Thursday, August 14, 2008

Henchey Vote, July 28, 2008

HERE ARE THE RESULTS OF THE HINCHEY VOTE JULY, 2008...

A small gain of only 2 affirmative votes has Dave Borden bummed out, but check out these stats...the change of 9 yea votes to NO towers against the 3 NOs changed to YEAs this year. I did find the 27 YEAS from new or no prev voting record inspiring...the squashed by the 45 newbies that voted NO, including 24 Democrats.


165 members of Congress voted for the Hinchey medical marijuana amendment this year (150 of them Democrats), but 262 members of Congress voted against it. Ten members did not have votes recorded (plus Pelosi, for some technical reason as Speaker).
78 Democrats voted against the amendment, while 15 Republicans voted for it.
Nine members who voted Yes on the amendment last year switched their votes to No this time (hiss), and three who voted No last year switched to Yes.
27 members of Congress who are either newly-elected or did not have a vote recorded on the Hinchey amendment last year, voted Yes, only one of them Republican.
45 members of Congress who are either newly-elected, or did not vote on the amendment last year, voted No, including 24 Democrats and 21 Republicans.
Two members of Congress who voted Yes last year did not vote on the amendment this year, and seven members who voted No last year also didn't vote this year.



Stop the War: Begin the Healing

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

NEW YORK POLICY REQUIRES ALL RECOVERY CENTERS TO BE NON-SMOKING FACILITIES

New anti-smoking regulations that take effect this month for all addiction treatment centers in New York state have some center officials worried that the ban will dissuade some people with alcohol and drug problems from pursuing services, the Associated Press reported July 23.
Shocked by the random cruelty and negative effects of the New York policy requiring smoking bans in ALL Alcohol and Drug Abuse Recovery centers, whether public or private, I was even more incensed at the comments made by bloggers of JoinTogether.org, my original source. Being sorely disappointed in the flat affect of JoinTogether.org’s summarization, I turned to the original article by AP http://www.nysun.com/new-york/state-prohibits-smoking-in-addiction-recovery/82402/ . The original article explicitly argued that such a policy would have negative effects and the journalist’s outrage at such a ridiculous policy was obvious. I began to question the intentions, intelligence and integrity of both JoinTogether.org and its readers, in that most of them thought that this is somehow a good idea! As Join Together failed to chastise such a discriminatory policy that will prevent many from seeking treatment, and others from completing treatment, and the remainder enduring much more pain and frustration from being cold-turkey withdrawn from nicotine; THE MOST ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCE AVAILABLE. How does this help addicts?

Although I am disappointed in the lack of hutzpa by JoinTogether.org in not pointing out the many obvious flaws in the policy, I am even more disheartened at the comments. Kudos for one shout out for Harm Reduction policies, but I don’t believe that creating a cigarette smoking ban while trying to focus on more critical issues will separate those who are “serious” about recovering from illegal drug abuse.

There is a sad irony in such useless waste of legislation and power, to ban federally legal nicotine, while the mountain of evidence and public opinion in favor of legalization/medicalization of cannabis continues to gain power, and state support. Marijuana reform bills are finding their way to ballots in an ever increasing rate, and many are holding hopes for anti-prohibition in the election of the right (or, should I say, left?) presidential candidate this year.

Think for yourself, people. Giving “Kudos” to New York (Silva) is just plain ignorant, even if a “drug reform” organization posts it. IMPOSE your own beliefs on yourself…for too long prohibitionists have been imposing their beliefs on others. Making marijuana legal does not MANDATE that every one smoke pot – anti-prohibitionists do not want to IMPOSE their beliefs on anyone. They just want the RIGHT to CHOOSE.


Stop the War: Begin the Healing

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Can Sustainability be Achieved? A Brief Manifesto

Can Sustainability be Achieved in My Lifetime?
A brief manifesto

I cherish my time on this Earth, and block out prometheans who would quash my hopes and beliefs that a global paradigmatic shift in humanity's stewardship of the Earth is possible. History is replete with examples of major shifts in accepted realities. At one time to say, "The world is round" would be considered blasphemous. Only in modern times was Galileo finally pardoned for his ancient and fatal Platonic faux pas in announcing that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
I believe that a similar paradigmatic shift in global thinking is possible regarding the sustainability and compassion of humanity on our continuously evolving planet. Throughout my studies and in my writings, I refer to SUSTAINABILITY in general terms, so that it includes cultural, societal, environmental, and biological sustainability; that is, I believe that sustainability must be achieved on physical, spiritual and social planes. Ecological restoration cannot take place without dynamic changes in current political, social, and economic praxus; Social sustainability cannot survive in a hostile environment rife with hunger, disease, poverty and addiction. Yet achievable ideas go around and around, proving and disproving, in a never ending dance. Change is slow, and in this case, it is too slow: Watch the polar ice cap melt in front of our very eyes is frightening; empty shelves at community food banks in the U.S. is terrifying.
I believe that there is a compromise to the theoretical and practical dichotomies of every discourse, in the Physical, Spiritual and Social realms of reasoning-- there is a way to stop chasing the tail of the other in an infinite conundrum. To establish global sustainability is to enter the continuous cycle, to immerse in the ideologic quagmire and to listen to each other and to the earth's biology, analyze humanity's social contracts, and recognize the spiritual, until the paradigmatic shift necessary for true global sustainability has been reached.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Social Dissonance

Social Dissonance

Oil hit the three digit a barrel marker that no one ever REALLY thought would happen. While the cool respite of a late October cold front brought welcome relief to the country’s (record) high summer energy costs, record lows and early freezes foretold of a heavy cloud of impending heating costs in the upcoming month. That heavy cloud has hovered pendulously over many a pocket book and it’s no surprise that local community aid service centers, like food banks and energy assistance, are out of funds, still waiting to receive their 2008 grants deep into January.

The President’s attempt at emergency economic measures is threatened to be held up by Congress, as Wall Street hits frightening slides and stomach turning bumps. Aspiring presidents promise us change, as they continue their business as usual mud slinging stump speeches. Five state contests and still no front runner in either party!

Interest is down; unemployment is up; stocks are down; homelessness is up; new housing starts are down; the war on terrorism keeps killing; the war on drugs keeps failing; and, in New Orleans, the murder rate has doubled. This is more than just financial dissonance. This is social dissonance.

©2008 kmarie