Every American Should Watch This Video

[Krokus]

http://www.abum.com/?show_media=1470

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

Not bad. But, it seems like it didn't know what it wanted to be about.

Ann

 

[venray]

Typical Hollywood pulp, Ann....no real substance........


Ray

 

[Krokus]

and yet all of it's true.

 

[venray]

Hmm..that pot is a natural plant and should not be illegal and porn should be encouraged?...OK...If you say so.....


You DID listen to ALL of it and didnt just focus on parts?


Ray

 

[Krokus]

the general points he made were true. Pot should be legal and the porn industry is part of our great freedom. Some of it was humor but most of it made some very interesting points, such as the homeless, obesity, and the way many people in this country are pretty much controlled by what they see on tv, those segments. The whole theme for me was when he said "let's face it, we are a spoiled nation". It reminds me of a line from spiderman "With great power comes great responsibility". We are a great power, but an irresponsible nation.

 

[venray]

Well, in my opinion any points it tried to make were lost in the way in which they were tossed together in random fashion like a collage of some sort with nothing really tieing it all together ...

And it is not true in everyone's opinion that pot should be legalized
and the porn industry should not be regulated.


Ray

 

[WraithTickler]

Interesting.

Just to highlight on a few points. I think legalizing marijuana would be a bad idea. We've been covering some of the effects of the opium trade in China in history class recently and to put it blunty- the way opium use, while still illegal, cut through all classes and permiated itself in the culture nearly destroyed China during the 18th century.

I can say from personal experience I've seen enough people smoke up and make stupid, life changing decisions without having it legalized. The fact it is illegal has discouraged people from trying it and will hopefully help avoid others from making the same tragic mistakes.

I do agree that America is an affluent, bordering on spoiled country, but then the question of so what comes into play- what do we intend to do about it? It addresses the issue of world hunger and how obessity is a problem, trying it to set it against a world frame. One interesting fact- the countries of the world can produce enough food to feed everyone in the world- production is not a factor insomuch as distribution- making sure it gets past local gangs, warlords, or corrupt governments to the right people. America does need to get off its fat butt, and I'll be angry since that means higher health costs, but I don't intend to feel guilty about it.

The homeless question (as 19th century politicians would dub it) is a tough one. The video states how the presumably real minimum wage is lower (with inflation kicked in), yet poverty in American does in fact mean something entirely different here than somewhere overseas. About giving money, it's a call that I make on an individual basis- though we have organizations and shelters that can provide the essentials. If it comes down to a question of utility, I'd rather give my money there where I know some good would be done rather than risk it going for alcohol or some other illicit end.

 

[Azrael]

Y'know, the same people complaining about how the video was too short and confusing would not have paid any attention to it whatsoever if it was any longer and dealt with those same issues. They simply don't want to hear it.

The fact is, it made a great deal of sense.

And hell, Venray, you're blasting porn, while posting on a fetish website with entire forums devoted to pictures, videos and artwork showing naked women being bound and tickled, and you freakin' VOLUNTEER for the site! You help moderate it! How do you get off doing that? It sucks to see a girl baring all, unless the picture includes four or five guys stroking her feet with feathers, eh?

Don't you maintain a huge tickling photo (i.e. fetish porn) site yourself, Venray? I believe you do, unless there's another Venray out there whose site I've been jacking off to on a monthly basis for the past couple of years.

You also made comments about pot being a natural plant... well, uh, it is. It... grows in the dirt, like the guy said. Thousands of the drugs that are now on our store shelves don't. They're combinations of multiple synthetic chemicals, the long-term effects of which are often poorly (if at all) understood. Most psychiatric medications, in particular, are virtually unknown in their long-term effects upon the brain, which science is beginning to discover might include permanent damage and possibly very aggressive forms of cancer. They are used simply because they are seen to work. Why they work isn't given any attention.

There has never been a single documented case of pot killing an individual. Cigarettes do, and they kill the people who are forced due to sharing the same space to breathe in other peoples' smoke as well. Sure, people driving under the influence of pot might cause traffic accidents... but alcohol's widely known to be worse, and there are bars everywhere you look in this country. Bars that, if I'm not mistaken, one must drive to, and drive away from afterwards. I went to a bar last week... there were at least five or six people sitting around on their own. I didn't see their designated drivers. I suppose they were all in the bathroom? I suppose you're going to tell me they were all going to call taxis at the end... and leave their cars at the bar? Or maybe they carpooled, so only one unlucky bastard's going to be without a ride come work the next day.

Y'know what alcohol is? It's bacteria shit. Brewing it to a high concentration is also extremely complicated at times, because at relatively low concentrations it kills the damn bacteria that made it. And that's what we're drinking! Do you call THAT natural?

No offense, Ven, but you look like you've been to a few bars yourself over the years. A guy your age? You can't tell me you haven't been. I'm only 24 and I don't drink, except for the occasional wine cooler or two (slightly more alcohol content than soda pop or tapwater) and I've already been to a bar on six or seven occasions.

If three teenagers spend the weekend in one of their basements, watching movies, smoking pot, eating pizza, and drinking soda, who exactly is hurt by that? What is the potential of having an accident while answering the door when the delivery guy arrives? Y'know what a kid who's high on pot wants to do? EAT! I don't smoke it (and I don't care what you think, I've never smoked pot or cigarettes, done any illegal drugs, or drunk anything more than a single beer at one time) but I've lived with several people who do. They get a joint in their mouths and the next thing they want is FOOD. Give them a bunch of pizzas and they're not going anywhere until well after their high is over.

What sort of life-changing decisions are those kids going to make while they're high in their basement watching movies and eating pizza? As if nobody's ever done anything remarkably stupid while not under the influence of anything other than a screwed-up gene pool.

Hey, there's a thought... marijuana as a cure for anorexia.

What's the matter? It works! That's about all the qualifications that the FDA looks for.

Why is it okay to give medicinal marijuana to senior citizens, but not okay for a kid to smoke a joint? Y'know what? Marijuana DOESN'T DO A DAMN THING FOR PAIN. Period. It provides a distraction. Now, anybody who says that being a teenager isn't painful hasn't been one for at least 20-25 years. All angsty stereotypes aside, your brain and body are going through one of life's most dramatic and sudden alterations. It's a whole pile of shit, and that's not including the emotional and social problems. You look at how many teenagers commit suicide every year and tell me those problems aren't real and don't deserve any attention. What is the difference between a hurting kid and a hurting senior smoking a joint?

About 40 years. In more ways than one.

I'm not even going to go into the subject of homeless people. I think the video made its case quite well where they're concerned. I've been unemployed for a couple of months now and I'm having hell's own time trying to find a job. I can't imagine what I'd do if I was homeless.

Actually, I do have a question on that subject. Wraith, you mentioned that you'd rather give your money to a shelter or a food drive or some such thing. I hope you don't mind my inquiring as to the last time when you did such? Better to give to the shelter than the individual, perhaps... but better to give to the individual than not at all. "It'll be better off donating to the shelter" is an awfully poor rationalization of not giving a couple of bucks to a guy down on his luck, if you never make the donation.

As far as alcohol... well, it'll make him happy for a few hours, and I doubt that he's going to come by that particular opportunity any other way. You can't tell me you're worried about worsening his quality of life? It's not like homeless people are the only people who drink, or get drunk.

And, hey, if you do too, great, that's damn cool. I'm willing to bet most people who say those things about homeless people, however, don't.

 

[Azrael]

Incidentally... how were the various subjects of the video twisted or muddled? They were simply covered rapidly, but they went by from one to the next in rather neat order.

 

[WraithTickler]

I have to admit it has been I a while since I made a direct cash donation. I used to donate at church before I stopped going and there were a few programs being offered there that did various community service work. At present though I'm working on a haunted house with some friends for school with an entry fee of cans and non-perishables for the purpose of donating to a local food pantry.

My reasons for not giving to people on the street are admittedly selfish. While it may not substantially lower or raise someone's quality of life to be boozed up for an hour or two, I'd rather have someone in full function of their faculties if at all possible since a fair amount of many domestic disturbances with the homeless do have some substance abuse related to them. In that sense I would deem it more pragmatic to avoid contributing along those lines. I realize as well as full function may still in itself not be the best reason since a large number of the homeless suffer from some mental handicap or impairment, but then I would hold all the more reason to avoid liquoring them up.

You bring up a few excellent points on the issue of alcohol. I don't drink both from the matter of personal choice and being underage. Fortunately for drunk drivers we have laws on the books (In some cases too lenient in my opinion) for dealing with them, As phobition has shown, alcohol is too deeply ingrained in our culture for us to exercise it entirely despite the positives it might bring- ultimately creating more negatives.

With pot and other illicit substances we have a fighting chance of discouraging that behavior via legal means and nipping this in the bud. While there is a sizable minority that may advocate or use majijuana, I would throw myself in with the majority that does not advocate it or use it. The benefits of taxation and legalization would cost too high in my opinion. I've had aquantances drop out of school while finding solice in a bottle as many times as a blunt, but I think we can at least head this off.

 

[venray]

I did not blast porn nor the legalization of pot. I said that it is not TRUE in everyone's opinion that pot should be legalized
and the porn industry should not be regulated.

That is not necessarily my opinion. I havent offered one. Nor do I intend to. I was pointing out that the use of the word TRUE to describe what was seen, is an opinion of the poster and not true fact.

I suggest you use pm's to discuss personal matters, Azrael.

Ray