A Republican said that? Like an actual party member? From Texas? Well, even if he’s right for the wrong reasons, it’s still nice that this guy isn’t making up excuses to imprison people, like so many of his partymates. And his reasoning is definitely solid in that completely victimless, non-violent “crimes” like pot consumption aren’t worth the government’s crime pursuing. It’s like a ban with with prison time on hula-hooping for dog’s sake.
Well his biblical theology is spot-on. Too bad about the First Amendment and all.
Uh, this train of logic seems a little bit dangerous. Like, what about nightshade?
You know what, never mind…
Nightshade is legal to grow. Have at it! Why shouldn’t it be legal to grow? Bleach is legal to buy. You can buy a whole gallon and kill yourself with it, and you won’t even be put on a watch list. You can already grow as many castor oil plants as you like, as long as you have the space, and aren’t running a farm without the proper bureaucratic regulations for farming. And the castor beans are incredibly deadly.
Christ, what an assho…
Well.
Hrm.
Carry on, then.
A sensible view on pot from a Texas republican? Say whaaaat
“Current marijuana policies are not based on science or sound evidence, but rather misinformation and fear.”
By golly, he’s almost got it.
“A great many current government policies are not based on science or sound evidence, but rather misinformation and fear.”
There. Fixed it for him.
I just spent a minute reading his Wikipedia page (it is not very long, so I suspect it leaves out a few things).
He wanted to hire more immigration judges and show more compassion for immigrants. I’m surprised the GOP didn’t kick him out on the spot for that one. He wanted to prosecute overly aggressive TSA gropers, but was shot down by the Texas senate.
This guy is definitely a mixed bag.
I got the feeling that if you let him keep talking you’d start seeing the crazy seep through real quick.
Innocent until proven guilty though?
What of the First Amendment? There’s simply no constitutional prohibition against the religious motivations of legislators, if that’s your gist.
I said
Pass the dutchie upon the left hand side
Pass the dutchie upon the left hand side
It gonna burn
Give the music make me jump and prance
It a go done
Give me the music make me rock n an a dance
KUMBIA KINGS
Maybe they’ve gone so far around the bend that at least some of them have come back to Sanity, U.S.A. via the long way round.
To be slightly fair, local politics is a whole different universe. You can imagine that reasonable, non-crazy people would end up being republicans in Texas, because, well, that’s the most direct way to gain influence and power there.
no bro
I don’t even think his reasons are all that wrong. Sure, empirically, objectively wrong the way he said it. But what I’m hearing is someone who has found a way to analyze a situation well using the heuristics they have. I figure the majority of our thinking is subconscious and the conscious mostly only gets access to finished products. So he managed to come to the totally valid conclusion that marijuana ought to be legal, and then made that compatible with his underlying belief system. Pretty good work, and fairly inventive (not that it’s necessarily his idea originally).
Or, to be even more charitable, he’s totally reasonable and made up the God argument to try to get through to the unreasonable people he knows he is surrounded by.
Hopefully this. But he’ll soon be shouted down by those, they have faced this before & have a long list of things that aren’t god’s mistake but that are god’s tests. Marijuana is on the list and holds a special place in the hearts of many as a fine way to lockup democrats and brown people.
edit - He should take the money route. Crunch numbers on Washington & Colorado. The list is far easier to circumvent with money than with reason.
Rep. Simpson is using freedom of religion to get in the door, but it’s his states rights argument on the issue that will hopefully seal the deal. Cause you know, if there’s anything Texans love more than guns and oil it’s states rights.
You’re quite right, my knee jerked.
If money mattered to Republicans, they would love the Affordable Care Act, and public services in general, which in almost every case save much more money than they cost. But if any program means fewer black people in prison or fewer sluts shamed, then it’s not worth the price.
