News and Current Events - 2012

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Missouri attempts to pass “Don’t Say Gay” bill of its own
By Scottie Thomaston

There’s a new trend happening across the country in which legislators attempt to silence people who are LGBT via passage of “Don’t Say Gay” laws – erasing any school discussions of LGBT people and even refusing to step in and stop anti-LGBT bullying through educating students about the harms it causes. In Tennessee, their “Don’t Say Gay” bill, authored by state senator Stacey Campfield, passed out of committee a week ago.

Now Missouri is joining in on this tactic. They’ve referred to committee their own “Don’t Say Gay” bill:

170.370. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no instruction, material, or extracurricular activity sponsored by a public school that discusses sexual orientation other than in scientific instruction concerning human reproduction shall be provided in any public school.

In its entirety, the bill would not only outlaw any discussion of homosexuality in public schools, but it would also ban any GLBT groups on school grounds. The bill has so far attracted 19 GOP cosponsors.

More:
http://www.prop8trialtracker.com/2012/04/23/missouri-attemps-to-pass-dont-say-gay-bill-of-its-own/

[AZ.bbm]

I am not sure that marijuana is as harmless as many people who enjoy it would have us believe, it is seriously carcinogenic, and I have also worked with students who have been seriously mentally affected by it, panic attacks, psychotic episodes etc.
It is probably no more dangerous than alcohol but as a society we have enough problems with that.
Perhaps it is better if its sale and use is at least a little restricted.

Agree, Jess; it should be restricted, but one big difference though: Compared to marijuana, alcohol has a lower lethal dosage ('LD-50'), making it far more dangerous to irresponsible users.

[brokebacktom]

Missouri attempts to pass “Don’t Say Gay” bill of its own
By Scottie Thomaston

Unfuckin' believable. Don't they have bigger issues to deal with?  

[tfferg]

I am not sure that marijuana is as harmless as many people who enjoy it would have us believe, it is seriously carcinogenic, and I have also worked with students who have been seriously mentally affected by it, panic attacks, psychotic episodes etc.
It is probably no more dangerous than alcohol but as a society we have enough problems with that.
Perhaps it is better if its sale and use is at least a little restricted.

Someone close to me developed schizophrenia and was on medication. But he self-medicated with marijuana to relieve chronic pain. The marijuana counteracted the anti-psychotic drugs and led to very distressing psychotic episodes.

[doodler]

People self medicate with all sorts of stuff, including alcohol and perscription drugs. Just ask any number of celebrities who are no longer with us.

[oilgun]

I am not sure that marijuana is as harmless as many people who enjoy it would have us believe, it is seriously carcinogenic, and I have also worked with students who have been seriously mentally affected by it, panic attacks, psychotic episodes etc.
It is probably no more dangerous than alcohol but as a society we have enough problems with that.
Perhaps it is better if its sale and use is at least a little restricted.

I agree that it should be restricted but it should definitely be legalized and regulated.

Cannabis does have about twice the level of carcinogens compared to tobacco but I think people tend to smoke less. Also, you can reduce the ingestion of toxic elements to almost zero by using a smokeless vaporizer.   In any event cannabis causes way less harm than alcohol or cigarettes so the fact that it isn’t legal makes absolutely no sense.  I think those who experience panic attacks and psychotic episodes are probably mentally ill to begin with or the pot was laced with something which is another reason why it should be regulated.

I know that cannabis was a godsend to a close friend of mine who was battling ovarian cancer.  She didn't survive but at least in her last days she was able to eat (and keep it down) and have a bit of relief, thanks to cannabis.  The positive effects after just a few tokes were absolutely remarkable.

[AZ.bbm]

Missouri attempts to pass “Don’t Say Gay” bill of its own...
...In its entirety, the bill would not only outlaw any discussion of homosexuality in public schools, but it would also ban any GLBT groups on school grounds.
http://www.prop8trialtracker.com/2012/04/23/missouri-attemps-to-pass-dont-say-gay-bill-of-its-own/

Interesting. On its face this bill appears to be another in a long line of attempts to suppress multiculturalism.

But, according to one of the bill's co-sponsor the intent of the measure is to ban ANY and ALL discussion of sexual orientation in public schools.

But bill cosponsor Dwight Scharnhorst said students should leave their sexual orientation at home.
“As far as what your life style is, I think it's been creeping into our educational system for far too long,” he said. “Do that at home. Do that with your friends. Do that in areas, at your church. Talk about those things there. I don't see where they feel it's necessary that other students be educated in their lifestyle.”

 
The measure should be called the "Leave It At Home" Act, or "School is No Place to Learn about Sex" Act...(?)

Or, maybe, "Down With People"..?

[AZ.bbm]

Not sure how I missed this, but thank you, O.G.! 

I just found this to back up my anti-americanism earlier point.

We came, we saw, we destroyed, we forgot
The Anti-Empire Report
by William Blum
July 29, 2011

An updated summary of the charming record of US foreign policy. Since the end of the Second World War, the United States of America has …

Attempted to overthrow more than 50 governments, most of which were democratically-elected.[1]
Attempted to suppress a populist or nationalist movement in 20 countries.[2]
Grossly interfered in democratic elections in at least 30 countries.[3]
Dropped bombs on the people of more than 30 countries.[4]
Attempted to assassinate more than 50 foreign leaders.[5]
In total: Since 1945, the United States has carried out one or more of the above actions, on one or more occasions, in the following 69 countries (more than one-third of the countries of the world):

(list)
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2011/07/29/we-came-we-saw-we-destroyed-we-forgot/

--

BTW, O.G., how come most of the men in your posts are so brutally sexy-looking?! (excl. your Santorum post)
 

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Not sure how I missed this, but thank you, O.G.! 

And the purpose of your reposting that is...?

[janjo]

I agree that it should be restricted but it should definitely be legalized and regulated.

Cannabis does have about twice the level of carcinogens compared to tobacco but I think people tend to smoke less. Also, you can reduce the ingestion of toxic elements to almost zero by using a smokeless vaporizer.   In any event cannabis causes way less harm than alcohol or cigarettes so the fact that it isn’t legal makes absolutely no sense.  I think those who experience panic attacks and psychotic episodes are probably mentally ill to begin with or the pot was laced with something which is another reason why it should be regulated.

I know that cannabis was a godsend to a close friend of mine who was battling ovarian cancer.  She didn't survive but at least in her last days she was able to eat (and keep it down) and have a bit of relief, thanks to cannabis.  The positive effects after just a few tokes were absolutely remarkable.

I believe the evidence is that cannabis can trigger a mental illness that has not before become apparent. So that the person smoking it may be triggering schizophrenia, (for instance), which may otherwise never have occurred.
The thing is, how do you know if you are susceptible or not?

The fact that cannabis has so many useful medical applications, just underlines what powerful stuff it can be.

[doodler]

I believe the evidence is that cannabis can trigger a mental illness that has not before become apparent. So that the person smoking it may be triggering schizophrenia, (for instance), which may otherwise never have occurred.
The thing is, how do you know if you are susceptible or not?

The fact that cannabis has so many useful medical applications, just underlines what powerful stuff it can be.

Your post interested me so I looked up the connection between undetected mental illness and marijuana and got a real mishmash of "he said/she said" and "does not/does too." It all seems to be slanted to support the bias of the the researcher or study group  writing the report.

From a Cosmos article on the subject of undetected mental illness connected to marijuana use...
WAYNE HALL IS former director of Australia's National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), and now a professor at the school of population health at the University of Queensland. Australia has probably done more research on marijuana than anywhere else: a result of its high rate of use and ample research funding....
"It's hard to get the real message out because the debate is so polarised. If it is perceived to be harmful, people want to go to war and lock up every user; if it is perceived to be harmless, they want to legalise it completely. The truth is that cannabis is a drug like any other – some people will experience difficulty," says Hall.

It seems that after all the textbooks, the scientific papers, and the front-page headlines, it's still the same old story: marijuana used in moderation is a relatively harmless drug. Pharmacologist Les Iversen, now a visiting Oxford scholar, tells me, "Marijuana is somewhat more harmful than aspirin." Iversen should know; he spent 10 years assessing the risks of drugs for pharmaceutical giant Merck & Company, and recently served on Britain's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

....


Frankly, it doesn't sound any more dangerous than alcohol.

[BayCityJohn]

Focus Features: 10th Anniversary Salute
Brokeback Mountain

Followed by a Q&A with James Schamus, Focus Features CEO and Brokeback Mountain producer

Thursday, May 3, 2012, 7:00 p.m.


The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53 Street  New York, NY 10019
(212) 708-9400 

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/15115

[oilgun]

Not sure how I missed this, but thank you, O.G.! 

--

BTW, O.G., how come most of the men in your posts are so brutally sexy-looking?! (excl. your Santorum post)
 

Maybe because I haven't had any in quite a while? 

[kathy]

Focus Features: 10th Anniversary Salute
Brokeback Mountain

Followed by a Q&A with James Schamus, Focus Features CEO and Brokeback Mountain producer

Thursday, May 3, 2012, 7:00 p.m.


The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53 Street  New York, NY 10019
(212) 708-9400 

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/15115

This sounds just great; screening the greatness of Brokeback Mountain.

kathy     

[Marge_Innavera]

Cannabis does have about twice the level of carcinogens compared to tobacco but I think people tend to smoke less.

The Husband smokes a little over a pack of cigarettes a day.

If he smoked that much weed, he'd be just a puddle in the basement by now.