Comments on: Morning Links

By: The Plant In The Middle Of The Culture Wars « Around The Sphere

The Plant In The Middle Of The Culture Wars « Around The Sphere — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:56:32 +0000

[...] Radley Balko: I can’t believe people still make these kinds of arguments. What a vapid waste of electrons. [...]

By: FrBunny

FrBunny — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:28:05 +0000

Marijuana, in contrast, has always been counter-cultural in the West. Every toke symbolizes a thumb in the eye of Western values. So it follows that in order to maintain our culture, we need to criminalize this drug.

Symbolic antisocial acts must be outlawed. Got it, kids?

By: MDGuy

MDGuy — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:41:18 +0000

Graber’s arguments crumble even when accepted at face value. Alcohol should be legal because it’s mentioned in the Bible? Well then…

Genesis 1:29
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

I guess God’s cool with it as long as it’s schwag and you make brownies with it.

By: Andrew Williams

Andrew Williams — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:39:25 +0000

I’m sending the Graber essay to my Logic and Critical Thinking teacher for shits and giggles.

By: Guido

Guido — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:38:06 +0000

Smugness or not I think that the two larger point should be made that one you don’t pull a gun on a crowd throwing snowballs, especially if you are a cop, and two you don’t throw snow balls at someone’s car because it’s just fucking stupid. It’s dangerous for the driver and others around them. I’m venturing to guess Radley is miffed at this article because the former point is kind of, you know, a big deal.

By: jppatter

jppatter — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:58:33 +0000

#20

If they reglated against stupidity, they’d have to shut down Congress.

No, Congress would just exempt themselves from the law like they always do.

By: Mattocracy

Mattocracy — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:57:55 +0000

Grabar is one of those people who says such dumb shit without the slightest bit of rational thought. It is so infuriating because no amount of logical arguement will work with people like her. It’s like reasoning with a child. Sometimes the only solution is just to slap ‘em a few times and send them to bed without any dinner.

By: Mattocracy

Mattocracy — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:52:16 +0000

How much business will the airlines have to lose before they lobby the government to reform the TSA and their ridiculous regulations. Oh wait, they’ll just ask for a bailout.

By: SJE

SJE — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:13:01 +0000

I didn’t see any smugness either. Perhaps a bit too much purple prose, but he made some good points: trying to be fair to the cop but saying he over-reacted. I did like his point that merely passing a law is often meaningless – something you don’t often hear in DC.

By: perlhaqr

perlhaqr — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:24:16 +0000

Well, I know that. I was just wondering if Radley had any sources on the story that we don't, yet.

By: BamBam

BamBam — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:43:10 +0000

#13, it’s called another step towards world government and global control of you.

By: hattio

hattio — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:33:35 +0000

Radley,
Also failing to see the smugness, much less enough smugness that it justifies having a gun pulled on him. Care to elaborate?

By: Mister DNA

Mister DNA — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:18:01 +0000

As soon as I saw the name Mary Grabar, I knew I was in for some comedy gold.

By: Andrew S.

Andrew S. — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:56:19 +0000

#20 | Aresen | December 28th, 2009 at 1:31 pm @ Stephen @ 12:57 If they reglated against stupidity, they’d have to shut down Congress.

I fail to see why that would be a negative consequence.

By: Aresen

Aresen — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:50:50 +0000

One final note on Ms. Grabar’s item:

I am willing to bet that a minimum of 90% of “Marijuana-related deaths” are due to being shot by a LEO.

By: Aresen

Aresen — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:31:42 +0000

@ Stephen @ 12:57

If they reglated against stupidity, they’d have to shut down Congress.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:57:00 +0000

“Libertarians Need to Rethink Support for Drug Legalization”

Ok, rethinking…rethinking some more…

Nope. Still think pot should be legal and that stupidity such as Ms Grabar’s should be regulated.

By: primus

primus — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:25:37 +0000

The guy with the top ten Top Ten Lists mentions his middle name as coming from a famous movie star, and that it is not manly, but he does not give it. My guess is “Marion” which is John Wayne’s real first name. Any other guesses?

By: nicrivera

nicrivera — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:08:15 +0000

If you think the logical fallacies in Grabar’s pro-Drug War article are ridiculous, you ought to read the arguments of those commenters defending her position:

“But adults-only libertarians are closet socialists. They’re anti-liberty, and anti-family.”

Thankfully, most of the commenters are criticizing her position. The other 20% or so are perfect example of the authority-worshipping/liberty-hating mentality of all too many on the political right.

By: Mike Leatherwood

Mike Leatherwood — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:55:58 +0000

From the comment section on the peppermint oil article:

“What kids will do is fill a peppermint oil bottle with toothpicks to soak overnight, and then sell them to other kids. Peppermint can be a low-level stimulant. The school was correct in suspending her. She has to be taught that its wrong to sell things like that in school, and send that message to other kids. If she comes back and does it again, then there’s a real problem with her.”

I just can’t even begin to respond to statements like this. Perhaps soon I will have to sign my name to buy a candy cane, as they’ll be kept behind the pharmacist’s counter…