TheAgitator.com
Qat’s in the Bag
Monday, June 2nd, 2008Last Friday, Washington, D.C. police concluded a critical covert investigation by busting a coffee shop frequented by Africans and Middle Easterners, and arresting 34 people for possession and distribution of qat. In addition to being a helpful word in Scrabble, qat is a mild stimulant chewed in Africa and some parts of Asia—as well as by a good portion of the city’s Ethiopian cab drivers. Because it delivers a light buzz and isn’t tobacco or alcohol, the federal government has deemed the stuff illegal.
The next night turned out to be one of the bloodiest in D.C. city history. Seven people died in what Mayor Adrian Fenty said, "can only be described as an unbelievably high level of violent crime to take place in a short time."
Thank goodness they got those qat-chewers off the streets, or the carnage may have well have been worse.
I will have you know that qat is not in the official Scrabble dictionary. It IS an excellent Scrabble word - unless you are playing by the “It must be in the Scrabble dictionary” version of the game.
We’re pretty cutthroat Scrabblers.
And, this story is just … embarrassing. I have heard that qat gives you the approximate “buzz” of a good stiff cup of gunpowder tea.
I’m pretty sure it is. It’s definitely in the online version.
And I’m fairly sure it’s in the hard-copy edition, too.
We get those busts in my area too. We spell it “khat” tho. Which one is correct? Anyone know?
I’m sure that those siding with DC on the gun ban will use this weekend to support their position against the Second Amendment.
“[T]hose siding with DC on the gun ban will use this weekend to support their position against the Second Amendment.”
Those siding with the DC gun ban seek nothing less then a total police state.
Radley, I’ve been reading your site for awhile now, and I have to say I’m proud to have known you! You make me laugh out loud and/or think hard about things in a new way on a regular basis, and while I’m no [l][L]ibertarian, you certainly make libertarianism seem like a reasonable political philosophy. I admire your integrity and intellectual rigor.
Best,
Marta Rose
Violence, schmiolence. It all pays the same. You can get hurt trying to arrest bad guys with guns. Much safer going after people with chewy weeds. Hey, when you’re trying to look busy, an arrest is an arrest.
If you don’t stop the qat, the next thing you know all our kids will be hopped up on the cous-cous! I don’t know really what that is, but with a name like that, it has to be bad.
Is it Qat-urday yet?
This one is tailor made for the drug warriors. Since it’s used mainly by Africans and middle easterners it’s a pretty safe bet that mainstream America won’t be too upset by the war on Qat. A few good busts to really convince the politicians and this could be a real moneymaker for the drug warrior set.