LEGALIZE MARRIAGE
Yesterday I ran the transcript of San Diego’s Republican mayor explaining his decision to support marriage equality. But Juan of you pointed out to me that ‘simply reading the transcript misses the remarkable humanity of the situation,’ which you can see here. This is not an easy thing for people. We should respect that – and keep pushing, respectfully, for equality.
LEGALIZE MARYJANE
This is the cover story of the current Foreign Policy: ‘Legalize It: Why It’s Time to Just Say No to Prohibition.’
Prohibition has failed-again. Instead of treating the demand for illegal drugs as a market, and addicts as patients, policymakers the world over have boosted the profits of drug lords and fostered narcostates that would frighten Al Capone.
☞ This thesis is, to say the least, controversial. And unlike marriage, which is inherently a good thing, to be encouraged, drugs have a huge downside. Drug use is not something to be encouraged. And yet, according to the author, we have more people in prison for nonviolent drug offenses than Western Europe has in prison for – everything. Are we really being smarter about this than they?
WAL-MART
I still like Wal-Mart, seeing the glass as half full (low prices) rather than half empty (low wages – though people flock to apply for the jobs). I know it needs to improve, but Wal-Mart seems to know it, too. Witness, for example, its initiative to sell 100 million CFLs this year – yesterday, it introduced its own less expensive brand. Witness its initiative to sell hundreds of generic drugs for just $4 per prescription. Witness its response to Katrina. Witness its initiative to take the equivalent of 213,000 trucks off the road by leaning on its 60,000 suppliers to reduce wasteful packaging. Witness its recent improvement in health care options for its employees. More enlightened initiatives, I hope, to follow.
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Have a great weekend.
