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News & ArtsThursday, December 23, 2010
Drugs Did Pat Robertson Just Announce That He Supports the Legalization of Marijuana?
Posted by Brendan Kiley on Thu, Dec 23, 2010 at 8:44 AM
Yes. Yes he did.
"We're locking up people that have taken a couple puffs of marijuana and next thing you know they've got 10 years with mandatory sentences," Robertson continued. "These judges just say, they throw up their hands and say nothing we can do with these mandatory sentences. We've got to take a look at what we're considering crimes and that's one of 'em."I'm ... I'm not exactly for the use of drugs, don't get me wrong, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kinda thing it's just, it's costing us a fortune and it's ruining young people. Young people go into prisons, they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That's not a good thing."
Well, well President Obama and Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske. You are now on record as being to the right of Pat Robertson on the drug war. Unless you're playing some kind of sneaky DADT game where you're vilified because you say you're to the right of something when you're quietly working to end that something... or something.
Either way, when it comes to legalizing pot, you're either fer it or again' it. Pat Robertson is fer it.
Then again, he also routinely blames natural disasters on atheists and homos and Haitians (who, according to His Patness, collectively "swore a pact to the devil" and invited the earthquake). So let's not say he's on our side of the drug debate. Let's just call him a structural weakness on the other side.
1
Holy shit. Pat Robertson and I... agree on an issue. I can't believe he has sensible thoughts in his crusty old noggin. He's still a villainous douche, but at least he ain't all bad.
3
No, no he did not. He is in favor of decriminalization. He didn't say anything about legalization. Still, I'm happy to hear it.
7
Brendan, do you have any resources for understanding the anti-drug political forces? It seems to me that when an official government policy is so unchanging from administration to administration, it's because there's a powerful outside influence calling the shots on it.
10
I... Ummm... wow...
This is painful. It almost makes my teeth hurt to say this, but for the first time in 40+ years, I actually sorta partly agree with Pat Robertson on something.
Mind you, he immediately follows up with a plan to privatize drug rehabilitation via Christian prayer, just to insure he can continue to line his pockets with the new decriminalization he proposes. So never fear that he is being wholly selfless on this subject.
This is painful. It almost makes my teeth hurt to say this, but for the first time in 40+ years, I actually sorta partly agree with Pat Robertson on something.
Mind you, he immediately follows up with a plan to privatize drug rehabilitation via Christian prayer, just to insure he can continue to line his pockets with the new decriminalization he proposes. So never fear that he is being wholly selfless on this subject.
11
#10:
I knew there was a money angle. No way Pat Robertson goes for this if it isn't in his financial interest. The guy invested in diamond mines with the war criminal ex-President of Liberia (while telling the suckers who watch his show he was sending aid to victims of the Rwandan genocide).
I knew there was a money angle. No way Pat Robertson goes for this if it isn't in his financial interest. The guy invested in diamond mines with the war criminal ex-President of Liberia (while telling the suckers who watch his show he was sending aid to victims of the Rwandan genocide).
12
Bullshit.
All he really means is that there are too many heterosexual white Christian men being busted. He doesn't give a shit about Latinos or blacks, especially if they've converted to Islam.
All he really means is that there are too many heterosexual white Christian men being busted. He doesn't give a shit about Latinos or blacks, especially if they've converted to Islam.
14
@11, yeah. I'm actually assuming this is Robertson's way of announcing his investment in the Mexican cartels.
17
If Congress ever passes law to legalize marijuana, wouldn't it be great idea to name it the Robertson-Holden Act?
20
Are we in the Twilight Zone? Did something happen during the eclipse the other night? Is this the first sign of the apocolypse?
Between this and the "Respect Authority" video, my day has become very surreal already.
Between this and the "Respect Authority" video, my day has become very surreal already.
21
Um, I may be misremembering, but I was under the impression that Pat and his ilk were the ones pushing for those mandatory minimums back in the 80s...
And even if I am wrong on that, trust me, Pat Robertson is still a dick.
And even if I am wrong on that, trust me, Pat Robertson is still a dick.
22
@21 yes, and so were the current pro-growth city council here, who were mostly elected to stop growth in Seattle.
So?
So?
23
@22, I defy you to name any member of the city council who ran on a "stop growth" platform. Ever. You're a zero, and an off-topic zero at that.
Have a fucked Christmas, Will.
Have a fucked Christmas, Will.
24
@22: So? So Pat Robertson is a fucking dick. I'm pretty sure I said that. What the fuck are you talking about?
25
Anyone check recent arrests in Virginia for a youngish "Robertson"? Sounds like a grandson or great-grandson got busted.
27
And the NY Times gets it wrong on decriminalization/legalization, too. Looks like The Stranger isn't the only business dreaming of potential advertising revenue. FWIW, sounds like he's retracting to a "sentence-reform" stance.
Statement to the NY Times from spokesperson Chris Roberts:
“Dr. Robertson did not call for the decriminalization of marijuana. He was advocating that our government revisit the severity of the existing laws because mandatory drug sentences do harm to many young people who go to prison and come out as hardened criminals. He was also pointing out that these mandatory sentences needlessly cost our government millions of dollars when there are better approaches available. Dr. Robertson’s comments followed a CBN News story about a group of conservatives who have proven that faith-based rehabilitation for criminals has resulted in lower repeat offenders and saved the government millions of dollars. Dr. Robertson unequivocally stated that he is against the use of illegal drugs.”
Statement to the NY Times from spokesperson Chris Roberts:
“Dr. Robertson did not call for the decriminalization of marijuana. He was advocating that our government revisit the severity of the existing laws because mandatory drug sentences do harm to many young people who go to prison and come out as hardened criminals. He was also pointing out that these mandatory sentences needlessly cost our government millions of dollars when there are better approaches available. Dr. Robertson’s comments followed a CBN News story about a group of conservatives who have proven that faith-based rehabilitation for criminals has resulted in lower repeat offenders and saved the government millions of dollars. Dr. Robertson unequivocally stated that he is against the use of illegal drugs.”
28
If Obama would grow a brain, and decriminalize the drug HE HAS SOLD IN ORDER TO PAY HIS RENT, it would make the unpaid tax cuts for the rich pill that much easier to swallow. I'm curious though, if Obama came out in support of decriminalization within the first few months, would the right still feel this way? I saw a video where Beck called to support legalization, BECK! I'll take my allies where I can get them, I'm suspicious that this is just another thing they want to be the opposite of Obama on, but if that means I and everyone else I know gets to walk into a store, show my ID and buy marijuana from a dude down the road, I don't care. Get it the fuck done, or I'll take it as an obvious sign that leaving the democratic party was still one of the best political decisions I've made.
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