It's late, so I'll answer the rest of your comment tomorrow. But wanted you to know I fixed the link for you so it should work from both posts now. You forgot the "http://" part at the beginning of your URL, the rest of the "a href" link was OK.

More tomorrow...

-CW

Thanks.

I read your other article and must say you have an impressive grasp of the minutia of the constitution. My personal belief as to the ease with which the Congress may ban marijuana even though it is a sacrament of Rastafarianism (Bong Hits 4 Haile)is that, medicinal marijuana notwithstanding, there is not enough legitimate industry surrounding it to make it worth their while. After passage of the Volstead Act, enabling enforcement of the 18th Amendment banning the sale, manufacture, import and export of alcoholic beverages, exemptions were made for wine and authorization was granted for the home fermenting of fruit juices. Most people consider this a nod to the church given all the sacramental wine in use, which it was, but there was also the cider and vinegar industries that also needed fermented product and prohibition would have put them out of business. And wine, unlike hard liquor, just isn't the same when made on the fly. I'm sure there were plenty of congressman who wanted a good glass of wine every now and then.

The bottom line is, if there was industry involving marijuana production in the states it would have been legalized long ago. Of course I could be wrong - the United States could be making a mint off of hemp crops but they don't. Same goes for peyote. They restricted it to Native Americans I suppose so that they would not have everyone claim to be a convert to that religion to get the beans. By the way, I'm in the middle of this comment so I'm not looking at the 1994 ruling - Did they specifically name the tribal nations or say "American Indian" or say, in general, Native Americans? Obviously if they said "Native Americans" we're all in since anyone born in the country is a "Native American."
I have to run now and get to work on another article sitting in limbo but I want to say "Thanks" for the forum and the great writing.

Jonathan

P.S.
Does 5150 have a website? I've got to go there.

Thanks for giving me a chance. Yeah, Huffington Post gets a little Hollywood at times, but they let me post there, so I'm not going to knock them here.

I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say about my earlier article on this subject, which explores the religious angle. It also "dates" me, since I plainly say that we were allowed to wear T-shirts with anything we wanted on them. Girls would get sent home if their clothing was "too revealing" but the only time a guy ever got censored was for wearing a shirt with profanity on it ("if you can't blind them with brilliance, dazzle them with bullshit").

How times have changed!

-CW

PS. I lost the link to your article where I posted a comment. Feel free to post it here (either as text, or use "a href" tag, it should work) so others can see what we're talking about.

Thanks for the comment. You're right, there are many thoughtful articles on the subject over at the HuffPo and I was probably being to hard on them (although the day after I wrote that the lead article on HuffPo was "I Love Paris" by Nora Ephron which kind of validates what I said as well).
Your article on the subject was, I thought, the most well thought through and reasoned. The dissenting comments concerning alcohol were quite impressive but again it all comes down to if the justices saw advocacy of illegal substances or not. Five of them saw advocacy and if you see advocacy in the sign then all arguments about alcohol are moot. The response would simply be, "Yes, we see your point about prohibition and agree but the case here is whether he compromised his freedom of speech rights by advocating illegal substances."
And just a quick final thought on your statement about not being able to wear a shirt with a beer logo on it: when I was in school you actually couldn't do that. I don't know if it is the same today or not. I was in a public school and wore a t-shirt with the "Miller" logo on it that I had because my brother at the time worked for them. I was told not to wear it again. The difference between my experience and Joseph Frederick's is that I didn't get into trouble for it (suspension, being sent home, etc.) but simply taken aside by a reasonable administrator and reminded of the rule for future reference.

Jonathan Lapper

-CW

When I taught GED many of my students were Hispanic and applauded the election ballots (as well as the driver's test) being written in Spanish. I don't know of any other country that returns the favor. Although my immigrant (and we won't go into their legal status) students were appalled that one had to be American born to run for president, they fell off their chair laughing when I suggested any other than a native born Mexican run for the Mexican presidency.

I suggested to them that one solution to the immigration problem would be to make Mexico a part of the United States, they were very upset. They didn't want to be part of the United States, they wanted the US to be part of Mexico. They had no intention of becoming Americanized (as so many of our early and other country immigrants are so eager to do), they want to be Mexicans (or El Salvadorians, or Columbians) living in Mexico and fully expected the American to cater to them. Isn't this a case of the tail wagging the dog? If Puerto Rico wants to be a U.S. STATE, then I think it should be an English-speaking U.S. State.

In the immortal words of Cheech Marin:

"OK, hands on the table, back away from the bong..."

-CW

I'm stoopider than Bernanke crossed with Arthur Burns so don't listen to me, but there's more to extractive industry than just oil-- seems reasonable to me but I'm certifiable. Real Estate is kaput so mebbe you like German bonds because of the currency play. Smart money like Prescott Bush and Ford Motor Corporation was heavy into the german war machine in the leadup to and throughout the duration of that big mid-20th century conflagration. Haven't looked at what Cheney reported cuz he don't report squat. Don't listen to me, I have owned savings bonds and still have some certificates of deposit even. I'm the kinda chump who mighta bought war bonds-- total loser, huh? Just because Greenspan said buy Treasury notes when China's overheated market slipped don't think he was talking to you. Smart money I can't begin to figure but if you want to guess a crash, taking a very modest position in puts for Oct. '08 as the October Surprise could put you in the catbird's seat if all goes to hell in a hurry. What brokerage wouldn't go bust in a crash is your guess not mine and you'd need to know that to collect.

I'm just so damned mad at illegals I just wish we could get some Israeli citizens to deal with this spit. In California, our Austrian citizen ruler ain't gettin' it done. Roverer is a Kraut citizen so mebbe Bush would take a staight up swap of Ahnold for Karl just like Baines for Sosa. Don't know who Bush might accept in exchange for Chertoff but we desperately need an Israeli in the heart of our New World baiting order.
The story circulating on the German moustache was that he wasn't like the rest of 'em. He was a cut above and willing to let 'em have it and pull no punches even if they were his own. What fools the public be, their minds flew to opposites in a love-hate dynamic that fostered blind hate fanaticism. The more they loved the moustache, the more they hated the traitorous foes of the Homeland who weren't up to the higher standards he set for them.
I will talk very sloowly. Iran is a non-nuclear nation. Israel is a nuclear power with fission warheads, fusion warheads, and neutron warheads plus more warplanes than any European power except Russia. You understand the non-nuclear nation Iran with just 3% enrichment threatens the nuclear nation of Israel with nuclear annihilation because you have been told so. Words have been put into the mouth of the Iranian leader and been repeated so often you accept them as an incontrovertible fact.
Truth. Slap the Jap off the Map is an Americanism.
Truth. Wipe the Jap off the Map is an Americanism.
When you tell a Big Lie and get everyone to repeat it you foster hate by flipping the blame and getting all except 5150's to fly to opposites in their reasoning. You tell a Big Lie and make it stand up then work yourself into such a rage you feel a deep emotional need to obliterate Iran with nukes because if your Big Lie stands up you feel it must be true. Cheney and Bush wanna get nukes back in play.

Hookahs 4 Mohammed--- incites terrorism and is the black magic words which cause every ailment you can imagine tho perhaps can't spell. Hey! Cut that out kids, I said hookahs, not houris.

Guns 4 Jesus (a faithful of birdsh*t)---- such a statement must parenthetically exclude use of so-called "cop-killer" ammo being as such armor-piercing ammunition puts LEO's at risk of having their vests penetrated. If you must go hunting 4 Jesus follow Cheney's lead vis a vis his friend.

Cage Tommy Chong 4 Jesus--- put that in your pipe and smoke it, heathen. Minimum maximum drug charges=sentences are effective strategies for pruning the voter rolls particularly since it is not necessary to even pretend drug use or drug sales occured. The days of the top lawman of Tulia, Texas are thankfully behind us! Fascists are spared being bothered to even fake up a case.

Sammy loves Johnny for to hate Dick
and his big stick
The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies had to tank the pennant race, dodge a possible World Series and systematically dismantle a young baseball dynasty in the budding all for the love of Samuel Alito. Big Bad Black Dick Allen made a trusted veteran washed up white guy hit him in the shoulder with a baseball bat during batting practice. See Dick. See Big Bad Black Dick. Dick Allen refused to answer to reporters as to what the devil got into him that he would drive a good man to such an extreme. It cost the White man his job, can ya believe that? Those 1964 Phillies were just way too integrated if you know what I mean. Sure the Phillies held out to the end in the NL but when they gave in they went way overboard. Then those uppity so-and-so's had to just go and show up all those great Phillies teams of years past by threatening to win it all. It's unheard of! To young Sammy Alito it would have been unprecedented-
THEREFORE WRONG>. See Spot. Out out damned Spot.

Trust Your Gut...it's money, baby. Should jurisprudence concern itself with the legalities of legal reasoning and the niggling irritation of imperfect arguments and outcomes? NO! Be like Moses from the mountaintop and lay down the law in a way that brooks no dispute. The public don't mind it decided wacky weed is of satan therefore illegal, by definition--no that don't sit in a man's gut like as some such you'd want to upchuck. There are the blessed and the damned what else need be thought. Illegals must by definition be the criminal type. Faith-based funding is by definition anti-evil, therefore anti-illegal, therefore pro-legal. To those trusted few who descend from the mountaintop like Moses-- pro-faith is logicalwise proactive pro-legal.>>> ipso facto Q.E.D. finit (pardon my French)

Corporations R the Bestest People--- I suppose it makes dollars and cents that of all the people you know, corporations should be able to speak loudest longest widest with greater credibilty and no accountability lestwise Dick Cheney might outsource Helliburton Corporate HQ to some non-jurisdiction where it will be impossible to recover the loot.

_Only Jesus Can Count the Hairs on Cheney's Head_
Oh woe unto us all Congress must provide for Cheney's white ass the count on which is upwards of 8.5 trillion and growing. Congress was forced to raise the limit to 9 trillion but it won't be enuf. 9,000,000,000,000 ain't too hairy a situation for Cheney because he has his ass laundered but I heered a doomsday Cassandra say the final total will be a minimum of 51 trillion. You don't got what it takes to compete with Cheney so don't even try. The man hisself is betting on inflation.

The 5 favored Supreme fascists ain't neer' been singled out and given an earful. These blessed folks have been spared the experience of being harangued and excoriated by some such unopposable as a white dude. Any of them been called into the Principal's office and been forced to answer? Thomas been pampered and groomed and shielded and protected and boosted up spotted on for his full absolute Milgram compliance and the look of it. None of them been forced to stand and answer and none 'eer will. The Fed Circuit that grants admission to the bar for to argue before the Supremes won't tolerate no one who would cut those Aholes a new one.

Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round Dick Cheney--- It's been 7 long years and we still can't see. If I don't see no Dick Cheney necktie party, back of the bus, oh woe is us, blame falls on we. Put a yellow ribbon 'round the neck of Dick Cheney.

If I look pissed I am don't adjust your color. Even my jaundiced eye can't believe your complacency with anti-contitutional anti-democracy rule. Revoke the Military Comissions Act by refusing to comply in any respect. Practice civil disobediance. Impeach Cheney. Impeach the 5 Supreme fascists. Demand a bipartisan commission headed by Carter to appoint qualified Secretaries of State to all election jurisdictions. Demand accountability in vote counts at all levels and make no total official unless it is determined by a hand count. If computer totals must be used for breaking news stories by FoxCorp Time-Warner GE and other such personages let it be known such people as corporations speak to please their own interests. Defund the military in toto. The Pentagon still hasn't accounted for that 3 trillion what went missing a prior to 911. We knows the accounting team charged with investigating the misappropriation of 3 trillion got wiped out in the 911 along with all their info but defund the military in toto all the same. If military need money they can dig up that 3 trillion on their own and in the meantime that 9 billion in $100 bills what got misplaced in Iraq can fund the disinterment of the $3 trillion. Rummy know where whatnot buried. Cheney too. George the 3rd.