Saturday, December 18, 2004

Have you ever hoped to lose a fight? I think that's where I might be right now with regards to medical marijuana.

I voted for the California proposition that legalized medical marijuana, and continue to support the concept. But right now the US Supreme Court is reviewing that law, and I'm not sure I want them to support it.

You see, it all depends on how the argument is framed. Will they be asking the Court to rule on medical issues, or on Constitutional issues?

If the case were won based solely on the rights of individuals to access the medicine they need to survive, that would be great.

What I fear is that we're getting into a State's Rights issue, in which case I'll have to reluctantly side with the Federal Government. It may be that in this one case, I agree with the State's position, but throughout our nation's history that argument has usually been used to support things I would disagree with.

State's Rights was the argument for prolonging slavery and fighting Civil Rights. State's Rights has traditionally been the argument of those who refuse to join the rest of the nation (and the world) in growing up.

If State's Rights is the argument that wins for medical marijuana, watch out. The next day that precedent will be used to ban all abortions in at least 12 states. That decision will also be a blow in the struggle to recognize the Civil Rights of gays and lesbians to sign a marriage contract. A Supreme Court win based on State's Rights will give more power to conservatives than the recent election did.

And speaking of that recent election...

Click on over to newsdesk.org for "FOCUS: The Recount Accounts" - Check up on the continuing battles in Ohio, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington State, and San Diego... The mainstream media refuses to cover it, but there's still a lot of people who think the election was stolen, and mounting evidence that they may have a point.

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