The 'right thing' tears at a family

Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^ | July 8, 2002 | Chris McGann

[chance33_98]

we need people who love the truth, not those who merely love using the law as a club for bouncing on other people's heads.

The Truth is that our founding fathers set up a mechanism to make changes to the law. There is a procedure. You can sit around whining all day about how unfair this law or that law is, or you can play the game and work for change. We have rules set up, been there over 200 years. If you don't like those rules - too bad. Change takes time. The homosexual movement has worked for decades to get where they are, women worked hard over years to get to vote, slavery was not changed without great loss of life.

So if you think you can just cry foul because you can drink but not smoke pot and expect that everything will change, then your in for a rude awakening. Life, like laws, are not always fair. I think a lot of laws are stupid, and have worked with local legislators to change them in the past or stop their passage. It takes work, a lot of it. But just because it might be stupid or you don't like it does not mean you go off and break it.

As far as why I think the passage of laws allowing people use drugs is stalled: People have seen how much alcohol has messed things up. It is addictive, easy to get, and has caused more harm then one can even calculate. You starting adding more mind altering drugs to the allow list and that will be replicated and grow exponetially. Drunk while on dope will take many more lives because people are too addicted to quit, and yet they have to drive. And that is just one area which will see an increase in problems. People have enough to worry about with alcohol all over the place, they don't want to add to it. And until you can convince them that people will only use drugs in their house, and won't go around driving, flying, etc while doped up then I doubt it will become legal.

Sure - YOU might be able to do it, but how many people won't be able to? I can have a beer once in awhile, but walk into any bar and you see tons of people who have to have it all the time and then drive home (not all people in bars of course). I trust that you would be responsible, but there are a lot of weak minded people out there (I am sure you have noticed) - and that is why people are not ready to allow yet another mind altering drug to be easily available.

[chance33_98]

Drunk while on dope

Should be Drive while on dope :)

[John O]

We sure don't need kids who disrespect their parents like this

Nor do we need parents who disrespect their parental duties like this guy did. If the father did his job right there'd be no reason for the son to do what he thought was right.

The blame is totally the father's.

GSA(P)

[William Terrell]

. . .but if a parent were running a meth lab in the home or sexually molesting a child, I'd do what this kid did.

But the dad wasn't running a meth lab or sexually molesting a child. He was growing a plant that grows wild all over the Earth.

[William Terrell]

Obey the law? What a concept! ;-)

Your state outlaws all firearms. Will you be the first to turn yours in? You have a business and your municipality passes an ordinance that you must give homosexuals preference in hiring. Will you hire the homosexuals only? Do you exceed the speed limit? That's a criminal offense, you know.

Where would you draw the line?

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[TADSLOS]

"I felt like I was saving my sister and brother from this guy," he said. "You can only put up with so much."

He implies that there are deeper problems with his dad than just producing marijuana. There's more to this story than meets the eye.

[Anamensis]

Geez, kid. Hey, little Mr. Stand Up, did it ever occur to you to give your father a chance and tell him "Get rid of the drugs or I call the cops" FIRST before sucker-punching him this way? Sounds like this brat just wanted to screw over dad.

[KantianBurke]

Great posts! Although I disagree as to the purity of the exact motives of the kid, he did the right thing.

[William Terrell]

Good answers!!

Really? I thought everything he has said could be summerized in this statement, "If the state can find some way to make something illegal, *sigh*, we just have to relax and follow that law." I don't suppose it matters what tactic the state (governance in general) uses to do it, once it's done, that's it.

Do you know under which constitutional provision drugs are made illegal? Article 1, section 8, clause 3. Look it up. Guns are also "regulated" under the same constitutional provision. Well, now, we should just challenge the bad laws in court, shall we? Priced an action up to a federal appeals court lately, have you? Then one that goes to the SC?

[Lazamataz]

Only ven millions of zee children are turning in zeir parents vill it be possible for zee Fatherland to triumph!

Give zis child a War on Drugs knife!

[Joe Driscoll]

The Truth is that our founding fathers set up a mechanism to make changes to the law.

I believe that our founding fathers started out breaking the law before they built that mechanism. If you were around in 1774, you would be calling them criminals.

[William Terrell]

The Truth is that our founding fathers set up a mechanism to make changes to the law. There is a procedure.

And if that procedure is so expensive, now, that to use it would bring financial devastation to your descendants, even if you have enough to hock to barely pay for it, what then?

[steve-b]

There were other conflicts. He thought his father paid attention to his sister's accomplishments, while ignoring his own.

Hmmmm....

[chance33_98]

So if you don't like any old law you start a war? I find the reasons they did so is far more compelling then someone wanting to get wasted.

[chance33_98]

And if that procedure is so expensive, now, that to use it would bring financial devastation to your descendants, even if you have enough to hock to barely pay for it, what then?

Then you start a reveloution, kill all the people in power, and create a new perfect order where everyone gets high :)

[chance33_98]

Your state outlaws all firearms. Will you be the first to turn yours in? You have a business and your municipality passes an ordinance that you must give homosexuals preference in hiring. Will you hire the homosexuals only? Do you exceed the speed limit? That's a criminal offense, you know.

You must pick and choose your battles, and weigh the consequences.- taking a gun versus not letting people get wasted are two different things, and what ifs can go on ad nauseum. We are not and never will be TOTALLY free. What then do you propose is the answer? how about ask the voters, and let them decide? And if you still don't like the answer, then what?

[Green Knight]

Unbelievable what I'm reading in this thread. Let me ask everyone who's bashing this kid a question.

Did it or did it not make you angry when the Democrats stood up for Clinton despite the fact that he was doing wrong and breaking the law? Did it or did it not make you angry that the Democrats DIDN'T turn on one of their own, and do the right thing? If it did make you angry, then why the hell are you here bashing this kid for doing the right thing and taking the hits for it? Why're you advocating that this kid shouldn't have "ratted" on his father, despite the fact that his father was doing wrong? Unbelievable.

And enough with the moral equivocation, comparing him to gun grabbers or Nazis. He DIDN'T turn in a gun owning father, nor a Jew. He turned in somebody who was growing and possibly selling drugs. BIG difference. And I think it's safe to say this father WAS selling, and not just growing the marijuana just for himself, considering the article mentions that he had people over several times on account of the marijuana. They were probably there to buy. Though more than likely if the father did sell he did most of his selling outside of the home.

BTW: For the record, my father did the same thing. I was a little kid when he did it, but he grew pot in the house, sold it, and he did some time over it. And IMO, he got what was coming to him (And no, I didn't report him. I was to young to know at the time what was up).

[Wolfie]

He said that on two occasions, people visited the house on account of the marijuana.

Back when this story broke, the story was father was running some kind of 24 hour drive-thru drug house. Now I know why lions eat their young.

[Protagoras]

The family should be proud of this boy instead of ridiculing him.

It can be assumed that you will call 911 and turn your children in if you find that they have tried pot. For that matter, you must call 911 if your child tries cigarettes or beer as well.

You will do that won't you?