New freedoms
The writer of the letter "Legalization invites questions" (Dec. 17) brings up some important questions about marijuana legalization and driving. First, he states that more adults and teens will be driving "stoned." This is doubtful, considering that in countries where it is legalized, use of cannabis has gone down among teens. Also, it is still illegal to possess any cannabis in Colorado and Washington unless you are over 21.
Then he asks how a driver impaired by THC (the main ingredient in marijuana) can be detected. Well, studies show that critical-tracking tests, reaction times, divided-attention tasks and lane-position variability all show cannabis-induced impairment. These tests are being adapted for roadside use, and can detect impairment from any drug, as well as sleep deprivation. Also, studies have shown a 2 to 3 ng/mL THC blood concentration can be used as a rough "impairment cutoff" similar to the 0.8 percent breathalyser cutoff we use today to assume alcohol impairment. So impairment from THC is already detectable.
Combining cannabis with alcohol is a concern, however, because, though marijuana smokers tend to compensate while driving by utilizing a variety of behavioral strategies such as driving more cautiously, combining marijuana with alcohol eliminates the ability to use such strategies effectively.
Time and statistics will tell if the new freedoms in Colorado and Washington will significantly increase driving risks there. Still, I don't think I'll rent an armored car for my visit to Seattle this spring.
DR. JAMES S. CAMPBELL
Pfafftown
Not unreasonable
In response to the Dec. 31 letter "Unsustainable," the writer indicated that he has a problem with the lower 47 percent of people not paying taxes while the top 1 percent pays 40 percent of taxes. It should be noted that the top 1 percent make nearly 30 percent of all wage income and hold, along with the top 10 percent, about 75 percent of all wealth.
Since money makes money, the wealthy are able to gain wealth that the bottom half cannot due to the capital gains tax being 15 percent. Additionally, the bottom 47 percent pay a disproportionate amount of their income on food, housing, transportation and health care.
To ask for an additional 3 percent tax on the wealthy is not unreasonable and is the right thing to do.
LOUIS NEWTON
Winston-Salem
Practical solutions
I am neither a hunter nor a gun collector and have not touched an assault rifle since leaving Vietnam in 1969. A ban or even restriction on assault rifles would be ineffective because there are so many already in the hands of citizens. Only an outright confiscation or mandatory buy-back by the federal government, as was done in the case of gold in 1933, would effectively reduce the number of assault rifles in the hands of citizens.
The type of weapon is not the problem. In 1988, Michael Hayes, while insane, shot nine people in Forsyth County, killing four, with a .22-caliber rifle (usually selected as a youth's first firearm because of its low power). Hayes’s family, having seen his odd behavior, tried twice to have him committed in the week before the shooting but were rebuffed by the authorities both times. The problem is not the weapon but the mental illness and our failure to deal with it.
We should concentrate our efforts to make sure that insane people do not have access to any firearms and people are given ready access to mental-health care. Any attempt to ban or further restrict firearms will only distract our attention from the root cause of the threat: mental illness. In the meantime, we should protect our children by placing a police officer or other armed and trained individual at every school - even elementary schools.
TEMPLETON ELLIOTT
Winston-Salem
Sum It Up:
The Sum It Up question from Sunday was:
Do you think North Carolina is positioned well for success in 2013?
The appointment of Art Pope as the state budget director does not bode well with the 99 percent of North Carolinians . He has spent tons of money to elect right-wing extremists to implement the agenda of privatization and slashing social services and health care for the vulnerable and now he gets his moment. We, the 99 percent, should be worried particularly about public education and the environment.
The right-wing extremists worship privatization and deregulation and hate public services, which they term as "free stuff." Success? In what sense?
BOON T. LEE
Considering our departing governor, a hearty yes.
DEB PHILLIPS
Good 'ole Dr. Campbell. He's a good example of a person that can be quite intelligent, but possesses little to no logical reasoning.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, experts are not exactly sure how to effectively measure cannabis impairment. The figures that the good doctor cites are what are being considered. However, like all substances, marijuana can affect people differently.
Legalized, and its use has gone down among teens? May be true, but it's gone up among adults in those countries increasing the likelyhood that you'll meet a stoned, Larry Womble, like person driving on the wrong side of the road crashing into you.
Furthermore, most domestic violence abuse cases occur when one of the two parties is under the influence of some drug. Add legalized marijuana to the 'choices' of drugs available to abusers, that will just increase the incidences of domestic violence.
The bottom line is nothing 'good' is going to come out of the legalization of marijuana. Ingesting a foreign substance that has little to no nutritional value to a human body serves no purpose. What competent 'doctor' would suggest otherwise?
I haven't done any research on Dr. Campbell, but I'll bet he's as old as Moses.
DeleteAdd legalized marijuana to the 'choices' of drugs available to abusers, that will just increase the incidences of domestic violence. lol, WHAT? If you were truly interested in decreasing the number of "drug" influenced domestic violence and traffic deaths, you would be calling for a ban on alcohol. Do you think alcohol should be prohibited?
DeleteNicotine is a poison. Should humans be banned from ingesting all forms of Nicotine? Not only does it have no nutritional value, it's a poison.
DeleteA new study has revealed a link between states with legalized medical marijuana and a reduction in traffic-related fatalities. The study was conducted by D. Mark Anderson, a Montana State University economics professor, and Daniel Rees, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver.
DeleteIn looking at state-level data from sources such as the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Anderson and Rees discovered that states that had legalized medical marijuana saw an average of a 9 percent decrease in traffic deaths.
"We were pretty surprised that they went down," Rees told the Denver Post.
In an attempt to explain the results, Rees said that the passage of medical-marijuana laws likely resulted in young people consuming less alcohol in favor of using marijuana.
"The result that comes through again and again and again is [that] young adults ... drink less when marijuana is legalized and traffic fatalities go down," Rees told the Post.
Every now and then, Tinybuck outdoes himself.
DeleteThe above post is a perfect example...one of the most ignorant and ill-informed ever on this forum.
Marijuana and domestic violence??? Difficult to believe that anyone can live in 21st century America and not know what happens when you smoke a little weed.
I've never defended alcohol use or consumption.
DeleteAfter I get in my 5, I'm about as high as I want to get.
Wait until people start crashing into each other in cars, people will quickly change their tune about cannabis.
Pot and alcohol share a couple of characteristics: they can make people stupid and annoying. I was listening to a morning radio show in Los Angeles some years back, and a pothead called in about something or other. He was unintelligle:
Delete"Uh, yeah, like, I think . . . um, well you know, it's like . . ."
One of the hosts cut him off, and asked, "How many have you smoked this morning?"
"Three."
"That's enough," replied the host, and hung up on him, to the relief of thousands of listeners.
As for alcohol, I cite drunken college freshmen as prime examples of stupid and annoying. Sad to say, I was one.
"unintelligle": unintelligible. I promise I have not been smoking pot, and will not. I have not been drinking. Yet.
DeleteI have spoken with Dr. Campbell regarding professional matters by phone and by the sound of his voice he does not appear to be as old a Moses. I might also add that he responds promptly.
DeletePhargo, A/K/A Bob, A/K/A BUFFCOACH, studies like the one you cited usually don't have enough cross references to be valid.
DeleteThe data represents itself. The conclusion may or may not be true. Even the person doing the study stated: " Rees said that the passage of medical-marijuana laws likely resulted in young people consuming less alcohol in favor of using marijuana." "Likely" is a qualifier just like "usually" as in "the one you cited usually don't have enough cross references to be valid."
DeleteNicotine is a toxic poison,
Deletebucky. Should there be a law against ingesting toxic poisons?
"Cross references"? Once again, Tinybuck reveals his ignorance to be as vast as the universe itself.
DeleteStab, I must admit, sad to say, that I too was one of those stupid and annoying freshmen, to the point that my institution of higher learning invited me not to return for a reprise.
Somehow, my sons managed to avoid that pitfall...no credit to me, I'm sure...but my younger son did describe a "party" that he observed after a Wake Forest football game:
"There were about 600 of them, and they were doing antiphonal singing...about 300 would throw up, and then the other 300 would answer."
The boy is a credit to his musical upbringing.
Who in hells bells would chose an online name like 'BUFFCOACH'? Jeez.....
DeleteNicotine is a horrid substance.
DeleteI just have that cigarette in Obama's mouth for effect.
DeleteOT, I'd say your son is indeed a credit to his upbringing, antiphonal barfing indeed, sound and sight to behold.
DeleteThat is "buff" as in "toned, muscular." Buffcoach was applied to Bob by the athletes whom he coached for them for fitness at UNC. He remains toned and muscular even at his advanced age.
DeleteLet's be careful with that "advanced age" business. I know that Bob is younger than I am, because he went to West, which did not exist when I graduated from high school.
DeleteOne of my friends likes to tell a story about the time when his granddaughter asked him "Grampa, how old are you?" His reply was "How old do I look?' hurriedly amended to "On second thought, don't answer that."
Yes, I am more advanced that Bob, in terms of age, myself, and I come much closer to resembling my advanced age than Bob does to his.
DeleteYour story about your friend and his grandchild reminds of the surly Pontiac dealer in a rural community who generated an owner relations case. A customer called inquiring about a part price. The dealer, who was also the parts manager, priced the part.
Apparently, the price was high. The customer questioned the price, finishing with, "You must think I'm stupid." The dealer replied, "You sound pretty damn dumb to me." The customer hung up, found the number for Pontiac Motor Division and complained.
Pontiac's District Service Director for the area was a friend of mine, told me about the case. He said he tried to persuade the dealer to apologize, but the old coot never would, speaking of advanced age.
I just hope Bob is not a pot head like Rush seems to be. That would absolutely 'crush' my high opinion of him.
Delete"Nicotine is a horrid substance."
DeleteMore from our vast storehouse of ignorance.
Nicotine is the prime ingredient in a series of drugs currently under development that might aid in the treatment of two of our most horrific mental debilities, schizophrenia and Alzheimers.
But then, remember what my mother used to say: "Consider the source."
Giving the police the 'finger':
ReplyDeleteSwartz was arrested after he reached his arm out the passenger side of a vehicle and over its roof and gave the finger to a local police officer after he saw the officer using a radar detector. Swartz and his wife, who were not speeding or committing any other traffic violation, then continued to the home of the wife's son. Once there, they got out of the car, and a police car arrived, its lights flashing, the appeals court said.
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Swartz was arrested and later sued for unlawful arrest. He won in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.
Swartz, like Rush, is another Vietnam War brain surgeon.
If women took up arms to defend their reproductive RIGHTS, the GOP would immediately demand gun control.
ReplyDeleteTwo days in a row for Deb. She also wrote: "I love you Louie Gohmert on her facebook page." Goober voted for Allen West as speaker of the House.
ReplyDeleteClinton soars, Palin plummets in most-admired survey. I wonder if that is the same Palin that democrats are "terrified" about?
Senator Barney Frank, hmm, has a nice ring to it and he just might get that appointment to take John Kerry's Senate Seat. Bet the Republicans wish they hadn't dished Susan Rice now, lol.
ReplyDeleteI doubt it. I don't think he has the stellar reputation that he does with the gay community.
DeleteRemember, Barney's boyfriend was running a bang a 'back end' business out Barney's Washington apartment.
I love you Louie Gohmert? Wow.
ReplyDeleteWell, you have to realize that if you combine Deb's and Tinybuck's IQs, you would almost get up to zero.
DeleteI said over a year ago that the Republican primaries would be wildly entertaining, but who knew that all of these freaks like Goober and Paul Broun of Georgia and Todd Akin of Missouri and Dana Rohrabacher of California (who has some interesting theories about dinosaur flatulence)would crawl out of the swamp to keep the entertainment going.
And we got some new ones in the new Congress as well, such as Markwayne Mullin, Paul Cook and Ted Yoho, all of whom voted for Allen West, who is no longer in Congress, for Speaker of the House. You gotta love Mullin’s first name.
Then there was Albert Peterson, a wealthy Washington, D.C., defense contractor, who was so distraught over the prospect of Obama possibly winning his presidential bid that he shot and killed his wife and two young sons; then took his own life. This was before election day.
And Eric Dondero, a well-known political blogger who has vowed to banish all of the Democrats he knows in his life, including family members. The day after the Obama won, the conservative wrote:
"Starting early this morning, I am going to un-friend every single individual on Facebook who voted for Obama, or I even suspect may have Democrat leanings. I will do the same in person. All family and friends, even close family and friends, who I know to be Democrats are hereby dead to me. I vow never to speak to them again for the rest of my life, or have any communications with them. They are in short, the enemies of liberty. They deserve nothing less than hatred and utter contempt.”
Next to these, Deb and Tinybuck are fleas on a monkey's butt.
Rush, you're nothing more than scrotum sweat.
DeleteThey're like the Bourbons...they've learned absolutely nothing.
DeleteI used to like you for some strange reason Arthur. Don't get on my radar.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWell Arthur, if you recall Tinybuck's former nickname...
DeleteA dunce is one who is incapable of learning...it's not that they don't want to learn...they are simply incapable of doing so.
And we have living proof right here on this forum, because no matter how much good information gets posted, Tinybuck keeps posting the same ignorant nonsense...we could make him an honorary Bourbon.
Zut alors! I don't know why you'd get out of joint about being compared to Charles X. He's kind of a marginal figure. One of my profs had a good line about him: "Never before did the crown of France rest on an emptier head."
DeleteThat's our boy, all right.
DeleteGood afternoon folks! 2 weeks of winter down, 11 to go.
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: Very good responses from the good Dr. Campbell. Always nice to begin with a knowledgeable LTE based on facts instead of fanciful opinions based on fear.
LTE 2: Oh, wow, 2 for 2! Another knowledgeable LTE from someone who should be sitting on the school board, but was passed over for an ideologue who may not have even been able to pass Mr. Newton's class. When the infamous "47%" are paid enough to raise their AGI above $0.00, then they will have less than their paid in amount refunded back to them. Btw..the amount withheld from the paychecks goes to pay the govt. bills, so the idea that they contribute nothing simply because they get the entire amount withheld back is an absolute lie.
LTE 3: "A ban or even restriction on assault rifles would be ineffective because there are so many already in the hands of citizens." - that's the general consensus. "The problem is not the weapon but the mental illness and our failure to deal with it." - Actually, the problem is that there are many with an undiagnosed mental illness or become unhinged due to enormous stress in combination with a series of personal setbacks who already own a gun or in a position to obtain one and reach a point of doing the unthinkable to others or themselves. Half of the 30,000 gun deaths each year are suicides. Unlike a physical illness, it can be very difficult to notice when a person is having problems coping with a mental illness. Other times, such as with Hayes or Cho in VA, it may be obvious that the person is in trouble and treatment is sought, but there is a breakdown in the mental care system that allows the person to escape without treatment. In either case, it's simply not possible to determine when or if someone is going to "snap" until the person actually does. Turning the US into a police state with armed guards at every corner isn't the answer either.
Sum it up: Based on the appointees and brief looks at the freshmen legislatures coming in, I'd say NC is perfectly positioned to fail spectacularly. Get used to 10% unemployment being the new norm for this state.
California's guns sales are going up, and they have been for some time. Yet injuries from guns are down over 20%, and deaths are down 15%. So much for a liberal's take on reducing gun violence by reducing the number of guns.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50138189n
States with medical marijuana have had a 9% drop in traffic fatalities.
DeleteI'm sure that was some half-baked study Phargo. I'm talking serious CBS investigative reporting here my brother.
DeleteThe dismal jobs situation in America is even worse for young adults, who are suffering an unemployment rate 30 percent higher than the national average of 7.8 announced by Washington Friday.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Generation Opportunity, which charts unemployment for Millennials aged 18-29, the rate is 11.5 percent and a shocking 22.1 percent for younger black Americans.
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It's always better to be young and stupid than to be old and stupid. You can usually outlive your stupid mistakes-Bucky.
By way, Obama thanks you for your vote.
As always, Chicken Little chicken shit from the master:
DeleteYouth unemployment, especially among blacks and Latins, has always been higher than the overall rate. The current statistics are in line with the past 10-15 years.
The highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression occurred in 1983, during the reign of the Great Reagan, at 10.4%. A year later, it was still at 8%, a year later it was at 7.3%.
President Clinton inherited the 7.3% rate, which then fell every year during his administration to a low of 4%. The rate then rose under Bush to 5.8%, sank briefly back into the 4s during 2006-7, then began its meteoric rise to 9.7% in 2010.
Since then it has dropped to 9% in 2011, 8.3% at the beginning of 2012 and has now reached 7.8%.
We will never see 4% again, in fact will be lucky to see 6%. With low tech jobs departed for foreign shores, getting and keeping a job in the US will require significantly more education than before. Those unwilling to get that education will get left behind.
Education has always played a role in unemployment. The current unemployment rate for those without a high school diploma, which makes up the bulk of those unemployed in the 18-29 group, especially minorities, is nearly 30%. For those with a high school diploma, it is in the low teens. A high school diploma will never again lead to a middle class job as it did when manufacturing was the main source of employment.
The current rate for those with some college or an associate degree is about 7%. For those with technical associate degrees or a bachelors or above, the rate is 3.9%.
In the early going of the Bush recession, women outperformed men when it came to getting reeducated to find new jobs. But lately, men have wised up and have reversed that trend.
In mid-2010, the men's rate was over 10%, while women were at about 8%. But that gap has steadily decreased. Last year men got almost 90% of all new jobs, and just a few days ago, for the first time since the crash, men had a slightly lower unemployment rate than women.
The dismal jobs situation in America is even worse for young adults, who are suffering an unemployment rate 30 percent higher than the national average of 7.8 announced by Washington Friday.
DeleteAccording to Generation Opportunity, which charts unemployment for Millennials aged 18-29, the rate is 11.5 percent and a shocking 22.1 percent for younger black Americans.
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All that BS you posted doesn't change the facts that are listed above. Haaar Haaar.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Delete"Haaar Haaar."???
DeleteTinybuck cuts and pastes a mindless rant from a crackpot website (as always, without crediting it) and thinks that he has said something. The website is the Washington Examiner, published by a small circulation free "newspaper" owned by Denver billionaire oilman and evangelical loony Phillip Anschutz.
One wonders what it is that compels some people to take pride in their own ignorance and stupidity to the point of repeatedly parading it on public view.
Dr. Campbell's LTE is well written and sensible. As for the armored car, given the drivers around here, he's better served operating it in this area.
ReplyDeleteMakes one long for an APC. In Viet Nam a convoy of them would get in the middle of the highway and go roaring along, forcing civilian traffic and even our spiffy weapons carriers onto the verge.
DeleteOne day an ARVN APC came flying around a corner and broadsided a huge dump truck which the Army, for reasons never revealed, was using to transport a large number of chickens.
Suddenly, there were chickens everywhere, with the street children on them like beagles after a rabbit.
I talked my way into spending a day with a couple of National Guard armored platoons in the mid-90s, rode a couple of times in an M1 tank and once in an M2 Bradley AFV. The M1 would be my choice for transport, rode more smoothly than any other vehicle I ever sat in (and I was a Mercedes service director in past years). And that was over rolling terrain at Ft. Bragg. The M2 was another matter. I left it sporting a bruise on my back.
DeleteI also watched the M1's target practice. I stood about 50 feet behind them. The blasts from their main guns ( M68 105's--these were early series M1's) were the loudest noises I have ever heard.