Pot invasion stuns park officials. 600% jump in Sequoia plants may be tied to tight borders.

The Fresno Bee ^ | Sept 25, 2002 | Joan Obra

[Pern]

A new species is appearing more frequently in Sequoia National Park: marijuana. During the past month, park rangers and law enforcement officials have uprooted 19 marijuana gardens from the Mineral King and South Fork areas of the park. Officials disposed of more than 35,000 plants -- with an estimated street value of more than $140 million -- in an undisclosed Tulare County site.

[Virginia-American]

Exile and execute. That's how you wage a war on narcotics.

If you can get all 12 jurors to agree...

[bat-boy]

In true "Copperhead Road" fashion.

[The FRugitive]

Officials disposed of more than 35,000 plants -- with an estimated street value of more than $140 million -- in an undisclosed Tulare County site.

Uh huh.

[The FRugitive]

Because it wouldn't be worth it's weight in gold as it is now.

[bat-boy]

"The Latin American drug cartels have stretched their tentacles much deeper into our lives than most people believe. It's possible they are calling the shots at all levels of government." - William Colby, former CIA Director, 1995

[taxed2death]

The war on drugs is a waste of both time and money.

My personal feelings are as follows. I believe the government should hand out as many / much 100% pure hardcore drugs as they can get their hands on.....for free, no charge.....just give 'em away like Happy Meals, to anyone over the age of 18. Let the drug users brains turn to mush and their hearts explode. You'll see a 90% drop in the crime and homicide rate, we can offer the cops who would now be piling up at the Dunkin' Donuts / Crispy Creme shops across the land a nice cash bonus and a 2% cut in intrest rates on new homes, to relocate to any border state and train them to be Border Patrol officers. As far as "drug education" goes.....start early....let the 1st and 2nd graders see the crack heads and heroin addics floppin' around the sidewalks like fish. Tell 'em this is what losers look like........kinda a "tough love approach" to the problem, but I'm sure the site of some idiot crapping his pants and choking on his vomit, with his eyes rolled back in his / her head like a great white shark will leave a lasting impression on the shorties.

You can't help someone unless they want to be helped. In my brothers case, in his opinion, he's doin' just fine.....it's the rest of the world that's "effed" up.

Go figure.

I wish I were President, you'd see some stuff get done around here :)

[putupon]

and save billions in tax dollars,

The lawyers on food stamps would eat up the savings.

[Thumper1960]

Well.........................the Drug Warriors should volunteer to patrol the forests. Just to make sure Boo-boo doesn't grow up delinquent.

[bat-boy]

As far as "drug education" goes.....start early....let the 1st and 2nd graders see the crack heads and heroin addics floppin' around the sidewalks like fish. Tell 'em this is what losers look like........kinda a "tough love approach" to the problem, but I'm sure the site of some idiot crapping his pants and choking on his vomit, with his eyes rolled back in his / her head like a great white shark will leave a lasting impression on the shorties.

You hit the nail right on the head! I said this same thing the other day to someone else. I know this will work because it worked on me when I was a youngin' and I seen my first skid row bum. I've associated alcohol with skid row every since.

I think this is also why heroin use in the Netherlands is very low and the age of the heroin user always rises in that country. Young people see them and decide "I don't want to be like that".

[Jonathon Spectre]

Anyone is welcome to use "The March of the Brigade" in any way they want as long as I get credit for it. Someday surely it will sweep the world. It already swept Germany in the 1940s and Soviet Russian 1917-1991! The first strains of this damned, demonic symphony can be heard in America even now.

I wonder how loud it will get...

[bat-boy]

I wonder how loud it will get...

Well if freepers are any indication, it's going to get real loud. You can't even offer a a criticism on Bush's growth of government without being called a traitor or having a dozen mindless bushbots posting a stupid "5" to you.

Lemmings.

[LowOiL]

Drug dealers now face a real imminent threat of death from competitors. If that doesn't deter them, nothing the government can do will deter them.

This was not addressed to me, but I feel compelled to put my two cents in.

God promises that the death penalty is a reliable deterrent:

"So you shall put away the evil from Israel. And all the people shall hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously." Deut. 17:12-13

Yet, the death penalty as executed through American courts is not much of a deterrent. Wise King Solomon 2,900 years ago explained why this is so:

Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Eccl. 8:11

When a murderer is executed, three appeals and 12 years after his crime, society has largely forgotten about him. His death has almost no deterrent effect on crime. Further, a life sentence cannot be executed speedily. The swift death penalty deters crime and aids evangelism. Thus Christians, in obedience to God, should support the death penalty.

You are quick to point out that potential death is a factor in the drug world now and that is not a deterent. If they know they would only last a week it WOULD, be a great deterent.

Following the Bible's rule of thumb, a swift execution would be a great deterent towards drug sellers.

Low OiL

[LowOiL]

My post above is also for you.

Low OiL

[hoosierskypilot]

"..may be easier to grow it in the United States instead of trying to smuggle it across the border.."

Hard to believe that. Criminals smuggle tractor-trailer loads of illegals. They can't smuggle pot?

[LowOiL]

Hard to believe that. Criminals smuggle tractor-trailer loads of illegals. They can't smuggle pot?

The article suggests there has been a crack down on the border, also implying there has been a reduction in smuggling. I would also probable determine that tractor loads of illegals are also getting hard to slide through as easily.

[GSWarrior]

Now, I don't for a second believe that these illegal immigrants are behind the crop found in this bust.

We have a winner!

[LowOiL]

, to relocate to any border state and train them to be Border Patrol officers.

Why, a 200 foot wide land mine field would suffice nicely.

[Man of the Right]

I'm surprised the dopers haven't tried to smoke the sequoias. It would be amusing to see the Sierra Club take on NORML in order to save the trees. Divide and conquer the left, I say. The rumor started here: Those red trees are a bodocious high, dude!

[apochromat]

Probably one of the many dimmocrat-deployed uber-conservative trolls.

[Man of the Right]

I'm surprised the dopers haven't tried to smoke the sequoias. It would be amusing to see the Sierra Club take on NORML in order to save the trees. Divide and conquer the left, I say. The rumor started here: Those red trees are a bodocious high, dude!