Another Reason Marijuana Prohibition Won't Win

I was walking back home from the store when I noticed something and thought I should take a picture:
Yes, those are simple plants, growing in the corner between the base of a building and the sidewalk. There isn't much sunlight on this particular block. Beyond that, there isn't much soil for the roots either. As far as a water source, the closest this plant will get is rain water. For most people, this plant shouldn't even exist.

Yet, there it is. Life.

I wonder if the proponents of prohibition understand this level of resilience and strength.

Sure, the building's superintendent will probably scrape out those plants as he cleans up the sidewalk. Law enforcement is no different. They'll scrape out whatever marijuana plants they can find. As both the super and law enforcement know, it's a plant and it'll be back.

Even if you tear up the foundation of the building and tear up the sidewalk, the plant will be back. It's not going anywhere. If you think about it, to get that sidewalk and build that foundation, plants were already destroyed.

That's the marijuana movement folks. We're just like that plant. You feel we don't belong. You feel we should be eliminated. You'll get a few here and there. But, even without the light, without a true foundation, and without a source of food, we're still here. Even if you get every last root, we'll be back with the wind.

70+ years later, we're still here, old plants and new plants. We're all still here.

Nope. Prohibition won't win. You folks simply don't understand the resilience and strength of a plant.

Read More

Marijuana Does NOT Cause Psychosis

So, I've been pretty much inundated with nonsensical articles about marijuana causing psychosis. While many people have set the record straight on this issue in the past, it keeps coming back as some new article. Simply put, someone put together a half-assed study and somehow came to the conclusion that marijuana caused psychosis - schizophrenia, etc.

Well, let's set the record straight again...

No, marijuana does not cause psychosis. This is more prohibitionist, drug war lies to keep marijuana criminalized. They purposely confuse causation and correlation. In other words, does marijuana use cause psychosis or is it the case that people who are predisposed to psychosis seek drugs most likely as a way to cope with their psychosis?

Instead, the authors of articles, most likely inspired by prohibitionists, purposely leave out many facts. For instance, what other factors in their lives may have affected the subjects mentally?

For example, you may see a 65yo man with mental problems claim he's been using marijuana for 20 years. And, that's pretty much all the study took into consideration - marijuana use. Well, what if that 65yo man was a Vietnam War veteran? Wouldn't the hardships of war contribute to a psychosis? What about potential exposure to chemicals used by the military during the Vietnam War such as Agent Orange? How do you factor the possibility that 65yo man's other habits may have included alcohol and cocaine abuse?

These factors are NOT considered in these studies. That is why, many times, these studies are debunked and ignored (yet again).

Yet, prohibitionists pick them up and sensationalize them to make our friends and families seem like they are crazy animals instead of decent human beings. The prohibitionists are losing the war on marijuana and they know it. So, they trot out these old, tired arguments that have been debunked time and time again because for many people, this is new information. As I know, this is not new information nor is it a "new" study.

Even before these studies came about, during prohibition's early days, marijuana was painted as causing psychosis. Documentaries developed in the 30s portrayed marijuana users as everything from out of control young girls to crazed murderers. Law enforcement tried to blame many crimes of that time on marijuana use as is the case with Victor Licata. So, there is a long history dating back to the initial days of prohibition in which law enforcement tries to connect psychosis to marijuana.

The more you educate yourself and educate one another against the misinformation campaign by prohibitionists, we find more and more that marijuana is not the dangerous killer drug that it's made out to be.

Education is legalization.

Enforcement of marijuana prohibition costs American taxpayers approximately $12,000,000,000 (billion) per year (which goes directly into the pockets of prohibitionists). With politicians interested in cutting spending, wouldn't it be nice to cut $12,000,000,000 from the budget by legalizing marijuana? Imagine the tax revenues that can be received if marijuana were legalized in the form of new businesses and jobs that can increase tax revenues across the board.

Law enforcement could also do more to solve real crime instead of wasting their time and tax payer funds on petty marijuana arrests.

Read More

Marijuana: Legalization vs Prohibition and Children

Children as a tool for prohibition

One thing that prohibitionists use to keep marijuana illegal is the fear that legalization will be a danger to children. Children seems to be the door into the heart of a parent. Prohibitionists lie about marijuana's use, effects, and its users. One on side, you have the local, state, and federal authorities who get people to believe that marijuana users are dangerous. On the other side, you have organizations who want you to believe that potheads are lazy, unemployed, losers. In both of these ways, they strike fear into parents about what their children will become if they started using marijuana.

What mother wants to hear that her child will become from raving maniac after using marijuana? What father wants to hear that his son might end up lazy and worthless in the home after trying marijuana? If you're a parent that doesn't know anything about marijuana, you'd play it on the safe side doing what you can to keep your children from using marijuana. It makes sense to me. I'd do the same thing if I were walking in their shoes.

But, the difference between myself and these parents is that I know all about marijuana. I know the good and I know the bad. Although this is not about the safety of marijuana, I'd be foolish to not at least mention this once: Marijuana is safe! The point of this is to present the argument to a parent who believes that marijuana is dangerous.

I prefer to compare prohibition to legalization as it pertains to the safety of children.

Prohibition vs Legalization

We know what prohibition brings us. We're living it. Every year, billions of tax payer funds are spent fighting this war on drugs. Millions of marijuana plants are eradicated every harvest season. Hundreds of thousands of people are arrested and/or incarcerated for anything from a joint to pounds of marijuana. Hundreds of indoor grow ops are torn apart.

That all sounds good. If you pay attention to what law enforcement is doing, you'd feel they were doing a lot. But, how does this all factor into the protection of your children?

Well, if it's fair, we can say that the amount of marijuana that gets into the United States is directly related to the ease of access by your children. The more marijuana in the US, the more available it will be in your area. To get a good idea of how much marijuana gets into the US, we have to look at what law enforcement's eradication efforts really mean as a total of all marijuana. In other words, how much does law enforcement shave off of the total supply? The answer - law enforcement's eradication efforts account for only 5-10% of all the marijuana that gets into the nation. In other words, the remaining inventory of marijuana in the US is about 90% and higher. That means your children have a much better chance of finding marijuana than law enforcement is admitting. The point is that marijuana is free flowing and freely available in the United States.

Anecdotes
The first time I ever tried marijuana was when I was 14. I didn't get high so I didn't think about it again. The next time I smoked marijuana was when I was 16. I got very high but it wasn't something that would stay with me. My friend got that marijuana from a dealer both times. I didn't smoke again until I was 23.

I am now 30 years old. About 3 weeks ago, I was on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, NY. I went into the store with friends to buy cigars (used for rolling marijuana blunts) and the clerk asked me for ID. I found it hilarious. I hadn't been carded in a long time. My friends told me that I still have a baby face. It reminds me of times when I go into ask for an alcoholic drink in a restaurant and the server asks for my ID. They ask for IDs in clubs, bars, and lounges. If it's got an age requirement, they want to see ID.

If you're a parent, like my own parents, my friends' parents and some of my friends now, you know you can not be there all of the time. The best you can do is teach your children right from wrong and hope they don't get into any trouble. But, they do. You were once a child, as I was, and the one thing we did was get into trouble.

The question that I have for parents: When your children are introduced to marijuana, do you want it to be from a dealer on the street or store clerk that will ask for ID?

Think about it.

How many children have you seen walk into a liquor store? Even in regular grocery stores, what are the chances that a baby-faced kid can walk out with a bottle of beer or a pack of cigarettes?

Under legalization, regulation is necessary. That means, the same controls in place for adult items - tobacco, alcohol, pornography - is the same controls that would be placed on marijuana. Chances are it would be sold alongside tobacco products in a tobacco shop. Maybe, marijuana would be sold in grocery stores. The common thread here is that all these locations offer control, more control than what is offered by a dealer on the corner.

Prohibition won't protect your children

Prohibitionists claim that marijuana is dangerous to children. How can they advocate for a system that gives control of such a dangerous substance to criminals? How can they claim that they want to protect children while promoting a black market that don't have a reason to care about children?

You can believe that marijuana is the most dangerous substance in the world. It doesn't matter how you feel about marijuana. What matters is that we protect children. Prohibition didn't protect me then, it doesn't protect your children now, and it won't protect your children tomorrow.

Read More

Don't Fall for Marijuana Legalization War Hype!

So, recently, I've been coming across this article on marijuana forums.

War breaks out within the marijuana legalization movement

Here's my comment to the article on the Examiner site:

This war is fake, made up. It's meant to disrupt and disturb efforts of the marijuana legalization movement with totally outrageous claims and fear mongering.

In my opinion, it sounds more like a government initiated program to disrupt the funding to marijuana legalization efforts of groups like NORML, MPP, and others who've been in the trenches for marijuana legalization for a long time.

It's almost Nixon-like.

Set up a fake "legalization" organization, use the media to get the word out, and then use this org. to dilute funds away from REAL legalization efforts while clawing at the social fabric of the marijuana movement.

The efforts of groups like NORML and MPP seek complete legalization of marijuana and the freedom to smoke at will. Regulation and taxation only occur at the commercial level as is the case with ANY product.

I would hope that people have the sense to read the words of this article and see right through it for what it is - NONSENSE.

Since I have more space, let me point out some problems.

First, let me break down the characters and plot in this fairytale article. First, we have the evil "Cannabusiness Community" - the antagonist. Then, we have their henchmen - NORML, MPP, and DPA. Finally, we have the hero of this tale - MRPP. The plot of the article is that our fabled henchman are driving marijuana policy in such a way that it helps to develop the cannabusiness community. Now that we have the characters and plot set up, let's commence to root out the nonsense.

Who is this "cannabusiness community"?

This community evolved after the first Medical Marijuana Initiative, Proposition 215, gave Californian citizens the right to consume Cannabis in November 2006.

It is comprised of "reform organizations" including the "Marijuana Policy Project," NORML and the "Drug Policy Alliance." It is also comprised of dispensary owners, "Medical Marijuana" growers and distributors of "Medical Marijuana Cards" such as Paul Stanford. And what do they all have in common? They do not want you to ever have the right to grow your own Marijuana: even as an adult.

What is MRPP or MERP?

Simply put, they are the Marijuana Re-Legalization Policy Project run by Bruce W. Cain who is also the author of that fairytale article, go figure. He pushes "his" "MERP" model which is nothing more than Jack Herer's California Cannabis Hemp & Health Initiative minus any plant restrictions.

Even Cain says on his own page

I do fully support Jack Herer's CCHH Initiative for California. This is the only initiative that largely conforms to the MERP Model. The only fly in the ointment is that it restricts the number of self cultivated plants to 100. MERP allows unlimited numbers of self cultivated plants.

By the way, no one knows what "MERP" stands for exactly. I still don't get why it isn't just MRPP. I'll use MRPP to refer to this organization.

So, why is this all nonsense?

It's nonsense because all of it is unfounded. Think about it. What medical marijuana dispensaries have a problem with the legalization of marijuana? Last time I checked, the DEA was busy shutting down these dispensaries. Marijuana legalization would keep these businesses open and operating. As it stands, they are targets of the prohibitionists. Legalization is the goal of NORML, MPP, and the DPA.

NORML's mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty. [link]

Because MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana is prison, we focus on removing criminal penalties for marijuana use, with a particular emphasis on making marijuana medically available to seriously ill people who have the approval of their doctors. [link]

The Drug Policy Alliance Network (DPA Network) is the nation's leading organization promoting policy alternatives to the drug war that are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights. [link]

The Real Problem: Bruce W. Cain.

He creates this illusion of conflict by trying to make us believe that these organizations are somehow working against legalization efforts. He misconstrues the concept of medical marijuana as the end all to the marijuana movement. In his mind, he believes this "cannabusiness community" is somehow driving all of the marijuana policies to create this quasi-legal atmosphere where marijuana prices can remain high thus preserving profits.

It's delusional at best.

What really pisses me off?

The thing that truly pisses me off comes towards the end of the fairytale article.

Withdraw all financial support to NORML, DPA, MPP and the rest of the Cannabusiness community.

First of all, the so-called cannabusiness community desires legalization because they desire openness and profit at the same time. They don't get charity. Even Cain admits, they make "literally millions of dollars each year". Even if that's a call to stop buying from them, how else are people going to get their medicine - go back to the black market?

At the same time, NORML, MPP, and the DPA get their funds from donations. In my opinion, they're doing an awesome job with those donations in this current sociopolitical climate.

Gaining Perspective

Prohibition is the problem. I am sure we can all agree to that. Prohibition is what's causing the high price of marijuana. I don't think anybody can disagree with that. Folks like Jack Herer and Dennis Peron along with groups like NORML, MPP, and the DPA have been promoting legalization for a long time with success.

Raw legalization is not going happen and it's not going to happen overnight.

Unfortunately, we live in a nation where common sense and intelligence are NOT prized, obviously. We live in a nation where money and greed rule supreme. The man with the brilliant mind is only as useful as the amount of money his ideas generate not the benefit those ideas may bring to the people. And unfortunately, we have to operate within that environment.

That means we have to play that game.

To get legalization of marijuana, we'll have to make it sweet to the people while at the same time making prohibition bitter. The great thing about that struggle is that all we need is to promote the truth. Marijuana prohibition was founded on and perpetuated through myths and lies since 1936. It is one of the largest drains on taxpayers, soaking up billions every year. It is the most socially devastating policy that promotes arresting and incarcerating millions of people who most likely wouldn't hurt a fly.

Now, is not the time to weaken these organizations by diluting their funding to other non-organizations like MRPP whose ideas for legalization belong to someone else and whose ability to confront prohibition is nonexistent.

Why I compare this article to a government ploy?

When I read some of the misinformation and unfounded delusions in that fairytale article, all I can hear is the propaganda during the Civil Rights movement. The US government, during that time, was guilty of wiretapping various leaders of the Black community. They were responsible for flooding Black communities with crack cocaine. The government lead major propaganda campaigns to demonize and discredit Civil Rights leaders. It was an ugly time.

I know that the legalization efforts of NORML, MPP, and the DPA are working - slowly, but surely. Prohibition rhetoric is at all time high. The people who benefit from prohibition - local, state, federal authorities and criminals - don't want prohibition to end. The Byrne Grant Program provides too much funding to authorities and they're addicted to the money. They're addicted to having people believe they're heroes. Busting potheads is just too easy. And, the criminals appreciate the ability to markup prices due to high risks.

But, the truth prevails so that rhetoric promoting prohibition is NOT working. Besides, the prohibitionists contradict themselves constantly. For example, why does it take a SWAT team to arrest a pothead when potheads are shown in ads to be lazy, weak, etc. Do you really need a 7-man paramilitary force to put a pothead like that in prison? DOUBTFUL.

So, what's a good tactic for prohibitionists?

Dig into the old playbook. Disrupt the marijuana legalization movement from within. Sabotage and espionage are the tools of war. The greatest defense is to simply seek the truth and not fall for the nonsense from a guy like Bruce W. Cain, the Freeway Ricky Ross of the marijuana movement.

DO NOT SMOKE HIS CRACK!!

Read More

Searching the United States of Anthony

If you run your own website...

...you most likely have some sort of metrics to see how your site is performing. One of the things I look at is specifically how people end up at the United States of Anthony. Just as anyone has found a site, others have found my site by doing a search. I can see what search terms they used to end up at the blog.

I want to address those search terms..

"marijuana levels"

Yes folks, that's a search term. I would guess someone is doing research on the level of THC in marijuana, probably. They ended up at Grinders & Glass: Four Levels of Marijuana Smokers which is more about the "grade" of marijuana user from the newbie to the professional.

If you're looking for levels of THC, I believe Skunk is the highest with 20% tested by independent researchers in Amsterdam (I think). Police in the US would have you believe the highest recorded was 35%. It's not true, not from a plant. Hash on the other hand can be as pure as 99% in the form of bubble hash. But, expect about 70% if you're not making it yourself.

"sweet bitch girl"

I guess it's pretty obvious what this person was searching for. Actually, it isn't! LOL. I hope they found whatever it was by clicking on Sweet Bitch Slap to Local Police which refers to a Supreme Court case in which local California police tried to play federal agent by snitching on a marijuana dispensary that was operating legally in California.

The local police don't like it when you compete with them for any kind of drug dealing. What? You think they care about the people? HA!

"dirty cops"

Well this is obvious. They found just what they were looking for at Stupid Dirty Cops Got Caught which is when former #1 Texas drug cop Barry Cooper caught Odessa, TX police lying on search warrants... AGAIN!

"is marijuana listed as more dangerous than cocaine?"

Oh yeah this person must have read my blog already or got word from someone else because they landed right on DEA thinks cocaine is safer than marijuana! which they do. Read the post for yourself. I think I make some completely valid points about twisted and wrong Controlled Substances Act of 1970.

"marijuana economy boost"

People are still reading up on this one. We're all big on the economy right now and marijuana as a savior is a hot topic. If someone thinks marijuana will boost the economy, I am sorry to burst your bubble with Reality Check: Marijuana won't boost economy. A little common sense goes a long way.

"apple sucks"

You would be surprised at how many times that actual search term shows up in a given hour. I count 4 "apple sucks" in the last 18 hours and they all click on Oh so that's why Apple sucks.. which just pokes fun at Steve Jobs. I hope he's ok tho.

"used Dristan nose hurts"

Hey everyone gets sick including the President. And, we all have our stuffy nose remedies. But, some people don't have a problem getting more advice so they land on Pres. Anthony Severly Stuffy Nose Advice. Unfortunately, this person probably used entirely too much Dristan at one time which is why they are looking up that pain. I've been there. Yes, it burns the hell out of your sinuses if you use too much. Get well soon!

"how much weed can i expect from a 12 inch marijuana plant"

Surprisingly, search terms like this lead to the United States of Anthony all the time. Those people end up looking at Growing Marijuana: Managing Small Plants. Truth is, a lot of people are interested in growing marijuana. However, they want to do it safely. Safely means not having some sissy with a gun and a badge breaking down your door with his girlfriends.

So, having small plants, under 2 feet tall, is the way to go for many people. But, it's not easy growing small plants. To answer the question, expect only a few grams at the most from a 12 incher. However, with the current grow methods (supercropping), you'll be pulling ounces out of that small grow box.

Read More

Police Corruption: Victims R Us

Are Black and Hispanic folks safe?

White folks have it easy?

What about news reporters, women, children???

Things are much easier around the world, I bet.

The Cost of Bad Police Policy

This just really shows that it's never going to matter how much money is involved or the training given, police are bad for one reason: they're allowed to get away with it. And, even if they don't fully get away with it, very few actually will do any time in jail for the crimes they commit against innocent people. As long as they're protected, the people remain unprotected and we all deserve equal protection under the law.

And, who gets the bill when police officers get a slap on the wrist? Do you think police departments have "Oops We Hurt/Killed Another Citizen" insurance plan? Yes they do actually. That's what the tax payers are for, you and me. Every time you hear about a court case against a police officer, think about the funds it takes to prosecute/defend that criminal cop. That's some number of potholes the streets could fill. Think about all of the cases settled for five- and six-figures. That money represents the teachers we could hire, in quality and quantity, books for school, and music and arts programs. Now think about all of the seven- and eight-figure settlements. Cities could easily support new infrastructure programs, create more jobs, help strengthen the economy. Think about the toll on society as even decent law abiding citizens are more frightened of police than the criminals they're supposed to catch because they're one and the same.

Read More

Not Prostitution, Solution!

The Conundrum

Let's get real folks. When men "date", they're rarely ever interested in anything but sex. Think about it. At what point is a man attracted to a woman? The first time her sees her. Women are absolutely no different. They see a man and they're either attracted or not. It's all visual cues. It's not as if there's an "employment" website for dating where you look at people's "resumes" to decide if they'd be a good fit in your life. Pictures get the most responses for a reason. The point is that it's not a mental decision nor even a decision of the heart to want to date someone. It's a genital decision. And, that goes for all of us.

Of course, as time goes by, you get a chance to develop that mental attraction and potentially develop a loving relationship. In the long run, that's all we want anyway. However, in the short term, we want sex, great sex, and we want it without the hassle.

We're All Whores Anyway

When it comes to men, sex is not really an issue. We see it, we like it, we hump it. That's it. There's no deciphering of code or complex social structures. Just give up the booty. Although women have sex on their minds just as much as men, they want to put the man through trials and tribulations. You've got to go out on dates, get to know each other, and so on. Usually for most women, three to five dates, if you can make it that far, gets you in the bed. Of course, some women have different, stricter rules - time periods or marriage.

The truth of the matter is that while most men come cheap, most women simply have a higher price. The question we need to know is what's that price? Many women will give it up for the money, no problem. But, we, as men, have this view that we shouldn't have to pay for it. Yet, we do pay for it. In fact, we pay for it all the time. Even pimps have to invest time and money into a potential whore before her can turn her, so to speak. Very rarely do we get into situations where we can just grab a woman and bring her home for sex. That's kidnapping and rape in many areas around the world (except the Middle East, or so it seems). So, unfortunately for most men and their egos, we're all tricking anyway! We've been tricking since five-cattle dowries.

The point is to stop putting up the act as if you're not and let's come up with a viable solution for everyone.

Solution: Pay her price

Since most men already come cheap, we don't really have to worry about paying a man's price. It's really all about a woman's price. Depending on the woman and her dating, or get sex, policy, the prices may fluctuate.

For example, take a hood rat who insists on three to five dates before she gives up the goods to anyone. She's probably used to McDonald's and cheap Hennessey. Maybe she'll request Red Lobster or Olive Garden, a chain restaurant, since those are typical upper crust restaurants to a hood rat. And, we've got to take her to the movies or something. We could price a full date with a hood rat to be in the range of $30 to $90. Now, if you subtract the costs of time, travel, and managing yourself, a hood rat would cost you a minimum of $50 to a maximum of $200.

Let's break this down further. Minimum, you're spending about $15 for McDonald's and another $15 for fifth of Hennessey. That's $30. Subtract your own personal costs and what you actually give to her is about $15. Over three to five dates, she gets about $45 to $75. Throw in an extra $5 for tip and that's how we come to the magical price. Maximum, you go for the movie and chain restaurant. In New York City, we're talking $35 for the movie and $50 for the dinner. That's $85 per date, $255 for three dates and $425 for five dates. Now, cut that in half and you get about $120 to $200. Throw in an extra $5 for tip. There you go.

I Figure...

You can save yourself some time over the next 30 days if she just offers a price for full blown sex in that price range. She can use that money to buy groceries, shoes, pay her rent and so on. It would make sense to throttle the price according to actual skill and service performed. What if I just wanted a blow job? A guy shouldn't have to pay the full blown sex price for some head.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, of course! There are definitely some men who some women go crazy over, like porn stars. I think women should pay men if they're sought. It's all about who wants what from whom. What do you folks think? What kind of man or woman are you? What's your price?

I figure, depending on the woman, I'd mostly be free of charge. LOL.

Read More

Legal Marijuana Industry: From Seed to Ash

Old ideas die as new ideas are born

As many more people come to their senses in regards to marijuana policy, states run into problems with how to handle and manage marijuana through cultivation, harvesting, distribution, taxation, and usage. For example, in Massachusetts, the police are actually crying about how to proceed with the change in laws mostly because they don't want to enforce common sense drug policy [link]. Therefore, I wanted to basically develop a simple framework that may help states now and the whole US in the future in developing common sense business model for a lucrative marijuana industry.

FYI: Medical Marijuana
I won't be saying much on how to pursue a business model in regards to medical marijuana. I think it's just a small speed bump in the way of total legalization. The problem with medical marijuana is that doctors don't fully understand marijuana nor do they know how to prescribe it. They may prescribe too much or not enough.

On top of that, medical marijuana does not do anything to address the criminal/black market aspect that the USA's prohibition has created. As long as marijuana isn't free to purchase legally, it will always be a thorn in the side of this nation, placed by Uncle Sam. It needs to be eliminated from the Controlled Substances Act altogether. As long as the arrogance and ignorance of the baby boomer generation have a strangle hold on American society, we won't see that happen anytime soon.

So, I continue this model with the idea in mind that marijuana is 100% legal much like the more fatally harmful alcohol and tobacco industry.

Let's Go: Supply and "Manufacturing"

Every industry needs suppliers. The Marijuana Industry is no different, obviously. So, who will be our suppliers. Well, in the marijuana world, we call them growers. But, in the regular world, they'd be considered farmers. Just as much of the great lands of America is used for farming, it can be used for growing marijuana. If farmers don't want to grow good marijuana, there are many nations around the globe that are very much willing to take their place. South Africa, Mexico, and Vietnam are just a few places that can grow good marijuana although Mexican quality tends to be lacking. However, when competition becomes an issue, I would easily bet that Mexico will step their game up in a big way.

Regulations
We really don't want another meat packing industry fiasco of so many decades ago. And, we definitely don't want the "1,001" chemicals the tobacco industry uses to cure their goods either. Look what's happening in China - lead in toys, melamine in milk, antifreeze in toothpaste. So, I think it'd be intelligent to have common sense regulations on how marijuana is grown, harvested, dried, cured, and packaged in the safest way possible for people in general and the environment. That is, stay away from unnecessary chemicals AND allow for warnings on the package is chemicals were used.

We marijuana smokers appreciate the safety of marijuana. We'd like to keep it that way.

Distribution: Planes, Trains, Boats, Automobiles

Distribution is simple. We've just got to figure out how to get prepared marijuana into the hands of the consumers demanding it. Honestly, there's really no need for any special consideration outside of what's already in place for the distribution of alcohol and tobacco.

Consumers can go to their favorite stores, or head shops. Buy what you want much like going to a liquor store or "ye olde smoke shoppe" and so on. Honestly, we don't really need to devise any new plans. Take a stroll in the village and visit the many head shops that already exist. All they would need to do is clear out some inventory to make room for all the marijuana that store will buy.

Nat Sherman [link]
If you're in NYC, check out Nat Sherman on the corner of 42nd Street and 6th Ave across from the NY Public Library and Bryant Park. It's a very nice tobacco shop. They sell cigars , special cigarettes, and loose tobacco in large jars among other things. They have very good items in stock for the tobacco fan (and marijuana connoisseur). In my opinion, Nat Sherman is very classy, somewhat upscale, yet very inviting. If marijuana were legal, I'd model my head shop after Nat Sherman.

Law Enforcement: Shut Up and Do Your Damn Job

Hey, laws are changing everyday. The burden on police officers is real. However, with marijuana legalization and regulation, the police have a burden lifted off of their shoulders much like the activist group, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) prefers. Unfortunately, too many police officers complain about the changing laws. Why complain about a change in the law that will alleviate problems all around? It really all comes down to the psyche of those that are police officers. They like raiding homes, beating up "bad guys", and having free reign of the city.

Marijuana is one of those substances that easy to find on a person, especially those who don't hide it well. Most importantly, marijuana users are too stoned to put up a fight. That's why police officers target marijuana users. Ask any officer willing to be honest. They'll tell you, they prefer to pick up potheads because potheads don't walk around with weapons and don't act crazy like drunks and meth/coke/heroin addicts. Also, it looks good as far as numbers are concerned. Officers quickly say how many people they arrested but we never know the details of that arrest.

Let's be honest, would you have more respect for a police officer who caught 5 rapists and 10 murderers or the guy that arrested 200 potheads? What's sad is the time it takes to book 1 pothead is the same time it takes to book 1 rapist. Police are racking up massive overtime hours on meaningless small time marijuana possession arrests, a burden on taxpayers to say the least. Now that the law has changed, they can't go crazy on an adrenaline rush, much like a heroin rush, busting down doors and arresting people for simple possession. Furthermore, they have to deal with REAL criminals now.

"We Card" [link]
That's the program that was put into place dictating to people buying alcohol or tobacco that the establishment expects to see identification regardless of what you look like. So, just as a 5yo child is supposed to be carded, so would a 105yo adult. There are already regulations in place for that.

It's much better than Billy selling to your child in the cul-de-sac. And, there are a million Billies out there selling all kinds of drugs and they don't even offer the promise that they'll card your kid. Which program would you prefer, in the interest of protecting the community, of course?

Pricing and Taxation: Be Easy

First of all, marijuana is cheap.. well.. cheap if it were legal. The prices attached to marijuana today are severely inflated due to prohibition. There is more of a risk to providing marijuana, therefore the price has gone up considerably. However, the prices would drop tremendously once legalized as marijuana coming from other nations around the world already carry incredibly low prices direct from the grower. Let's be honest, the only reason to keep marijuana illegal is the enormously inflated profit margin. At any rate, I could easily see marijuana having prices equal to that of cigarettes.

Unfortunately, I also see marijuana being taxed heavily. I'd advise against very high taxes. There is still a very strong underground marijuana market. If the United States continues this policy of prohibition, the future of marijuana will become small personal grows in millions of households in the United States making it unnecessary for the many large farms that pop up and more difficult for the justice system to handle. If taxes are so high that it creates a defacto prohibition, the United States will create another black market and not meet the income tax potential of a legal marijuana industry.

Case Study: NYC and cigarette taxes
Mayor after mayor has seen it fit to tax cigarettes viciously. While sales have gone down, a black market was created and their sales have gone up. Walk around the streets of NYC and listen. There are guys selling packs of cigarettes for about $4 to $5. And, it's very much illegal to do so. People have friends or family in other states buy cartons of cigarettes and mail them to addreses in NYC.

There's a whole supply/demand and distrubution system in place for low cost cigarettes and NYC loses out on that potential tax revenue. Furthermore, the cost to the city is increased due to arresting and detaining these individuals. So, any benefit created from higher taxes on cigarettes is immediately nullified.

Conclusion: Society won't change in the long run

The truth of the situation is that marijuana can be legal tomorrow and the only problem it would cause is possibly a few months of joyful smoking in public. I know that's what I will be doing. And, I won't say that marijuana will heal the economy or do something epic. But, it will relieve a lot of the problems caused by prohibition, introduce a safer alternative to alcohol and tobacco, and support a hemp-based industry that can provide raw materials to many other industries.

And, that is a lot better than what we're doing now.

I look forward to a greener future.

Read More

I am not Mr. Pothead

Intro

It's funny how people act or react when they find out someone else is involved with marijuana. People who were once glorified in their respective professions, awarded for their accomplishments, turn into thugs and criminals over night.

• A doctor who prescribes marijuana to patients becomes a drug dealer.
• A police officer joins LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) and becomes a traitor.
• A teen is caught smoking a joint and becomes a junkie.
• A longtime friend admits marijuana use and becomes an outcast.
  

A society that once saw a hero, now sees a villain. Something is wrong this picture.

President Anthony is not Mr. Pothead

I'll use myself as an example. I have been smoking marijuana for about 6 years now. While many people know, many don't know. But, when they do find out, a lot changes. I am no longer a simple person anymore. I am whatever I was before plus the term "pothead", almost like a last name. Before, I was cute, educated, smart, and many other things. Today, to those so-called friends, I am a cute pothead, educated pothead, and a smart pothead.

It's not so much the "pothead" that bothers me. Yes, I am a pothead.. well.. a marijuana connoisseur better describes me. But, it's that arrogant derogatory usage that gets to me when non-marijuana users use it. It's like being called "black" by a completely up-turned nose white person. Most darker skin folks understand what I mean as they've most likely experienced the usage toward them. You can almost sense the arrogance in the tone and that they think less of you.

The truth...

...is that there's nothing that person can do or say to make things better because it's not the terms they use but the way in which they used those terms that does the damage. And the damage multiplier is when it comes from a longtime friend/family or client or patient or coworker. This person knows you. They never could discern the difference when you were high or sober - driving, talking, walking, gaming, etc. I always find it HILARIOUS when those cancer smoking and alcohol drinking friends accuse me of being high when I hadn't smoked anything in more than a week. But, now they KNOW more about you, you've become Mr. or Ms. Pothead.

So, the question then becomes, what changed?

Yes, I am okay.

I didn't change. I am still me. Just yesterday, we were doing this and doing that. You didn't know I was high. For years, you never knew I was high. You never even thought anything was strange with me. All of a sudden, you're cutting your eye at me. You're treating me different. You're asking if I am okay. I have been just as okay as you've known me for the past six years when you never knew I smoked marijuana. Why should my current state of well being be questioned now? Why should it be questioned when I wasn't even smoking anything?

In fact, I am NOT okay. I am actually very sober and I NEED to get high just so that I can tolerate your NEW bullshit.

Silver Lining

Eventually, people grow up. Look at the United States. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act included marijuana as a Schedule I narcotic. Thirty years later, marijuana has been decriminalized in many states and 14 states have medical marijuana laws. The more friends get to see you high, the more they realize that marijuana is not some evil addictive narcotic. I won't glorify marijuana. But, there's a reason more and more people are smoking marijuana today. There's a reason for the state-by-state change in marijuana policy. There's a reason why quite a few of my friends seem to be coming out of the closet.

It's because many of us potheads have put up with the bullshit long enough that others can stop acting like complete idiots, adjust their arrogance, alleviate their ignorance, and even move toward actually smoking with you instead of looking down on you.

Read More

Running With The Devil

At the bottom, people fight for everything and anything is worth your life. At the top, in government and business, there are forbidden words for how people get things done: spy, espionage, sabotage. All the masses in between vie for a piece of the pie in some way: backstabbing, theft, sex, deceit, nepotism and favoritism, libel, malice, cheating.

It's a dog eat dog world. Sometimes we have to run with the devil.

What's that mean? How do you run with the devil?

Simply put, running with the devil is when you do bad things with selfish intent. Sometimes we face choices or obstacles that are difficult to solve. So, you take the easy way out. You know it's wrong but you do it anyway. You sell a little bit of your self and your soul to get ahead. It's not quite a full selling out which is why I call it running with devil.

How far can we run with the devil before we've sold out?

There comes a point in time when it all comes to a head; it's ready to burst. There's only so much you can do or take in this world, a limit to everything. Eventually it all catches up with you. You've been running with the devil for a long time now.

The boss finds out you've been taking credit for ideas that aren't your own. Your wife gets a phone call from your recently pregnant girlfriend. The police caught you with a kilo of powder cocaine. You've told a man he's the father of your children. The accountant has caught you stealing money. You violently assaulted an already handcuffed suspect.

And, there's that point. The devil wants his payback and you will pay. He won't run with you anymore. You've got two options: sell your soul or let the devil take that bite.

What if you sell your soul? You come up with the ultimate solution that will in some way preserve your current happiness. What if you let the devil take his bite? You face your demons and you accept whatever fate the future holds.

We all run with the devil in some way. The only issue is how much running can you do before the devil wants a return on his investment.

For those who run hard, keep running hard and good luck.
For those who run medium, let the devil bite and try to be happy.
For those who run soft, play your cards smart and don't push your luck.
For those who don't run at all, I feel sorry for you because you're only lying to yourself.

Read More

Only "Mexicans or Puerto Ricans" allowed

Read More

Wakeup: Back to Reagan's Drug War

In this war on drugs, there is one question that every poor Black and Hispanic person in the inner city - the dealers, the users, and the innocent bystanders - wants answered, "How do these substances get into our neighborhood?"

This question comes about because there is a disconnect in the flow of drugs. For example, if you wanted to track how a car got into your neighborhood, you can track it from the manufacturer through the distribution system - trucks, trains, planes, and car salesmen - into the hands of the owner. However, when it comes to drugs we don't know the distribution system. The one question that always comes up is, "if the US government wants to stop the flow of drugs, why don't they go after the manufacturers instead of the low-level dealers?"

The answer: The US government IS the distribution system that facilitates the flow of crack, cocaine, and heroin into the nation and the inner city.

I know it all sounds like a conspiracy theory - "Oh, the big dangerous government is out to get us!" Sure, it sounds crazy. Unfortunately, it's so crazy that it's true. Listen to former DEA agent Celerino Castillo tell you about his experiences in Central and South America. It's a two part video, about an hour long total.

Folks, it's important to understand that this is NOT coming from the mouth of some paranoid crackhead. This is from the mouth of a man who was IN it all. Here are the video interview of former DEA agent Celerino Castillo:

The one thing that stood out to me before the end of the second video is that Mr. Castillo confirmed the fears that I had about heroin production in Afghanistan. I watched news reports that the US military wouldn't destroy poppy fields as they showed clips of US soldiers walking through. The one thing I knew about the Taliban in Afghanistan, they are staunch Muslims. They fought drug dealers in Afghanistan and punished them harshly with death. All of a sudden, the US comes starts the War on Terror and Afghanistan is now producing 90% of the world's heroin.

Folks, this is NOT Usher and Tameka getting a divorce. This is NOT some celebrity sex tape. This is NOT the latest Hip Hop beef. This is the Reagan era revisited. This is the crack/cocaine/heroin epidemic. This is high levels of unemployment and depressed individuals looking for an escape. This is blood-stained sidewalks and kids dying over cheap gold chains and nice sneakers. This is what I remember from the 80s under two terms of Ronald Reagan and one term of George HW Bush. We're going back to these times thanks to two terms of George W. Bush.

The only thing that's truly going to save our communities is the will to resist. We've got to be reminded of the harm done to us by this fake war on drugs. We have to be stronger than our parents were during the 80s. We have to make sure to NOT succumb to the ease of drug money and NOT look for escape in substances. This shit is coming to our doorsteps. The best thing we can do is be prepared.

Read More

Why I know OJ didn't kill anyone!

A lot of people are seeing OJ Simpson's guilty conviction as vindication for the previous murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her lover, Ron Goldman, in which he was acquitted. But, we have to realize something at this point in time.

OJ Simpson is an IDIOT.

Think about it folks. Look at the murders of his wife and her lover. Sure, he had motive. She was cheating on him. However, take a look at the crime scene. It was CLEAN. The real murderer left a mess but it was clean and neat in the sense that there was no evidence left as to who actually did it. Now, does OJ Simpson seem like the kind of person who could pull off a double homicide and not leave any evidence? Hell no! Why?

OJ Simpson is an IDIOT.

Let's look at OJ Simpson's past. He's a wifebeater. He beats the women that he's with. He's no calculated, premeditated killer. If he was going to actually kill a woman, it'd be a messy hands-on act of rage. That's what wifebeaters do. They get angry, angry enough to NOT think about what they're going to do next. If OJ Simpson caught his woman with Ron, Joe, Bob, or whoever, he wouldn't plan out some elaborate attack. He'd pitch a fit and jump on them right there on the spot. Why?

OJ Simpson is an ANGRY IDIOT.

He's not going to go get a pair of leather gloves that don't fit, wait in the rose bushes, and attack someone. That's too smart for OJ Simpson. This is a guy who called up his friends and planned a robbery without them knowing it. This is a guy who wasn't smart enough to leave the country knowing that this nation was out to get him. So, yeah, OJ Simpson may have committed the robbery but I know he didn't kill anyone. Why?

OJ Simpson is an IDIOT.

Read More

How NOT to go on a date!

I tell her, "I'll pick you up at 10. The movie starts at 10:30pm."

I arrive at her place at around 9:50pm. I call her to let her know that I am outside waiting for her. Of course, she needs a few more minutes to "make her hair look like something"

No problem.

It's 10:10. A police car passes. I text the hoodrat: "Hurry up. Cop just passed. Bet they fuck with me." Within 1 minute, the police car comes, all lights go on high beam. It's a tactic they use so they can see better as well as blind the other person just in case they want to play dirty. I know the rules, I have my information ready and my game face on. But, I can't help but laugh at the typical situation. They check my ID and leave.

It's 10:15. I think, "What is this chick doing? We're going to be late to the movie."
Text: What's taking you so long?
She responds: I'm fixing my hair.
Text: How long is it taking for you to fix your hair?
No response.
I think I wanna go back home because this chick is seriously wasting my time. But, I ain't doing shit anyway so I'll just chill.

It's 10:30. She finally comes out. She's on the phone and her hair looks like shit but I don't say anything about anything. I get out to greet her, open the door for her, etc etc etc. She doesn't get off the phone for about 10 minutes.

I fly up the parkway to get to the theater. Conversation was decent.

It's 10:50. We get to the concessions stand.
I think, "Reese's Pieces and slushie." It's not really a thought. It's what I always get. I ask her if she wants anything. It turns out to be a mistake. She looks at the menu for what seems like an eternity and moans, "Let me get a pizza." I think, "Bitch tryin to get a meal out the movies?"

"You can't have pizza," says the clerk. "The oven is off." She whines, "Oh come on. Can't you turn it on for me!" I say, "The movie has already started, choose something!" She looks at the menu for what seems like another eternity, "Gimme nachos." I think, "Hungry bitch! Get some candy!"

I pay and we make our way to our seats. Of course, the movie has started. Being that the theater was empty, I pick the middle of the second row from the back. She screeches, "I don't wanna sit there!" At this point, I am pretty much fed up. I start watching the movie, take a pull on my slushie, and tell her, "Ok, sit where you want to sit." No, I didn't sit somewhere else. I thought about it though.

Finally we're situated in our seats. Candy is open. Nachos are prepared. Slushies are actively being drained. She starts talking. At first, it's light conversation. Then I find out, she's one of those... those.. TALKERS. She's not just talking, she's discussing shit. I try to ignore. She's still talking. I try selective conversation whereby I try to control the flow of conversation by interrupting her during active scenes but re-engaging her during quiet scenes such as travel scenes and so on. I made this technique up on the spot. IT DID NOT WORK. She continued talking. I gave up and went back to ignoring her.

Although, I do believe the selective conversation technique would work on normal people who talk, it is NOT hoodrat proof.

About 20 minutes towards the end of the movie, a guy, most likely a theater employee, can be heard opening a bag of candy behind us. While it didn't bother me, my date sprang into action in the loudest possible whisper, "Why he gotta be opening his bag all loud like that for?" In my mind, all I hear is Flava Flav say, "WOOOOOOOW!" Within a few seconds, the guy is successful in opening his candy and my date turns back around to not only watch the movie but CONTINUE TALKING.

Great, the movie is over. I am ready to take her ass home. But, she must use the bathroom. No problem. A lot of people use the bathroom after the movie. That's what it's there for. What can go wrong?

"Can you hold my cup?" She hands me the cup. Noticing there's not much left in it, I ask. "Want me to just throw it out?" Sure, I knew she asked me to hold it. But, why am I holding a cup with nothing in it? I am allergic to doing dumb shit for other people. She says, "Oh no. There's something in it. I want to let it melt so I can get it."

This is usually one of those moments where you hope your face doesn't show exactly what you're feeling.

I go sit down on the bench. There's only three other people waiting with me. One person comes out and then another. Now, I am the only person left waiting. Then, I feel this shiver crawl up my shoulder and back. It really annoys me. I can feel someone staring at me. I think, "What's taking this chick so long?" I turn my head to face the bathroom and there she is standing there with this stupid smile on her face. I am thoroughly freaked out and annoyed. I just want to know what she's doing there eyeballing me like that.

I ask, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
She says, "I wanted to see who you were talking to on the phone."
I am confused.
I ask, "What makes you think I was on the phone?"
As she's walking over, she leans in and taps the bluetooth piece in my ear.
I say, "It's a bluetooth earpiece. It goes in your ear."
She says, "I heard voice outside of the bathroom."
I say, "Ummm, there were other people out here."

I finally get to drive her home.

In hindsight, I should have known it was going to be bad when the cops showed up. It's always a bad omen for Black people when the police show up. I should have just went home.

We did talk again after the date. She asked me, "what are we doing on the second date?" In my way to rebuke this demon, I said, "we'll figure it out when we get to it!" She said, "we are to it now!" I manipulated a series of fights with her, based on the truth. I don't talk to her anymore.

Read More

Women are just too damn picky...

So, as I was twittering away, one of my blog buddies, the great and popular Raw Dawg Buffalo asked me to respond to his recent post: She gotta give me my ax. You go read it.

Here is my response (edited and amended):

I think it comes from a high school mentality that women never quite shed. From middle school to high school young women develop these specific desires as they get crushes on boys, teachers, actors, musicians, and so on.

Then they talk about breaking men apart to create their perfect man. "I want his eyes, but his lips... ooo ooo ooo and his muscles...." And, we are all guilty of breaking up the opposite gender to create the perfect partner. But honestly, I think women hold on to that "perfect man" like it's the last cup of water on earth.

Most men don't have this problem. We get rejected so often, at some point we settle. Usually the first settlement is a bad idea forcing us onto two paths: sexual/any women or the right woman. Personally, I am on the "right woman" path.

Back to women...

Ask any woman, no matter their age, to describe their ideal man in high school. They will remember. Then ask, how has that ideal changed since high school. We'll find that it generally hasn't changed at all. They still want the same things.

Unfortunately, there's no such thing as the perfect man. There's a right man but he's not going to be perfect. And, when women have spent some 20 years getting bad men, rejecting good men, and scaring off great men, they settle for the exact opposite of what they wanted in the first place - some short, bald, fat, short-dick retard that they don't have to do much with - because that biologial clock isn't just ticking. The alarm has sounded.

Read More

Big Brother Works Both Ways

The minute we're born, the doctor slaps our little bottoms and the nurse enters our information into a computer database. This is something that we have to accept in this digital world. Let's call it the Matrix. Yes, I like that, too. At any point in time, our entire lives can be opened like a book or a computer folder. Everything that we were, are, and will become exists in this folder and its subfolders on computers around the world. All it takes is for someone to compile this information to get a detailed view of who and what we are.

This is the "Big Brother" that we've all talked about - someone is always watching and always listening. This is the very purpose of Bush's unwarranted wiretapping on American citizens. Every step we take is tracked - cellphone, email, computer, internet, credit cards, etc etc etc. Every letter I type in this very blog post is dynamically screened to weed out for specific words - bomb, kill, anthrax, suicide, allah, islam, bush, and so on. In fact, I may have just set off some red flags in Dick Cheney's basement.

But, today, I read something that gives me some comfort.

Sarah Palin had her email accounts hacked. Politically, this didn't reveal much so far. It seems these were just personal email accounts that she may have used for government business. Of course, this leads to other potential implications of wrongdoing. Pastebin, Wikileaks and Gawker all have something related to Sarah Palin's email being hacked which you can see for yourself - screenshots, pictures, emails. But, that's not what this post is about although it's a strong example.

See, a group, or pseudo-group, of hackers known as Anonymous did the dirty work of breaking into Sarah Palin's email. It gives me comfort because it lets me realize that there is someone out there, a group of someones, with the ability to fight fire with fire. It's similar to the slaughter of the Native Americans as they tried to fight gunpowder and spheres made of metal with bows and arrows made from wood.

We live in a true Matrix and we've got to be able to fight back digitally. We, the people, need hackers as the government has hackers and as corporations have hackers that can be, will be, and have been used against us. This hacking lets me know that not even government officials are safe from the system they've developed. There is always someone out there watching and listening. And, those kinds of individuals exist on both teams.

However, I do fear, as an ordinary individual, that this loose group of digitally savvy individuals has no set conscience, rules, ethics, or laws. But, that is the nature of those that live in secrecy. We have to trust that there is some good and hope that there is more good than bad.

Update: Please be sure to check out the comments to this post by "Anonymous". The name doesn't imply that it is a representative of the group Anonymous. The name only shows up because the person didn't identify themselves. But, it's important to get a better understanding of the positive value of hackers from a true hacker's perspective.

Read More

We Are Always On Trial

I had a conversation with a friend of mine the other night. It really made me think about how I treat my friends and even my family. The conversation started when my friend felt that I would scrutinize her too much. I didn't disagree with her. In fact, I admitted, rightly so, that I did and I would continue to do so. Of course, any normal person would feel somewhat offended at constantly being scrutinized. However, the reality of the world is that we're always scrutinized all of the time. Every single time we are seen and by every single person, we will all be scrutinized in some way shape or form.

Anyway, my friend felt that my scrutinizing lead me to making judgments that may not be entirely fair. I understood but I saw it differently. Here's the conversation:

Anthony Taurus: judgments are based on evidence you have
AT: given new evidence, judgments can change
JG: lol@ new evidence ...like its a trial
AT: it is a trial
AT: what you do and say can and will be held against
AT: so watch your mouth and watch your step
JG: what am i on trial for ?
AT: friendship
AT: trust
AT: relationship
AT: etc etc etc
AT: we're all always on trial
JG: interesting....
JG: i thought we were already friends...
AT: doesn't mean that it will last

So, what I did here is compare relationships, whatever they may be, with court trials. We are always judged depending on what we've done. This is, of course, beyond our external identity. In other words, we are already be beyond race, culture, gender, and so on. For example, a friend, has stolen from me. I'd have to consider this new evidence into our friendship and come to a new judgment regarding the relationship. This can be translated to crime in society. For example, a woman was found innocent of murdering her husband. Fifteen years later, the now 25 year-old son comes forward as a witness to that crime. That is new evidence which requires a new trial, new judgment, and a sentence.

Overall, I believe we all act like individual nations. We have our own laws of what we will allow people to do when in our nation or in our presence. This is regardless of what society may consider criminal. In simpler terms, we all have our likes and dislikes. For example, I can't stand tobacco smoke. In your nation, it may be totally legal. In my nation (The United States of Anthony, of course), it's a crime. So, I wouldn't want a cigarette smoker anywhere around me. In my court, a cigarette smoker would be tried, convicted of the crime of smoking tobacco (and not marijuana), and then potentially sentenced to banishment.

Allow me to backtrack a bit. I have a friend that I've know for 15+ years. He smokes cigarettes. 15+ years of friendship is nothing to throw away. Cigarette smoke is a minor negative compared to all of the positive. In other words, as we take into consideration negative evidence, positive evidence should also be taken into consideration.

In the end, my feeling is that we are all always on trial. At work. At home. On the street. In the elevator. As long as there exists a relationship, we will be judged. Parents-children. Employer-employee. Boy-Girl. Friends. Strangers. The real question is, how will you "sentence" or react to those judgments.

Read More

The End to Black Politics?

There's this idea floating around the United States (of America, not Anthony) that Obama's nomination will be the end to "Black Politics." In other words, African Americans will not be able to "complain" about inequalities in the United States. If this is why some people are voting for Barack Obama, they've messed up in the worst way imaginable.

First of all, the realization of a President Barack Obama does not magically end inequalities in this nation nor is it proof that we're beyond the problem. Inequalities still exist across the board. The problem with this nation is tokenism. Too many people believe that just because there's one person in a specific area, it's the end of inequality in that area. One token does not equate to general equality.

Take a stroll through any corporation in this nation. You'll find plenty of African Americans. The question is at what level in the company are we going to find them. Janitors, cooks, and repairmen make up the bulk of African American positions in corporate America. We haven't even gotten to the actual corporation yet. Climb up the corporate ladder and even from the first step, the air is thin for African American lungs. And, It only gets thinner the higher you go up. Is a Barack Obama presidency going to equalize corporate America?

Let's just take a look at the (lack of) justice system. If we relied on statistics alone, African Americans would be some of the most vicious people on this planet. What's funny about this is that there are non profit organizations that are dispelling this myth by exonerating wrongfully convicted persons. In those exonerations, they've uncovered rampant wrongdoing - racism, cover ups, brutality, evidence fabrication, lies, deceit. Even when African Americans are truly guilty, the punishment is by far the worst. Sentencing for crimes is outrageous. Just look at the Rockefeller drug laws in New York City. African Americans were serving huge amounts of time in prison compared to whites for the very same substance but in a different form - crack cocaine vs powder cocaine. Is a Barack Obama presidency going to equalize this broken justice system?

We can go on and on and on about inequalities in this nation. It doesn't just exist for African Americans. Women suffer. Latinos suffer. The disabled suffer. The elderly suffer. And, yes, whites suffer as well. I say this because there exists an inequality in economy. Travel to the Appalachians where whites are just as poor and disenfranchised as anyone else. The rich of this nation have sapped those communities by sending jobs overseas. They increase their on profits at the detriment of hardworking Americans all around this nation.

Inequalities affect us all. We can't start putting different groups in more favorable positions only to appease our own misperception of reality. It's arbitrary, unfair, and still unequal.

Read More