cannabisnews.com: Be Honest With Children About Past Pot Experiences





Be Honest With Children About Past Pot Experiences
Posted by FoM on November 22, 1999 at 17:48:18 PT
Letters To The Editor
Source: USA Today
Columnist Patricia Pearson is right on the money on why we should be honest with our children, rather than lying about or exaggerating our experiences with marijuana (''What should you tell your kids about your drug use? Dear Parents with foggy memories: Please don't pretend you never inhaled.'' The Forum, Wednesday).
It would behoove us to be more honest with each other as adults also.The Clinton administration's drug czar Barry McCaffrey continues to insist on telling American adults that any and all use of marijuana will lead the country down an inexorable slope to ruin. He repeatedly presents images of stoned schoolchildren and crazed drivers.This despite the obvious successes of millions of Americans who may use or have used marijuana.Lying to adults makes no more sense than lying to children. Pearson's column is a refreshing reminder that freedom has nothing to fear from the truth.Stephen S. Heath Largo, Fla. 'Irresponsible' Commentary:The article by Patricia Pearson is one of the most irresponsible articles to ever appear on USA TODAY's editorial pages.Did I miss something recently? Aren't the drugs referred to in this article illegal for everyone in the United States? Don't we have a nationwide campaign to reduce drug use in this country, especially among children? It might not be surprising to find flagrant advertising for ''recreational'' drug use in an underground paper, but not USA TODAY.Jim Webster Arroyo Grande, Calif. Ignorance About Addiction:I am constantly amazed at the level of ignorance expressed by otherwise intelligent people when it comes to drugs and/or alcohol. In Patricia Pearson's article, this ignorance has been given voice once more. She claims that ''the difference between self-abuse and recreational pot smoking is so widely and tacitly understood that only . . . 'experts' '' miss the point. The fact is that pot smoking is no less dangerous to someone suffering an addictive illness than heroin or crack cocaine.Pearson's claim that ''you never see a 'pot addict' who drains his life savings to feed the habit'' indicates that she has not looked too hard. As someone who suffers from an addictive illness, I see such people all of the time. Neither are they few and far between.Pearson also claims that ''pot is like alcohol: People undone by it usually are trying to undo themselves because something in their lives is too painful.'' Would she make the same claim about someone suffering from diabetes or cancer? Do these sufferers ''undo themselves'' as well?I sometimes find it difficult to believe that even as this century draws to a close, so many still passionately cling to antiquated ideas about drugs and alcohol, ideas that are in complete opposition to that which is accepted by medical science. Politicians who use this topic for political gain exacerbate such misunderstanding. The facts seem to be these: There are people who suffer from addictive illnesses. For many of them, any drug and/or alcohol is extremely dangerous. Then, there is the rest of society. For these folks, most drugs and/or alcohol are fairly safe when used responsibly. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to educate our children about addictive illnesses and their symptoms, rather than categorically state that one drug is safe, while another is not. The safety of a recreational drug is far more dependent upon the health of the person taking it.Robert W. DeStefano Pontiets, Wales Published: November 22, 1999© Copyright 1999 USA TODAY Related Article:What Should You Tell Your Kids About Your Drug Use-11/17/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3704.shtml
END SNIP -->
Snipped
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #2 posted by FoM on November 22, 1999 at 20:52:03 PT
Thanks Again!
observer,All I can say is thank you. I am watching different people bringing different and important information here and it makes sense to me. I am slowly becoming more familar with a direction that we are going and the only way that you could see that is all of the comments with the articles and it really is good!Peace, FoM!
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by observer on November 22, 1999 at 20:45:54 PT
McNews Memory Hole: 2000 arrests for cannabis
It is good at least that Mr Heath's letter was published. A little bird, however, reports that the USA Today editors are guilty of "removing [Mr Heath's origional] reference to the fact that almost 2000 arrests for cannabis occur daily nationwide."Now, why is it do you suppose, that little details like ARREST and PRISON for peaceful adults `just happen' (accidently of course) to get snipped out and edited away at every opportunity? Is it that the reality of arrest and prison isn't a drug-war propaganda theme, whereas the "children" shiboleth is? Still, it is good to see this letter to the editor get published in USA Today. . .
take action: Letter Writer's Links, Activism Training Materials & Resources 
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: