Mueller Lake Park Outdoor Amphitheater
Protect Our Freedom, Legalize Pot
RECEIVED Tue., July 10, 2012
Dear Editor,
It's time the Texan and American people woke up to what's happening in our state and country. The Republican-controlled Supreme Court has sold out our country to the highest bidder. The Texas Legislature, like others around the country, is trying to suppress a woman's right to abortion by enforcing invasive procedures to discourage her from exercising a constitutional right. These people, including the Republican governors, are also trying to suppress the voting rights of the minorities, including the poor. If the state governments are saying our citizens can't vote without photo IDs, then the states, not the poor, should be forced to pay for them. This should be done before the election, or the laws should be repealed until the states have provided every citizen who needs it with a free voter's ID. If not, our government should stop calling itself a democracy and end this farce. Past dictators would be happy with the way we are trying to end what's left of the freedoms we have.
As a last thought, we should not increase the number of police officers we have; we should legalize marijuana. Have the police force go after the real criminals. Personal use of marijuana by adults is a freedom that law enforcement has not been able to suppress regardless of the penalties (in Texas, this can include life in prison). The industrial use of marijuana would help our farmers instead of forcing consumers to import it. Medical marijuana, which has been used safely by people for tens of thousands of years, is suppressed by pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists to ensure they make billions of dollars in profit, instead of helping people. (A side note: Marijuana was made illegal in this country so that the chemical and forestry companies could cut down our forests instead of using a higher-quality paper made from hemp.)
It's time the Texan and American people woke up to what's happening in our state and country. The Republican-controlled Supreme Court has sold out our country to the highest bidder. The Texas Legislature, like others around the country, is trying to suppress a woman's right to abortion by enforcing invasive procedures to discourage her from exercising a constitutional right. These people, including the Republican governors, are also trying to suppress the voting rights of the minorities, including the poor. If the state governments are saying our citizens can't vote without photo IDs, then the states, not the poor, should be forced to pay for them. This should be done before the election, or the laws should be repealed until the states have provided every citizen who needs it with a free voter's ID. If not, our government should stop calling itself a democracy and end this farce. Past dictators would be happy with the way we are trying to end what's left of the freedoms we have.
As a last thought, we should not increase the number of police officers we have; we should legalize marijuana. Have the police force go after the real criminals. Personal use of marijuana by adults is a freedom that law enforcement has not been able to suppress regardless of the penalties (in Texas, this can include life in prison). The industrial use of marijuana would help our farmers instead of forcing consumers to import it. Medical marijuana, which has been used safely by people for tens of thousands of years, is suppressed by pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists to ensure they make billions of dollars in profit, instead of helping people. (A side note: Marijuana was made illegal in this country so that the chemical and forestry companies could cut down our forests instead of using a higher-quality paper made from hemp.)
Julian Ward
