End marijuana prohibition in California?

The Abrupt Limits of Glenn Beck's Understanding
Lew Rockwell.com Blog - William Grigg - February 26, 2009

I'm as grateful as anybody that Glenn Beck has used his media platform to give exposure to Ron Paul and others who understand the ongoing economic apocalypse. And occasionally Beck, who calls himself a libertarian (but who seems more of an authoritarian populist), has ventured respectably close to a genuinely radical critique of the Regime.

Alas, therein lies his problem: He's still hung up on being "respectable" in some ways. For example, he still doesn't subscribe to the fundamental libertarian premise of self-ownership with respect to the substances people voluntarily consume.

Like most other conservative authoritarians, Beck apparently cannot understand the principle involved here, or why some people like myself who neither smoke nor drink nor take drugs of any kind would want to end the murderous fraud called the War on Drugs.

As the following interview with Rob Campia of the Marijuana Policy Project demonstrates, Beck -- a former alcoholic and drug addict -- is not willing to endorse an end to the stupid, senseless, destructive policy of drug prohibition.

As several observes have noted, Beck the prohibitionist comes off as the one who's on some kind of controlled substance, while Campia -- who has to endure Beck's palpable condescension (first question: "Do you smoke marijuana, Rob?") and constantly misfiring attempts at humor -- is composed, rational, and in command of the facts:






CIVICS NEWS Comment: Grigg's reference to "self-ownership" might need clarification. From a Christian perspective (and Grigg is a Christian), I am a mere creature, and God is sovereign over me. And so I do not own myself in relation to God--I am owned by God. But God gives me stewardship responsibilities and the free will to use my life, my time, my resources, and even my very self the way that I choose (hopefully in a worthy manner that glorifies the Creator).

Here's the key: no other human being has any legitimate say regarding the choices that I make as a sovereign individual. Self-ownership relates only to my fellow man. Nobody else owns me and dictates how I utilize the stewardship responsibilities that God has endowed me by giving me life, liberty, property. No one can use coercive force to compel me to behave in a way that they think is best.