There are times when it hurts to believe what I believe, and I hate myself for my inability to be an intellectual hypocrite, when I look to the shoulders of my heroes upon which to cry.
I have often heard it said that freedom is not free, and agreed with the sentiment. All one has to do is look overseas to see that this is true.
Usually, I can look to my old friend Thomas Paine to comfort me. Usually, I am able to come to terms with what is paining me. With the state budget cuts on education, his works helped me come to terms with my fears of not having the funds to pay for college and my Libertarian beliefs that the government should not subsidize education.
Where I really wish I could speak to him in person, however, is on the subject of drugs. To those who do not know me, it is difficult to express my loathing of drugs and alcohol. I hate them with all my heart and soul.
My ardent belief in freedom, when presented with the current movement to legalize marijuana, sometimes makes me writhe with hatred for myself.
Intellectually, I understand that the illegal nature of the drug is what makes it possible for such a violent black market to exist. If we were to legalize marijuana, the drug lords would be out of business — someone would sell it cheaper, with less violence. Marijuana is not a drug that generally makes people obnoxious or violent. Of course I am still deeply opposed to those who drive while intoxicated, but if someone is hit by a car, I really don’t care if the driver was drunk, high, or adjusting the radio, I care that somebody just got hit.
Emotionally, however, I scream and cringe, inside at the thought of marijuana smoked anywhere near me, at my friends smoking it, at children being exposed to such a horrid substance. I loathe and despise the movement to make marijuana legal.
So I read, and I think, and I talk with people whose opinions I value. With the aid of Thomas Paine, I try to come to grips with my own hypocrisy.
The truth is that all times try men’s souls.
If Thomas Paine isn’t your cup of chicken noodle, here’s the Horizon to whet your appetite. Inside you will be introduced to the Librettos and the Queer-Straight Alliance. If those don’t do it for you, you can always lose yourself in song, dance, volleyball, or even geology.
Good luck to you all.
— Katy
