Proposition 19

The majority favored the opposition.  Proposition 19 did not pass in California this past Tuesday, and I can't say that I'm surprised.  Proposition 19, if passed, would have allowed the possession of small amounts of marijuana.  Unfortunately, pot is still seen as taboo in our world.  On the positive side, I do believe that even having this on the ballot was a small step in the right direction.  There is no doubt that it would boost up California's economy.  The main problem I have is the manner in which the news treated this issue over the last few months, and how they distorted information.  There was one newscast I saw recently that really bugged me.  It was on ABC News with Diane Sawyer where a few reporters went on a driving course, while high.  What did they find?  That it was dangerous.  I could have told you that.  Can you imagine a newscast that would say it was ok to drive, while high?  Of course not, they would be sued before their next segment.  But wait a minute, what about drunk driving?  You can get a DWI or DUI.  Why wouldn't they do the same thing with weed?  The newscast made no mention of this.  If you legalized pot, the only fair thing to do would be to have the age of purchase, 21 (like alcohol) and make driving under the influence illegal.  It's unfortunate that the media really alters perceptions, but I don't want to sound too cynical.
Over the summer, I heard a story from a friend of mine that really upset me and I'd like to share it.  We were sitting on a friend's porch when we heard a siren in the distance.  Nobody else that was on the porch made a move, but this one friend of mine instantly got frightened.  I asked her why she was so uptight?  She then explained how she was arrested for having "paraphernalia" in her car a few weeks prior.  The cop was extremely harsh and left a severe impact on her and gave her a horrible disdain for the police.  She was due for a court date and had a lot of issues to deal with around this situation, just for having a bowl.  What really upset me was that she had all this fear and hatred of cops because of how they treated her.  Is that how we are supposed to feel about cops?  I always thought that they were here to protect us and they do a great job of it, but it's clearly not their only focus.  It bugs me that we should fear cops if we are good citizens.  The whole point of the police is to make us feel safe.  If people are afraid of cops, then where do we turn?  Just something to think about.  

-E-steam