Former Bush speech writer: Blame marijuana for shootings, not gun laws

[Joanne98]

Marijuana has been used as a scapegoat for many awful events in US history, with the political class blaming the drug for driving Mexican immigrants insane, filling black men with a bloodlust for white women and driving good girls into dens of iniquity.

In the year 2011, such claims ring no more true than any event depicted in the 1936 anti-drug propaganda film "Reefer Madness." Yet still, echoes of that madness remain.

David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush who now works as editor of his own conservative political website, suggested in a recent opinion essay that last weekend's tragic events in Tucson, Arizona remind him of why the US must continue prosecuting the war on drugs -- and in particular, the war on America's marijuana users.

"After horrific shootings, we hear calls for stricter regulation of guns," he wrote. "The Tucson shooting should remind us why we regulate marijuana.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/bush-speech-writer-blames-marijuana-mass-shooting-tucson/

I find it amazing that anybody at all votes for Republicans. They're idiots!

[lapfog_1]

1. What's the theory behind this?

Was he going to the Safeway because of a raging case of the munchies and was irritated because of the line to meet the congresswoman and he was out of his mind high on good shit and decided to shoot his way into the store?

need I add :sarcasm:

[meow mix]

2. regulating = throwing everyone in jail

strange concept

[lumpy]

6. Excellent. strange concept indeed.

v

[crim son]

3. How is he making the connection?

It would make much more sense to blame alcohol - applying his general logic - but he probably likes a drink now and then.

I begin to believe that anybody intending to run for office should have to take a series of tests: mental competency, basic logic, history, that sort of thing, and must receive passing grades before getting the go-ahead. The f****** stupid is destroying this country.

[Downwinder]

5. Like Brazil, you have to be literate in the language.

Maybe I should not say that. It might be taken as supporting English only.

[pscot]

21. +1

[midnight]

4. Not sure how this speech writer makes that connection, but

I suppose diverting attention away from the real problem is what he was paid to do for the bush administration.

[Uncle Joe]

20. Precisely. n/t

[CanonRay]

7. Now Frum qualifies for the "Stupid Statement of the Day"

or maybe it will end the 2011 competition early

[DCKit]

15. That was yesterday.

However, the whole day was one long string of contenders for "Teh Stupid".

Amidst the tragedy underlying it all, I spent most of yesterday in stitches.

[CanonRay]

17. OK, but it's still early today

[bulloney]

8. I thought marijuana mellows you out. It doesn't make you violent and aggressive.

Unless, like an earlier poster stated, when you get a severe case of the munchies and somebody's preventing you from getting food. Even then, I doubt that it would come down to packing a gun and shooting someone.

But again, the people who listen to idiots like Frum will take his word without thinking and use it for their arguing points.

[MindPilot]

9. That is particularly ignorant since Jared had not smoked for quite some time

According to one report I saw, one of jared's friends said Jared had quit smoking pot and tobacco shortly after leaving high school.

[frylock]

19. shortly thereafter is when his mental health begin to deteriorate..

we prolly read the same article.

[Moostache]

10. Fear Mongering...plain and simple

This kind of underhanded psych-ops is the right wing's only calling card.

How did marijuana become outlawed and vilified in the first place? Fear mongering and tying it something invented from whole-cloth (and CLEARLY still vivid in the imagination of Mr. Frum) called "Reefer Madness"....look it up...scary videos, complete with those evil looking dark people...

Fuck these "people" like Frum and everyone else on the right. Mike Malloy was 100% right - FEAR! FEAR! GUNS! GUNS! FEAR! is the mantra of the Republican party. I have no idea how they live in such a dismal mental state, but the magnitude of the black depths of their very existence is enough to make my internal Col. Kurtz start muttering: "the horror....the horror..."

The next time they bring up the idea of secession my only response is "don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out"!

[The Wizard]

11. Frum's message is directed at the Republican base

Essentially these people have the mentality of an eight year old. We can understand them, but they can't understand any higher order of thought.
Remember Pox News describing him as a post smoking communist liberal?
All they ever do its point fingers and call names. Anything requiring critical thought is off the table.
Some say David Frum was raped by a rabid pit bull that was smoking pot just prior to the attack. Why won't Mr. Frum discuss this with the American people?

[SharksBreath]

12. I find it amazing that anybody at all votes for Republicans. They're idiots!

Unfortunately we have 40 million idiots in this country.

[GaltFreeDiet]

13. I hope Bill Maher has him as a guest on Real Time

and rips him a new one.

[BREMPRO]

14. what an idiot. by that logic we should ban alcohol- that is exponentially more a factor

in violence. The repeal of the assault weapons ban on the other hand allowed laughner to have and extended clip that allowed him to fire 31 shots before reloading. This is political opportunism rather than logic or fact based argument.

[RussBLib]

16. How ignorant

...just when I thought he was starting to make some sense. Looks like he's either never gotten high or is on someones payroll.

[colsohlibgal]

18. Ridiculous

Pot does not make people more agressive, quite the contrary from my experience and from what I've read.