[Newspoetry] Using Substances Abusers (USA)

[Donald L Emerick]

The New York Times on the Web: April 10, 2002
Study Calculates the Effects
of College Drinking in U.S.
By DIANA JEAN SCHEMO
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/10/national/10ALCO.html?todaysheadlines

Apparently, drinking and thinking do not mix.
On the other hand, smoking the right stuff may:

Anglican bishop supports easing the law against cannabis  
  
London (ENI). A senior Church of England bishop, John Oliver, has
added his voice to a growing movement in Britain to relax the law
against using cannabis. Oliver, the bishop of Hereford, said the
law against the use of cannabis had become unenforceable and
police energies would be better directed to the fight against
hard drugs. Oliver called for more education to persuade cannabis
users not to switch to harder drugs. [547 words, ENI-02-0108]
See ENI Online - www.eni.ch  --  Ecumenical News International 
ENI briefings 10 April 2002
  
 So, I shall be waiting for the First Mass
that features the sacrament of cannabis,
and replaces the bloody wine and wafer.

Besides that, how many deaths, injuries, fights, rapes, etc.
on college campuses (or anywhere else) are due to pot?
Given the complete lack of any such stories in any newspaper
that I happen to read (total = 2, 1 in print, 1 on web) regularly,
I must presume that no such stories abound.

Then, why then is pot illegal and
alcohol (the killer drug of choice) legal?

I've heard it said that this is because
pot is easy to grow and makes no profits,
while alcohol -- especially the hard stuff --
makes bundles of bucks for its producers.

So, that's why you find alcohol,
but not pot in homes like mine.

But, if we were to start banning foods that cause problems
in health, then I would include Wendy's, McDonald's and
almost every fat-food store's products as unkosher for you.

The laws in these areas generally remain highly irrational.
Maybe it's time church examined diets seriously, again --
and got out of the wine-and-alcohol business altogether.

Thanks for listening,
Donald L Emerick

PS: (1) < On my early post today (on beaver borings), if odd
to you, may be supplemented by inspirational source citation:
Discourse on Thinking, Heidegger (1959, 1966 transl.),
a short and linguistically easy-to-read piece for those
wanting some first hand familiarity with a piece of H's thinking.
I could have appended many lines of that text to my newspoem,
in footnotes, to show where ideas may come from or go to.
(2) And, quite fortuitously, I was pleased to see again, this
very pm, on the local Simpson show, the brief sketch where
the creators of the show ask the great question, "How would
this look if the Simpson characters are drawn as beavers?"