Colorado and Marijuana

       I am not going to bore you with Colorado's legalization of marijuana.  I'm sure by now you've all made your jokes.  I am going to analyse what I believe will happen, in the next year or so, in the form of several scenarios.

1.  The federal government maintains it's position that marijuana is illegal.  (this is currently the case BTW) They tell the state of Colorado that they need to repeal the law making it legal.  Colorado will not do this.  The feds are then forced to attempt to enforce it by sending in DEA agents.  This could:
       A: Cause the Colorado national guard, which is at the governors disposal, to oppose them.
       B: Cause the state police to oppose them.
       C: Cause Colorado to attempt to secede.
This scenario is highly unlikely.

2.  The Fed attempts to force Colorado to repeal their law with military force.  This would play out exactly as above, but with a violent outcome much more likely.  This scenario is highly unlikely.

3.  The Fed turns a blind eye toward Colorado.  This is a likely scenario, because they definitely do not have an easy way of addressing this issue without looking weak.  Ignoring it is one solution.  And government as of late, is very good at ignoring the 500 lb gorilla in the room.

4.  The Fed gives in and repeals their own law making marijuana illegal.  This might make them look weak, but played correctly, it could be shown to be a cornerstone of democracy.  In this scenario the states would have the authority to make it legal, or make it illegal, individually.  This would mean that someone who legally purchased marijuana would not be forbidden from obtaining a concealed carry permit.  (Due to the federal ban, if you admit to having smoked it, you will be forbidden from obtaining such a permit)

This is a likely outcome, given that it is exactly how they handled abortion initially.

See they really can't force a state to bend to their rules without potentially sparking a revolution.  No one wants that.  (well, almost no one) So they are most likely going to allow states to make their own laws.

I would love to see Illinois do this as well, since it could be taxed rather heavily, the prices would still be lower than currently, and we might just pull ourselves out of debt.  Also, let's face it, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa are all prime growing areas for any cannabis cultivar, and the farmers could use a break.

The downside of course is that corn, and anything that eats corn, (like cows) would become very expensive, since farmers would be growing something else, until the markets stabilized.  

NSA and other violations

       I know many of you have been waiting to see my take on the NSA spying on Americans.  There is only one take, and that is it cannot, in any way, be accepted.  Right now it looks like at least the senate also knew about this, and not one of them, even the ones voting against, broke ranks to tell the people that their government was spying on them.  That means they all have to go.  Every last senator needs to be voted out.

       It got me thinking though, what other rights are being trampled by our government.  Let's look at the Bill of Rights.  (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html)  The preamble to the Bill of Rights states that it exists as a limit to government power, to prevent abuses.  So let's see if government has been exceeding those limits, and we have been allowing abuses.

 1.  Google has been ordered to not report on what the NSA has been requesting from them, or about whom.  (http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/06/18/google-nsa-fisa-petition/2435499/)  Clear violation of the first amendment.  

2.  Anyone who has been awake the last 6 months knows they have been trying to violate the hell out of this.  Also, since the limits on the federal government apply to the states, as per amendment 10, any state laws prohibiting access to firearms is a violation of this amendment, by extension.

3.  Not quartering soldiers in homes yet, so OK here.

4.  Unreasonable searches and seizures.  Since random, or even 100 percent "traffic safety check points" have been ruled as unreasonable; why is this current NSA nonsense tolerated.  This is violated so bad the NSA should be brought up on sexual assault charges.

5.  Addresses due process.  Funny thing, the NSA has been recording everything, then getting a warrant if it finds something.  That is the opposite of due process.  Like having the police search your home, then if they find something, getting a warrant.  This also states that property may not be taken without just compensation.  What is the value of intellectual property?  Ever e-mail a story idea?

6.  Speedy trial by jury of peers.  So far this is mostly in tact.

7.  Right to trail for civil suits.  Ok.

8.  Excessive fines, bail, cruel and unusual punishment not allowed.  I'll give them this, only because that would be another whole post.

9.  The presence of these rights being named, does not imply they are the only ones.  Such as privacy, which I would say is also covered by the language in the 4th amendment.  Violated here as well.

10.  Powers not listed here, and NOT DENIED here, are for the states and the people.  SO states can clearly not regulate the 2nd amendment either.  Clearly violated.  

So how did we score?  4 rights left intact.  ONLY 4.  U.S.A. you have failed a test that you wrote, and you know the answers to.  Other countries are rioting over far less.  We have a means of evicting bad government without violence.  We can vote the rats out of the house.  Unless they take that from us next.  We have given lawyers their chance; instead of electing them, maybe we should start electing working stiffs.  They certainly could not do a worse job.

NOTE TO THE NSA:  Every one of you know what you are doing is wrong, even if, especially if, it is ordered by the President, and the whole of congress.  We should not have to ask you to stop.