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| 'Death Star', a strain of marijuana |
Like legalized gambling in the form of lotteries and other anti-social, culturally degrading activities which were once outlawed for their obviously harmful effects on the individual and on society, the legalization of pot is bringing with it side effects which will either be downplayed or suppressed in the public media.
My local newspaper, Mid-County Memo (Parkrose neighborhood, Portland, Oregon), ran a laudatory and promotional propaganda piece in the September, 2016 issue. It opened, ‘If anyone wants a boost of positive energy, the perfect way to get it is to stop in at one of Parkrose’s four marijuana dispensaries.’
A boost of positive energy? Well, I suppose if you want to be surrounded by people making lots of fast, easy money out in the open that they used to have to collect illegally and ‘catch as catch can,’ well, yes, I suppose there’s a lot of positive (meaning ‘feel good’) energy where criminals operate free without bail.
The two owners of one of the dispensaries were pictured in a photo that accompanied the article, one smiling coyly as he held up a plastic tube which (I guess) held some of his product line, the other looking up into the camera with a poker-faced expressionlessness. I wonder if the tube contained ‘Death Star.’
That is what is in the picture that I have added to my rant. I got the photo off the dispensary’s FaceBook page. Now that marijuana is legal, does it mean that my opposition to it, if expressed verbally, is hate speech? I can’t answer that. My guess is that any marijuana users reading this will freely comment.
Continuing from the newspaper article, according to Mingus Mapps, Historical Parkrose District manager, ‘I have no doubt that our fastest growth sector has been retail marijuana trade. It creates jobs and brings people into the neighborhood.’ No doubt it brings people into the neighborhood—the wrong type.
And the opium trade in 19th century China that was foisted on that country by the British also created jobs and brought people ‘into the neighborhood.’ Its side effects were the weakening and demoralization of China, which was what Europeans wanted, so that they could eventually carve China up.
Along with any introduction of socially disruptive products or practices will come at first a great deal of ‘positive contributions’ to the society which is being set up for conquest. Continuing from the article again quoting Mingus Mapps, ‘The businesses also take part in community meetings and events.’
‘Their desire to be good neighbors is transparent,’ Mapps said. ‘We’re doing everything by the book and even going above and beyond,’ says the owner of one of the dispensaries in the article. Whatever he means ‘by the book’ and ‘even going above and beyond’ is beyond me. What was he doing before?
I can only surmise. Before marijuana was legalized here, this man and thousands of others were engaged in illegal and possibly criminal activity, building an underground sub-culture, so that, when it became legal—voila! There it was, already fully developed, highly organized, and rip-roaring ready to go.
Makes me think of the sudden appearance of high civilization among the ancient Egyptians, where barren desert sands suddenly sprouted the Great Pyramids, cities, agriculture, and the gift of writing—only in the reverse. Here we have something that turns civilization into a desert, the other way round.
The propaganda piece continues, ‘Another thing Mapps likes about the cannabis trade is its respectful attitude toward architecture.’ Oh my gosh! So they’re joining the ranks of gentrification, turning shanties into profitable places of business! Yes, and what about the kids whose moms and dads partake?
Who cares if the city’s architecture is being restored, embellished, and inhabited? It’s the real people who have to live, work, and raise families in these pot-infested neighborhoods, people who don’t want themselves or their children to be infected with this mania, they are what’s important, not architecture.
Finally, the article confidently reports, ‘There is not really any opposition, and definitely no mobilized opposition to cannabis retailing in Parkrose… [Mapps] characterized its reception in the neighborhood as a big shrug.’ Well, yes, what do you expect? The people feel defeated by what they cannot control.
A minority, maybe in Portland (known as Potland to many people, and weird to others) a majority, has finally had their way. There are some changes in society which are progressive, and others which are not, which are in fact, retrogressive even when called ‘progressive.’ These shall fall when people care enough.
‘What’s on your list today?’ is a well-known jingle in the local area because of the Fred Meyer department store chain. I’ll tell you what’s on my list today. To work and to pray for the repeal of the ‘woman’s right to choose’ (abortion on demand), the state and local lotteries, and the legalization of pot.
I am actually quite confident that these three blights on American society will be shortly eliminated, but they won’t go away as if by magic. People have to get involved, have to speak up and out, have to show up at demonstrations, have to write letters to politicians—or become citizen-statesmen themselves.
I also know for sure, I never want anything called ‘Death Star’ coming anywhere near me or those I love.
Satan will bring them all together for battle, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They spread out over the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people and the city that he loves. But fire came down from heaven and destroyed them. Then the Devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:8b-10
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