Monday Morning Musings

Happy President's Day. I almost forgot it was a holiday. I liked it better when we celebrated Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday on separate days. It gave us an opportunity to remember the contributions each made to our country. Here are some interesting facts about George Washington.

Now that the frigid weather has gone away here in Texas, I took the opportunity to get my plants out for some fresh air and sunshine. My daughter and her husband came to help with that and some other chores, and we had a great time working together. Even my dog, Poppy, wanted to help.

These are only a few of the plants that "wintered" in my sun room.

Two big debates are going on in Texas right now - legalizing marijuana and the fallout from the Missouri football player, Michael Sam, stepping out of the closet. Dale Hansen, a Dallas sports announcer, came out in his own way in support of Michael Sam, defending the young man's right to play ball and not be banned because of his sexuality.

Response to Hansen was immediate and viral, with a mix of positive and negative. What bothers me is the tone of the negatives, spoken or written with strong does of "disgust" and "fear". One letter to the editor in the Dallas Morning News asked how Hansen, a heterosexual, might feel "in the shower with a homosexual man."

I guess that is a fair question if you think every gay man is always looking for the next sexual encounter. But wouldn't the football players have a lot more on their minds than that?

The fear and disgust associated with homosexuality have influenced public thinking for centuries, and it is past time for the focus to stop being on sexual intimacy. I don't care what gay men and gay women do behind their bedroom doors, nor do I care what straight men and women do. Maybe if we stop obsessing about that, we will discover we have nothing to fear from our gay neighbors or coworkers.

Regarding the "Reefer Madness", Mark Davis, a Dallas Morning News columnist came out strong against legalizing marijuana, challenging readers to name one, just one, "societal benefit" that could come from legalization. The readers didn't disappoint and here are just a few:

Legal markets eliminate the violence associated with the illegal sale of drugs.
Legal markets could be controlled for safety.
Legal markets generate tax revenue.
Legal markets greatly reduce prison populations and allow police to focus on more serious crimes.

And I will add one of my own. Legal markets make it easier for people to purchase marijuana for medicinal purposes. People I know who have suffered terribly during cancer treatment were forced to break the law for relief. That should not have to happen.

What do you think about legalizing the sale of marijuana? Did you know it is not as addictive as alcohol? The Committee on Drugs ranked marijuana 8th.  on the list of most dangerous drugs. More facts can be found via the Drug Policy Forum of Texas.