11-04-2015, 03:21 PM
(11-04-2015, 03:11 PM)PDub80 Wrote: - I'm sorry about your dad. My dad was an alcoholic, too. He never was physical and he functioned incredibly well. Holding a great job and was a great dad. ZERO complaints from how he treated me. But he drank by himself or with his friends to great excesses. He would get in verbal, drunken arguments with my mother that were very mean. I was sad for my dad. He was uncomfortable and unhappy with himself because my grandfather was terribly hard on him... and the alcoholism was in his blood. It's in mine, too I am sure, which is why I have never had a drink. I would probably like it... too much. And I never wanted my children to see me the way I saw my dad when he was drunk. Nor did I want to be a hypocrite when I told them not to drink or use drugs.
- These aren't judgments, per se. More of a fundamental difference. I do not believe that ingesting something into the body for the (and this is key) purpose of changing your mood or feeling, other than medicine, is a good thing for society or people in general. I believe that it hinders.
A lot of my friends smoke. I do not view them, or any of you as losers. I have met and know of a lot of losers who do smoke, however, and their desire for weed has caused them to not function very well as an adult. I think that we, as a society, have lowered our standards on what is and what is not an acceptable way to carry ourselves and deal with our responsibilities or problems. don't feel that drugs to pass time or distract actually helps anyone. It merely distracts and delays.
- Yes, typically people go in bars to get drunk or get a buzz. I place a great deal of value on anecdotal real life experiences.
Which brings me to this: YOU might be able to handle drug use. But that does not mean that everyone in society can. Or that the majority can. Or that you being able to handle it is the best thing to be handling to begin with. But that is between you and you.
People have been enjoying drugs since the beginning of time. If you are religious (I'm not) even Jesus turned water into wine. Many religions use drugs in their rituals. Imagine how this society would get through a day of work without Caffeine. I think it is naive to expect people not to use drugs. The war on drugs has been a huge failure regardless of how you look at it. I'm not going to stop getting high because it is illegal. I do run the risk of having it as a mark on my record if I'm caught using it however. How that benefits me in any practical way is beyond me.
Regardless of who can handle their drugs, they shouldn't be made criminals for using them. It's ridiculous to outlaw a plant that is less harmful than a drug such as alcohol, which this country has roundly considered to be OK. Alcohol can kill you. Pot will not. Alcohol can kill you even when you are trying to stop using it. Pot will not.
