ads, who retain their pro-choice attitude towards the use of drugs throughout their adulthood. If I had a college age child I would have a much less negative attitude towards them smoking marijuana on occasion than if they drank in a situation in which they might be tempted to drive (this country's draconian age limit to drinking is another of my pet peeves). Unfortunately most American parents would punish their children much more for smoking pot than for drinking a beer underage at some party they drove to. Of course I'd be afraid of my kid being punished by this country's idiotic legal system for smoking pot... but I would find nothing wrong with my child's actions if he were smoking marijuana or selling it to non-minors.
It's a stupid law... but the more marijuana becomes mainstream, the more likely today's children who will become tomorrow's politicians will change the law someday. Since most politicians come from fraternities and soroities in colleges, and since more and more of their members are smoking up unlike in the Reagan 80s, when pot smoking was a countercultural thing and keg parties were the frat house norm, I think it's going to be decriminalized and eventually legalized with restrictions someday. You don't see the Netherlands going to hell just because they have hash bars there. I wish Americans and American politicians would look at other countries and learn from lessons about what works from the progressive ones (pot in Holland, socialism in Sweden) and look at what behaviors they share with non-progressive countries (capital punishment in China and Iran). But we think we know everything here and our only real authorities are the Bible and our founding fathers. God forbid we ever question them...
Ryan
: I think it's only fives who give a damn about logical consistency. The vast majority of people hold opinions which cancel each other out. Orwell called it doublethink. But I reckon it's the natural state of most of humanity, the non-fives. Hell, people don't like to think, period.
:
: : that's an interesting theory. this has been such a paradox for me. from what i've read in various polls done on the subject, you're right. generally abvout 60-75% oppose legalizing marijuana. (more or less in some circumstances, given the sample, of course, but 60-75 is common for a good cross section of the us.) however, usually in the same polls, about 70-80% of the population answers yes to "i either smoke marijuana, or dont' care if others do." so, it seems to me, if you do'nt care if others do, but you don't want the stuff legalized, how does that work? do they just not care if people break laws? perhaps they just don't want it sold openly in stores and whatnot, want to deny its existence. that would kinda fit with the whole pissing in the straw thing. it's just so astronomically stupid for drugs to be illegal in teh us. we're so committed to personal freedom (so long as it doesn't hurt OTHERS.) but whatever. america will never listen to me.
: : isaac
: :
: : : I've been meaning to post about this in depth, but I have work to do...
: : : I have a theory about why 70% of people oppose marijuana legalisation.
: : : For everybody except some Ones, this opposition is based on hatred, not concern, for those who smoke marijuana.
: : : Basically, this 70% are people who would LIKE to have the option of being marijuana smokers, but feel that, for reasons NOT directly connected to dope's illegality, they cannot.
: : : I'm thinking people who work long hours, maybe more than one job, with long commutes, alimony and child support to deal with. People for whom life leaves little or no real "leisure time" in which they could light up a joint and chill for few hours, if they were so inclined. This could be true for men married to fervently anti-drug wives, who won't smoke for fear of her discovering it (American Beauty situation).
: : : Maybe you've heard of the dog in the manger. The manger contains straw for the cattle to eat. The dog is hungry, but he can't eat straw. So he gets into the manger and urinates all over the straw. If the dog can't eat, neither will the cattle.