Pole-a-ticks

The political spectrum is made up of many people with a wide range of thoughts on political issues. If we were to chart the number of people and politicians holding beliefs from the left to the right – Progressive to Tea Party Conservative – on the issues, it would likely form an inverse bell chart. That is to say that the center area would be less populated than either end. So where would you be on this hypothetical curve?

You may be a Progressive if you would rather be called Progressive than Liberal but can’t explain the difference.

You may be a Progressive if you are bad at math and believe anyone earning more than you is a One-percenter.

You may be a Progressive if you believe all One-percenters should be taxed to support your lifestyle.

You may be a Progressive if you believe the people serving your $1 hamburger and fries should earn  $25 an hour.

You may be a Progressive if you believe the government has a duty provide you with everything you need in life.

You may be a Progressive if you think anyone against Obama’s policies is automatically racist.

You may be a Progressive if you believe bills should be passed without reading when sponsored by Democrats.

You may be a Progressive if you believe that it is more important for public school curriculum to boost students’ self esteem than teach the fundamentals (reading, writing, and math).

You may be a Progressive if you believe the primary function of companies is to provide jobs.

You may be a Progressive if you believe guns somehow manage to drive their owners to commit heinous crimes.

You may be a Progressive if you take every word spoken on MSNBC as gospel.

You may be a Progressive if you believe babies should be killed on demand, but murders should only be housed at taxpayer’s expense for the rest of their natural lives.

You may be a Progressive if you believe everything but drugs should be regulated by multiple agencies.

You may be a Progressive (and probably delusional) if you are certain Mr. Obama has your best interests at heart.

You may be a Progressive if you believe humans are responsible for causing natural disasters.

You may be a Progressive if you think patriot is a bad name and pledging allegiance to the flag is a subversive action.

You may be a Progressive if you believe the Constitution is outdated and the Bill of Rights is merely a suggestion.

You may be a Progressive if you believe that pornography is free speech but God is an obscene word.

You may be a Progressive if you love the tenets of socialism and are convinced that Karl Marx was a great philosopher.

On the other hand:

You may be a Tea Partier if you think the Tea Party is merely a patriotic conservative faction of the Republican Party and not a group of goose-stepping fascists.

You may be a Tea Partier if you believe in a thoughtful, informed approach to legislation rather than blind experimentation for the sake of change.

You may be a Tea Partier if you believe that a14 trillion-dollar debt is obscene and borrowing more just to pay the interest on the debt is an act of stupidity.

You may be a Tea Partier if you know that government is far too engaged in your life.

You may be a Tea Partier if you hate every dirty aspect of socialism.

You may be a Tea Partier if you believe that wars should only be waged when the interests of our country are at stake.

You may be a Tea Partier if you believe government is bloated and full of unnecessary and duplicated bureaus.

You may be a Tea Partier if you believe able-bodied welfare recipients should be required to provide public service for their handouts.

You may be a Tea Partier if you believe that Unions have far too much influence in politics.

You may be a Tea Partier if you believe Union members should not have to pay for political contributions to candidates they would not vote for.

You may be a Tea Partier if you believe immigrants should wait their turn in the quota system and those here illegally have broken the law and should be deported.

You may be a Tea Partier if you believe the Dream Act is in fact a nightmare.

There’s more, but I think you get the point. The spectrum is wide but these days it is more like pole-a-ticks than politics due to the polarization of the two main parties.

Colorado Goes Up In Smoke

It’s a new year, and Coloradoans celebrated by lighting up a doobee. No, not all Coloradoans smoked weed, but a great number did – and still are. It seems the term “Colorado Mountain high” has taken on a whole new meaning.

There are reported lines of customers outside the pot shops rivaling those seen at bakeries in communist East Germany. It makes me wonder just how safe it will be to drive in Colorado once these pot stores get a full inventory.

Not to fear, the state government says. They have laws against driving high. Right, they also have laws against driving drunk, but booze is legal, people buy it legally, and get in their cars and drive illegally drunk. At least when pot was illegal, it was more difficult to drive while high. It’s too early for comparable statistics, but if and when they are made does anyone doubt the rate of driving under the influence will be up?

I’m no teetotaler  (not to be confused with tea partier). I enjoy a beer or two now and again. Okay, maybe more than a beer or two on rare occasions. But alcohol is not a “gateway” drug. Sure, alcoholism is a terrible disease, and yes, it is an addiction. Alcoholics only look for more booze, not stronger stuff.

Marijuana has been termed a gateway drug. It leaves the user craving for an even bigger high, which frequently drives the user to stronger drugs.

Colorado claims to have strict laws regarding the use of this dope, but they haven’t even figured out how to tax the stuff. To keep outsiders from buying the drug a valid Colorado ID is needed for each purchase. Those who can buy it are prohibited from mailing or transporting it outside the state. Just how they intend to enforce these well-meaning safeguards has not been reported.

The laws against driving high have not been repealed, so we should be able to get data on the increase of violations soon. Of course, employer drug testing is still legal and pot smokers can be fired or not even hired.

One thing the sellers of this drug should seriously consider is the report that the cartels that illegally smuggle pot into this country are very displeased with marijuana legalization. These are the same cartels that lop off heads and hang the bodies from bridges in Mexico. How long will it be before the violence takes hold in Colorado?

So far, there are 20 states allowing the sale and use of medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only two states where anyone  18 or over can legally buy and use the weed. It may be safe to say that medical marijuana laws have led to the desire for even more liberal use.

The ridiculous idea that a medical professional – doctor, Physician’s Assistant or Nurse Practitioner – can “prescribe” pot for any malady a patient complains of and requests using marijuana has made a mockery of the law. I have to wonder why this drug is not dispensed by registered pharmacists at legal pharmacies like other legitimate medicines. Has the FDA or any drug company researchers actually found any beneficial use for pot?

California voters rejected the unrestricted use of marijuana twice, but there is currently a possibility that the 2016 elections may see yet another proposition attempting to legalize the weed in the state. We can only hope that two years worth of data on unrestricted use will be enough to show the very real dangers of legalization.

So, now that Coloradoans are now enveloped in a blue haze of pot, will the next call to be the legalization of cocaine, crack, meth, or heroin? How many lives need to be destroyed by this crap before we reject at least one aspect of the sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll legacy of the ‘60s?