Marijuana Part2 of so many I'm certain you'll all want to kill me

Wow I just had the greatest laugh---today! The US Attorney for San Francisco Melinda Haag declared that the medical marijuana industry has been "hijacked by profiteers". Really? Is that the first time in US history that someone brought a product to market and sold it for a profit in the medical field? Really? Can the government be more disingenuous? I can name several industries that better fit the mold spewed by Haag. Yes apparently that is her name, I would not lie to you dear reader, Haag.  Are we to pronounce that 'hog' or 'hag'? Attractive either way I'm sure.

How about the medical insurance industry? These are middle men, who stand between you and your Dr. often times making critical medical decisions for you based upon the extensive clinical background of a accountant. Clearly the accountant knows better than your Dr. which course of treatment or medication will have the desired effect. Please these guys are legal pirates just like Blackbeard when he raided the Spanish Fleet on behalf of the Brits. The analogy is perfect. The US government sanctions these companies to take an exorbitant amount of treasure from both the nation as a whole, and each of us as individuals, so they can then "pay it forward" to the crooks who made it possible by funding their PACS. We HAVE been hijacked by profiteers, they sit as overlords in all of our capital cities, taking bribes from the corporations that they bow down to.

Another perfect example of a medical profiteer, would be a fill in the blank space where anyone could write in the name of their favorite pharmaceutical company to despise. These guys take our tax dollars to research their new drugs, then charge us AMAZING amounts of money to"amortize the cost of their development", excuse me I thought when we gave you dollars for research we were paying for your development. Worse yet, in Cali we get to pay for our prisoners in state prison to get ONLY name brand drugs. Which company or consortium of pharmy boys got together to push that legislative gem through? Or how about all of that great work they do giving away their drugs to African nations and others who can't afford them? I applaud all efforts at compassion and healing, but how about here at home where we're going broke so rich people who own shares in these companies can get richer? Profiteers? Haag, Barry, all of you freaky government types who can't stay out of others affairs; the profiteers are all around you, you don't have to fly over our homes with infrared scanners looking for pot growers. Big pharma and their crimes exist in the open, a simple redirection of priority is all that's required.

Congress should be our primary target, followed closely by the insurance biz, big pharma, and last but certainly not least every ambulance chasing attorney sucking his or her livelihood through the veins of those who have lived the tragedy they hope to profit from. You skeezy, bottom feeding lawyers need to be dealt with severely, were I king, tort reform would be on the agenda right after I put the nation back to work rebuilding our infrastructure for the next 200 plus years.

The Reality of Immigration in America

If you read my last post, you may have come away thinking "he painted the picture with some very broad strokes there, not a lot of detail...." Immigration in this country is a very divisive, complicated, and controversial topic, one which resists clarification in a short essay. That's why I will attempt to address this issue with several essays over time, to bring clarity, and cohesion to my side of the argument. I intend that they be taken as a whole, though human nature dictates a point by point discussion, as those who take offense or issue with my stand will want to make their point of view known. Very cool! I welcome anyone who wishes to comment with an open mind to do so freely. If however you post with a pseudonym because you can't be associated publicly with your beliefs, I will call you out. People who wish to have their voices heard should never fear revealing who they are; if they do, they need to ask themselves two simple questions: Why? And: What does this say about our society, that I have to hide behind a pen name so my countrymen will not persecute me for my beliefs?
We are a nation built on the individuals right to the pursuit of happiness and freedom. America, is a republic founded by the sons and daughters of immigrants, pursuing those very rights, in a land that did not belong to them. Surely in the eyes of Native Americans who witnessed the invasion of their land, these intruders had to be what  we term "illegal aliens". As the descendant of European immigrants to this country, I think it's critical to recognize this fact when discussing immigration, and who exactly these immigrants are.
These people are humans, they have for the most part been blessed with the same capabilities, and burdened with the same frailties as the rest of us. As humans they also have basic needs, such as steady stable employment in their own towns and cities, that will provide a real living wage; not one of mere subsistence. Absent this employment, one must expect that any self respecting man or woman, would then search out a job where ever they may find one. I'm pretty sure we would all do the same. Immigrants legal and illegal feel the pain of leaving family behind to make a few bucks in a country that for the most part despises their presence; an ugly experience that God willing none of you have to share. So why is it that we feel this need to demonize human beings trying to feed, clothe, and educate themselves and their families? Didn't our ancestors emigrate to this country for the very same reasons? Do we harbor this bigotry because this newer wave of immigrants come from places other than Western Europe? Perhaps because English is not their mother tongue? Surely you realize not all of us whose families have been here for multiple generations arrived from nations speaking English. After immigrants from England, the second largest group of arrivals came from Germany, as my sperm donors family did. I refer to him as "my sperm donor" because we never met, he's dead, his loss. The point is that after generations of assimilation, we're all American, the relevance of where our ancestors come from is nil.
My gut tells me the real reticence being displayed is much uglier than that. This spate of anti immigrant legislation in Alabama, Georgia, and Arizona, is another example of spasmodic racism akin to Jim Crow or, The Marijuana Tax Stamp Act. For those of you who are unaware, The Marijuana Tax Stamp Act which made pot illegal was first and foremost a tool used by our government that allowed for immediate deportation of Mexican nationals working our fields during the Great Depression. This act was promulgated by several Senators from southwestern states who were pandering for votes from an impoverished citizenry. Same old subterfuge we're seeing today. Time tested and still working, this type of scapegoating keeps blinders on the fools who will be lead by thieves and charlatans. Left un checked we could certainly witness a further decline to the moral depths of Apartheid, the Jewish Pogroms, and God forbid Nazism.

Immigration and American Reality

I just read the news today oh boy.... My apologies to the Beatles, but that line says it all. Alabama is in the news again, not because their football team is hot. No, only because of the racist nature of the state, and it's white inhabitants, who have raised their ugly heads again. Teaching hate seems to be a "Family Value" in Alabama. Two teams of basketball players in a pick up game, divided along racial lines, one white the other hispanic. The hispanic kids beat the white kids, but rather than shake hands and say"good game", the white kids started taunting the hispanic kids with racist shit like "why don't you Mexicans go home?" Why is it that a nation of immigrants, all of us but our Native American cousins who preceded our arrival, are immigrants or the descendants of immigrants; feel it necessary to demonize the people who immigrate here after us? Why would anyone with a shred of compassion, feel it's necessary to scapegoat a segment of humanity based on their ethnicity? Are any of you really "better" because of your ethnicity? Or do you cling to this antiquated notion because you're ignorant, ill-informed, or just a plain hating racist? We as a nation are incredibly spoiled, we like cheap food, we like our lawns green and manicured. We want other people to raise our children for us, because we're too busy chasing dollars. We like to eat out, so others can clean up the mess for us. In other words we're lazy. We believe we're too good to do certain types of manual labor. After all if a person can sit on their ever expanding ass and collect more money from welfare, than they can working the fields harvesting crops, or weeding the rows, do you blame them? No, I blame the system we put in place that allows our corporate farmers to pay far less than the Minimum Wage to their workers. Who else will accept the type of demeaning treatment, paltry pay, and long grueling hours in hot grimy conditions? Only those with no other opportunity, pretty safe to say that not many American Citizens will. I also blame the Welfare System for not actually investigating the needs of Welfare Applicants. This entire process of forms and filing in a brick and mortar setting without means testing through personal visits; does nothing but invite corruption, and condone an anti American lifestyle. I believe we might look into a system that allows people to collect welfare in return for farm labor, while the corporate farmer who now receives welfare funded labor should forgo his government subsidies. We could also save a boat load of cash by putting these people to work maintaining our State Parks, Rest Area's, highways, beaches, and rivers.... There should be some return for the pay, no one has ever handed me money to sit at home. Should we find a need for an influx of immigrant workers, we should pay them a living wage, treat them with the same respect we wish to be treated with when we travel to other countries.  For all of those who claim a Judeo-Christian faith, you'll recognize this as reaping what you sow. Or, doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Funny how we can all spout these charming little affirmations of our outward faith, but seldom do we see people backing those words with action.
So America you stand now with a true dilemma before you, are you going to allow haters who would divide us along racial lines fool you into believing their bullshit; or will you turn away from this recurrent  culturally embedded racism, and embrace the fruits of immigration? Without it, you lose the Tesla's, Whitney's, Edison's and Einstein's of our Nation. But you get to keep the KKK, and a whole group of pandering political habitues spewing Fox News venom and hate. Your choice America.

America's Reality Disconnect with Marijuana

When my kids were growing up, I used to play a game with them called "Reality Is". I still play it with my wife, but I digress. What this allowed me to do, was share ideas, and shape the minds of both girls in a way that encouraged critical thought and problem solving. I like to believe this is why our daughters are involved in studies that embrace science rather than the liberal arts, though both would succeed as easily in either endeavor. Clearly my wife has other ideas as to the genesis of their thought processes, she can start her own blog and express them there. This place, this small slice of the world is mine, and I will fill it with ALL of the wisdom accumulated in my 50 years of information absorption; where I get to pontificate without interference from anyone as I seek to inform, and yes perhaps unload a bit. Lucky you dear reader, lucky you. Back to "Reality Is", this game which was quite effective in countering the vitriolic propaganda of the anti drug, anti gang, anti common sense, anti personal responsibility, regime of the public school system of the 1990's. Many a day my kids came home with the governments latest proclamations against marijuana and the evils associated with it's use. Drilled into their voracious little minds, were images of people,  well not people really, people don't smoke pot; only drug imbued sub human junkie tripsters use that shit. Visions of a group that don't deserve the same respect, honors and privileges of society, as say the police, fireman, or elected officials who slave away as "public servants" for an ungrateful public.(Insert sounds of puking here.) Believe me, trying to help my kids filter through this shit that had nothing to do with school, yet took an inordinate amount of their curricular time, was exhausting both physically and mentally. For all of us. Why do I have to defend myself to my kids about personal choice issues, that become issues only because of government interference into MY private matters?

 This is where "Reality Is" comes in. I would normally preface my statements to the girls with those two words, then transform the phrase into a question like: "Reality is Daddy smokes pot, but have either of you ever wanted for anything, or been denied my love because I do? "Reality is that life is full of struggles and God has given us all good things to sustain us through those times when we feel we need some assist. Is it wrong of me to use God's gifts as they were intended? "Reality is girls, that there are people out there who mean well, but really have no experience with marijuana in the way that I, and many millions of other Americans do. Their negativity is usually the result of a family member having been forced to deal with unnecessary prosecution or persecution, in a court of law through ordinance's that are neither well thought out or enforceable. Reality is girls, we have a public that has been, and continues to be, hoodwinked by a government careening down a road to no where.  This is especially true of our governments farcical placement of marijuana in the "Schedule One" class of drugs, right next to heroin. To the best of my knowledge, not one single person ever overdosed on marijuana, while untold numbers have perished riding the "H" train. How is it possible that we could have a person or persons in a position of power informing public policy, be so ill informed? So blatantly wrong? Why are we allowing this delusion to continue into the 21st century? 

Reality is America; marijuana is not going away, it's the most valuable cash crop in the country.

Reality is America; we don't allow the best farmers in the world to grow our herb, you know OUR FARMERS, we'd rather allow violent 'cartels' the opportunity to supply our self constructed black markets, while holding our friends and family in Mexico and South America hostage to their bullshit. 

Reality is America; for all the billions blown on the "War on Drugs", we could have provided a free college education to every American who wanted one. 

Reality is America; that had we prioritized our spending towards education, our need for prisons would be but a fraction of what we find ourselves warehousing citizens in now.

Reality is America; all the treasure buried in this cluster-fuck could have provided us all with a far better health care plan than "Barry Care" ever dreamed of. Maybe even as good as the one Congress voted themselves.

Reality is America; those of you who cling to the governments line on weed, would probably have been first in line for Kool Aid in Jonestown.

Manifesto of the American Reality Party

We have but one purpose for our group, this purpose is to cut through the copious quantity of pablum peddlers spewing the "company line" of government  through every outlet known to man. Except this one. Here you will discover unvarnished truth, fact, reality as it pertains to our daily lives. There will be a pronounced lean towards civil liberty, with an emphasis on dismantling the laws that have suspended our individual rights, including but not limited to the hilariously mis-named Patriot Act. We also advocate for the immediate end to the "War on Drugs", the dissolution of the DEA, BATF, and every other redundant 'law enforcement' agency in the nation. Republics with codes of law like ours breed only violent crime and dissension amongst those of us who bristle at the notion that we are children in need of guidance from an elite cabal of 'adults'. What we have become is a police state, protecting the interests of the corporate elite, well on our way to dictatorship. For myself and I'm assuming many millions more, this is wholly un acceptable. Through the power of ideas, and their dissemination to a wider audience of like minded citizens, we hope to affect change in our government that will drastically alter the course of our misguided country.