It's time for one of those pieces in which I simply bloviate about whatever comes to mind. This time the thesis, for lack of a better word, is more along the lines of two things that make me scratch my head until my scalp bleeds—something like that anyway.
I have noticed that ever since the shooting of UNARMED African-Americans is more widely documented than ever, those who used to freak out over the “police state” have become enamored with all things cops. Hmm, what is that all about?
I honestly know the answer as it is a rhetorical question, just in case you were not aware. Some good old-fashioned sarcasm was thrown into the recipe as well, just to be crystal clear. (This “warning” readers of my sarcasm is getting old but this is the world in which we live. I wouldn't want to offend those who suffer from TPFS. That stands for Tissue Paper Feelings Syndrome as I mentioned in a recent rant. I believe I have digressed enough, and in parenthesis to boot, to meet my weekly quota.)
Seriously I am absolutely floored over several things in terms of some Americans' love affair with officers of the law. (Before I continue any further I must say that our local department appears to be filled with decent people. Anyone who knows me, including Chief Pfeifer, realizes that I have a crush on men in uniforms. Also, I would never say a negative word against my dear, sweet chief of police. The crush on Pfeifer is innocent and all in good fun. Mother and I both simply find him to be easy on the eyes and we attempt to break the law as much as possible in order to perhaps see him face to face.)
Now that I have embarrassed half of the county, I shall move along with the overall observations of this unsavory situation.
For the biggest portion of my life I have heard conservative types state several things about the police, none of which were complimentary, I might add. I will give you just a few examples.
I have been warned to know my constitutional rights if I get pulled over and to not always comply with every little thing that an officer might ask of me.
I have been told on numerous occasions that the 24/7 nature of our department is hampering business around the lake. “The cops sit right outside of my business and it's scaring people off,” is an example of something that has been imparted to me on many an occasion. I have also been told that DUI check points and the buckle up program are hideously unconstitutional and are a direct invasion of our Fourth Amendment rights.
On occasions too numerous to mention in this space, I have been told that many officers are way too “green” and should not be hired until they are old enough to shave. I confess that I agree with some of this jazz.
I also cover the police meetings and am aware of the ratio in terms of people being pulled over to actual tickets being issued. (They don't issue all that many tickets, for those who do not read my monthly reports.)
Much of that has simply flown out the window as of late. Those same individuals who had NOTHING good to say about the police at all are suddenly taking their side when any kind of questionable incident unfolds.
An actual VIDEO can be shown of an UNARMED person being mowed down and those same people who “warned” me of X,Y and/or Z, seem to automatically side with the men in blue. Hmm, I call shenanigans on this one.
Another topic that has seized my attention is how the DEA and other governmental agencies are so very appalled, concerned and outraged by the heroin epidemic here in the US of A but are in the process of taking measures that will worsen the situation. Yes, you read that right.
There is a natural substance called Kratom that is on the brink of being declared a schedule 1 drug, right up there with heroin, cocaine and LSD, to name three. This is an overview of the product from a site called Kratom 101. I have changed certain words, put some things in all caps, etc.
Kratom (official name Mitragyna Speciosa) is a natural non opiate substance that has been utilized within Eastern medicine for centuries to treat a variety of health problems, improve mood, relieve pain and increase worker production.
When ingested, Kratom can result in the reduction of anxiety, the elimination of pain, improved sleep, improved productivity, an increase in motivation and a general sense of well being. Some people in CHRONIC PAIN use Kratom in order to have a quality of life rather than being chained to prescription medications.
OPIATE ADDICTS have used it to wean off hardcore drugs and sufferers of depression have found it lifesaving when traditional SSRI’s couldn’t provide a solution. For those at a healthy starting point, Kratom can be used safely to considerably enhance all aspects of life. For the average healthy person, Kratom can be a secret weapon for killer motivation in the gym, calming one in high pressure situations and for offering anxiety-free social confidence. It is legal in many countries, safe and relatively inexpensive.
It is a leafy plant native to Southeast Asia; namely Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Bali, and is actually a member of the coffee family. The leaves can be chewed (what Thai workers do to work long hours in the heat) but for the typical user, the leaves are most commonly crushed and processed to form a fine powder. The powder is then ingested with tea or juice but is not smoked.
I'm back. Take note that this is a relative of the coffee family and has been used for generations. As I mentioned earlier, I capitalized the words “opiate addicts” since that is kind of the thrust of my point—believe it or not, there is a point to this. (Imagine coffee suddenly being outlawed.)
The DEA has decided to slam the hammer down on this plant that literally saves lives. Then they will come out and say how awful the heroin situation is here in our country. If anyone cannot put two and two together, allow me to do so for you.
You see, this is natural and two of the main ingredients cannot be duplicated in a lab at, oh, say a PHARMACEUTICAL company. We must stop this and now, says the DEA. We cannot have people being helped by way of any natural remedy. We must continue to keep them dependent upon big pharma at any cost.
There will be a hefty cost for certain, my darling readers. You see, Mississippi outlawed this some time back. Directly after that decision instances of heroin and opiate overdoses skyrocketed as did the suicide rate. (Mississippi is not known for being the intellectual center of the USA. They also did away with teaching real health class in school when it came to reproduction in human beings. Instead they opted for “abstinence only” which saw teen pregnancy rates shoot through the roof and instances of sexually transmitted diseases as well but I digress again.)
What better way to stop the opiate and heroin epidemic than by LITERALLY outlawing something that has aided in people getting off of those drugs! What an absolutely perfect solution. (Do I even need to point out that I was being overly sarcastic in those statements?) The infinite wisdom of this agency never ceases to amaze me.
A petition has received well over 100,000 signatures and has landed on the desk of the president. Also, congressmen and women galore have been telephoned. Don't faint but one Democrat and one Republican have co-signed a letter to their fellow members of the House to allow some kind of public debate about this. You see, all that the “Kratom community” wants is for some kind of hearing, debate, argument to be heard before Congress prior to this sweeping so-called drug “reform.”
Science backs up the Kratom people. Not to mention but the personal testimonies are overwhelming, to say the very least. Some doctors in other countries prescribe Kratom to patients with chronic pain and other conditions. 15 deaths have been recorded from this substance in 6 years BUT there was always another hard actual drug in the mixture. You most likely will NOT hear that from any corporate media talking head. (As a side note, I just found out recently that once something is labeled a schedule 1 substance, all governmental studies must cease and desist. Therefore, no studies would be allowed to unfold if this ends up becoming a ban on Kratom. There are clearly medical benefits, just like with marijuana which is a schedule 1, by the by.)
Actually, while this whole travesty was unfolding, the nation was too busy worrying about a person refusing to stand for the anthem. The “news” focused on that for weeks but not a peep about the unwarranted crack-down on this LEAF. I am so disgusted that I best end this rant.
I will close by leaving you with a quote from John Ehrlichman (Nixon's top adviser), in which he expounds on the purpose of the “War on Drugs.” You may have heard about this unless you were too busy being outraged over the so called “War on Christmas,” but I digress and yet again. The War on Drugs has ruined lives, sent people to prison and wreaked havoc on society. On the other hand, the bogus War on Christmas has done NOTHING other than supposedly outrage Faux News viewers. Sorry, I can't stop complaining. Here is my neat and tidy ending.
“You want to know what this was really all about,” Ehrlichman, who died in 1999, said, referring to Nixon’s declaration of war on drugs. “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying. We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”
So, put that in your pipes and smoke it—pun intended.
THE END.
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