The original Old Man Blog
Thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s is no longer being updated. We will carry on here.
From a blog I posted back in 2018:
Marijuana was commonly available to all at the public high school I attended in the late 70s. People weren’t waiting for ballot initiatives, Governors, Mayors or the Washington state Attorney General to give their blessing.
Honor Roll students sampled it too. Somehow they went on to lead productive lives. Somehow they avoided worst-case scenarios of abuse.
Today- “Eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use…”
Medical Marijuana is now at 29 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC
I am 57 years old and the federal government still struggles with marijuana prohibition.
Where are the voters who promote smaller and limited government? Are they the ones who are OK with undeclared/unwon wars that never end? Wars that are explained away as wars for our freedoms?
It took a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of a glass of wine- why no constitutional amendment to authorize a federal war on drugs, drug czar, prohibition of marijuana, etc.
Even though marijuana was available to high school students in the late 70s, we were not camping on the sidewalks.
Lessons learned:
Famous celebrities had died of drug overdose decades ago. Here are two from 1970.
Were they camping on the sidewalk? People will have strong views and will be divided on ending drug prohibition. Most will probably agree that a modern society should not yield the right of way to those who want to camp on the sidewalk.
Possibly of interest:
Now in my early 60s, I am frequently asked for ID to show that I am 21 when buying beer at major retail establishments here in WA.
Photo-
Symbol of a culture that was once strong (Man On The Moon in ’69). A culture that is now weak. A culture that will yield the right of way to violators while pushing good citizens to the side & collecting big tax money all along the way.