Now it has to be said. Declare your choice for President.

[ednksu]

I think drug-related offenses should be more in line with alcohol-related offenses.

They don't have similar effects on the community

So put drug users in jail, then? I think a penalty in line with what kids get charged for MIPs would be fairer.

Did you watch that three minutes that I asked you guys to watch? Can we be adults about this and stop pretending that alcohol and narcotics are even remotely close to the same things? Drug offenses are more severe because the effects of narcotics are immeasurably more severe than alcohol.

Interesting counter point about decriminalization of "hard" drugs.
http://mic.com/articles/110344/14-years-after-portugal-decriminalized-all-drugs-here-s-what-s-happening#.3njtPELhb

[sys]

heroin has got to just be incredible.

yeah.  it has to be.  just look at how good morphine is.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

This is the silliest thing that doesn't seem to go away. What exactly does this show negatively about Rubio?

Funnily enough, one of the other things that people hold against him was a time he threw a pass to a little dude running a route and it hit the boy in the face. His campaign released this awesome response to that. Kid totally redeems himself!

nothing. and what does obama using a teleprompter show negatively about him? yet people still bring it up constantly. there is a lot of the my team > your team bullcrap that is meaningless that heavy partisans lob out there all the time.

A little late on this one, but did you just compare taking a sip of water to not being able to give a speech without a TelePrompTer? Smart people who believe in what they're saying don't have to read a speech word for word.

The teleprompter thing is a shitbird partisan litmus test, I can't believe people are still talking about it. You can't possibly be that stupid.  I mean I get saying it as a joke but to mean it?

Yeah, I do. What kind of mouth breathing idiot can't give even a short speech without reading it word for word? Did you ever take a communications class in college? That's probably the easiest jerkoff classes in college. And what do they teach you? Rule 1: don't read your damn speech off a piece of paper. It's not hard.

I have a degree in communications and in broadcasting. I gave a public speech last week and am giving another one next week. I'm not the POTUS. I can't think of the last president who didn't use a teleprompter,  yep even Ronnie used one, and I don't think any of us will live to see the day a president won't. The reasons why are very obvious, stop being a bad Republican parody.

Well, I don't think Cruz or Trump use them at all. Rubio uses them from time to time but he's given many a speech without them. So there's actually pretty good odds - at least 50/50 - that the next president won't need a TelePrompTer to tell him when to take a breath.

[star seed 7]

 

[Rage Against the McKee]

I think drug-related offenses should be more in line with alcohol-related offenses.

They don't have similar effects on the community

So put drug users in jail, then? I think a penalty in line with what kids get charged for MIPs would be fairer.

Did you watch that three minutes that I asked you guys to watch? Can we be adults about this and stop pretending that alcohol and narcotics are even remotely close to the same things? Drug offenses are more severe because the effects of narcotics are immeasurably more severe than alcohol.

I haven't watched it yet, but I will tonight. I agree that the effects of narcotics are more severe for most people. Some cases of alcoholism are every bit as bad. I just don't see how punishing the end user more severely helps anything. The government should do what it can to keep people out of prison, imo. Keep in mind that I'm not advocating for heroin shops being open for business on the streets. I just think use should be decriminalized.

[MakeItRain]

Is the threshold for the federal government giving an organization money that they only do more good than harm?

If the harm is something that is only defined as a harm by a small few blinded partisan politics but the good is defined as good by everyone,  yeah.  No controversy in cancer screening, sad education, vaccinations, blood pressure testing, providing physical examinations, etc. I bet you had no idea that planned parenthood provided general care to women AND men. You're being played to focus on the abortions,  without knowing that most of their clients aren't going for abortions.

[MakeItRain]

This is the silliest thing that doesn't seem to go away. What exactly does this show negatively about Rubio?

Funnily enough, one of the other things that people hold against him was a time he threw a pass to a little dude running a route and it hit the boy in the face. His campaign released this awesome response to that. Kid totally redeems himself!

nothing. and what does obama using a teleprompter show negatively about him? yet people still bring it up constantly. there is a lot of the my team > your team bullcrap that is meaningless that heavy partisans lob out there all the time.

A little late on this one, but did you just compare taking a sip of water to not being able to give a speech without a TelePrompTer? Smart people who believe in what they're saying don't have to read a speech word for word.

The teleprompter thing is a shitbird partisan litmus test, I can't believe people are still talking about it. You can't possibly be that stupid.  I mean I get saying it as a joke but to mean it?

Yeah, I do. What kind of mouth breathing idiot can't give even a short speech without reading it word for word? Did you ever take a communications class in college? That's probably the easiest jerkoff classes in college. And what do they teach you? Rule 1: don't read your damn speech off a piece of paper. It's not hard.

I have a degree in communications and in broadcasting. I gave a public speech last week and am giving another one next week. I'm not the POTUS. I can't think of the last president who didn't use a teleprompter,  yep even Ronnie used one, and I don't think any of us will live to see the day a president won't. The reasons why are very obvious, stop being a bad Republican parody.

Well, I don't think Cruz or Trump use them at all. Rubio uses them from time to time but he's given many a speech without them. So there's actually pretty good odds - at least 50/50 - that the next president won't need a TelePrompTer to tell him when to take a breath.

Obama didn't use a teleprompter when he was a senator and when he was campaing in Iowa. Ronald Reagan didn't use a teleprompter when he was the governor of California. Jesus Christ man this is really obvious crap, let it go captain crazy.

[Emo EMAW]

Is the threshold for the federal government giving an organization money that they only do more good than harm?

If the harm is something that is only defined as a harm by a small few blinded partisan politics but the good is defined as good by everyone,  yeah.  No controversy in cancer screening, sad education, vaccinations, blood pressure testing, providing physical examinations, etc. I bet you had no idea that planned parenthood provided general care to women AND men. You're being played to focus on the abortions,  without knowing that most of their clients aren't going for abortions.

Are you a bot shitting out canned responses?  I just said I know it's only like 3% of their activity. 

[MakeItRain]

Is the threshold for the federal government giving an organization money that they only do more good than harm?

If the harm is something that is only defined as a harm by a small few blinded partisan politics but the good is defined as good by everyone,  yeah.  No controversy in cancer screening, sad education, vaccinations, blood pressure testing, providing physical examinations, etc. I bet you had no idea that planned parenthood provided general care to women AND men. You're being played to focus on the abortions,  without knowing that most of their clients aren't going for abortions.

Are you a bot shitting out canned responses?  I just said I know it's only like 3% of their activity.

You did?

[Mrs. Gooch]

I think drug-related offenses should be more in line with alcohol-related offenses.

They don't have similar effects on the community

So put drug users in jail, then? I think a penalty in line with what kids get charged for MIPs would be fairer.

Did you watch that three minutes that I asked you guys to watch? Can we be adults about this and stop pretending that alcohol and narcotics are even remotely close to the same things? Drug offenses are more severe because the effects of narcotics are immeasurably more severe than alcohol.

I watched the 3 minutes you suggested and while that is a sad story, I would say there are instances of alcohol abuse that have also led to having kids taken away and death...

[Mrs. Gooch]

Interesting counter point about decriminalization of "hard" drugs.
http://mic.com/articles/110344/14-years-after-portugal-decriminalized-all-drugs-here-s-what-s-happening#.3njtPELhb

I like Portugal's approach. People are allowed to make their own choices but the government is still trying to provide some guidance and support to help them if they make bad choices.

[Emo EMAW]

Is the threshold for the federal government giving an organization money that they only do more good than harm?

If the harm is something that is only defined as a harm by a small few blinded partisan politics but the good is defined as good by everyone,  yeah.  No controversy in cancer screening, sad education, vaccinations, blood pressure testing, providing physical examinations, etc. I bet you had no idea that planned parenthood provided general care to women AND men. You're being played to focus on the abortions,  without knowing that most of their clients aren't going for abortions.

Are you a bot shitting out canned responses?  I just said I know it's only like 3% of their activity.

You did?

No.

[Dub]

 

[MakeItRain]

Interesting counter point about decriminalization of "hard" drugs.
http://mic.com/articles/110344/14-years-after-portugal-decriminalized-all-drugs-here-s-what-s-happening#.3njtPELhb

I like Portugal's approach. People are allowed to make their own choices but the government is still trying to provide some guidance and support to help them if they make bad choices.

I won't point out the very obvious differences between the United States and Portugal and the difficulties in using this same model here, look at the countries they used on their comparison chart,  but the article did state this:

But some social scientists have cautioned against attributing all the numbers to decriminalization itself, as there are other factors at play in the national decrease in overdoses, disease and usage.

At the turn of the millennium, Portugal shifted drug control from the Justice Department to the Ministry of Health and instituted a robust public health model for treating hard drug addiction. It also expanded the welfare system in the form of a guaranteed minimum income. Changes in the material and health resources for at-risk populations for the past decade are a major factor in evaluating the evolution of Portugal's drug situation.

We clearly need drug reforms in this country, like widespread clean needle programs, but they can't include legalization.

[ednksu]

Interesting counter point about decriminalization of "hard" drugs.
http://mic.com/articles/110344/14-years-after-portugal-decriminalized-all-drugs-here-s-what-s-happening#.3njtPELhb

I like Portugal's approach. People are allowed to make their own choices but the government is still trying to provide some guidance and support to help them if they make bad choices.

I won't point out the very obvious differences between the United States and Portugal and the difficulties in using this same model here, look at the countries they used on their comparison chart,  but the article did state this:

But some social scientists have cautioned against attributing all the numbers to decriminalization itself, as there are other factors at play in the national decrease in overdoses, disease and usage.

At the turn of the millennium, Portugal shifted drug control from the Justice Department to the Ministry of Health and instituted a robust public health model for treating hard drug addiction. It also expanded the welfare system in the form of a guaranteed minimum income. Changes in the material and health resources for at-risk populations for the past decade are a major factor in evaluating the evolution of Portugal's drug situation.

We clearly need drug reforms in this country, like widespread clean needle programs, but they can't include legalization.

I only post it as another idea in the conversation.  I'm not a total decriminalization person because of the huge sociological difference, and uniqueness, the US has compared to other nations.  I would be willing to be most on this site would be in favor of decriminalization in a package of social reforms and rehabilitation with only the most ardent drug users and distributors being in a criminal setting like we have now.

[MakeItRain]

Sometimes the best detox for someone is jail.

[ednksu]

I mean I agree that sometimes a state controlled facility is best to get a radical corrective action.  The problem is that jail isn't the *best* place.  I'd also note the striking issue with drug use/mental health issues/jobs issues (retention and jobs with healthcare) and how many of these people are stuck in a jail instead of treatment.  Having *lost* a friend to meth, one of the best things for him was jail to get him back to zero.  I don't think there is much debate about that too.

[pvegs]

Spaghetti monster and imaginary sky god always kinda chaps my ass for some reason. Especially, coming from most liberals who feed a message of "non-judgment, peace, unity, etc." I get that there's a lot of wacko Christians out there, but man, no reason to act like ppl with faith, have the imaginative skills of a 5 year old.

i mean, i don't know what you believe, but if it's in a christian god in heaven waiting to vacuum you into the ethereal bliss after you die, then you also believe in santa claus and deserve to be judged for the analytically vacuous trogoloyte you are

[Emo EMAW]

Just spit balling here, but I think it's possible to believe in a higher being and not believe in Santa Claus. 

[420seriouscat69]

Spaghetti monster and imaginary sky god always kinda chaps my ass for some reason. Especially, coming from most liberals who feed a message of "non-judgment, peace, unity, etc." I get that there's a lot of wacko Christians out there, but man, no reason to act like ppl with faith, have the imaginative skills of a 5 year old.

i mean, i don't know what you believe, but if it's in a christian god in heaven waiting to vacuum you into the ethereal bliss after you die, then you also believe in santa claus and deserve to be judged for the analytically vacuous trogoloyte you are

See what I mean?! 

[ChiComCat]

I always take the Spaghetti monster as an [insert your God here] and not as a specific shot against a religion.  That said, I don't have a Fox News induced Christian Persecution complex.

[CNS]

spaghetti monster is most def a shot at other religions.  Thats why it was invented.  To provide example of absurdity.

[Asteriskhead]

pastafarianism is a parody of all religions.

[420seriouscat69]

Yeah, when you compare it to Santa it's a slap in the face. Like religious ppl have child like wonder. That was my only point.

[Asteriskhead]

Yeah, when you compare it to Santa it's a slap in the face. Like religious ppl have child like wonder. That was my only point.

*insert joke about PC culture here*