I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t wake up to a cloud of pot smoke and glitter snuggling the city, but I’m still pretty happy about the laws. Both gay marriage and marijuana become legal in Washington state today. No longer will people be barred from marrying the people they love because of the outdated religious views of others, and no longer will people (disproportionately minorities) be fined and jailed because they want to take a drug less harmful than alcohol while eating cheetos and watching Lord of the Rings (suggests a police spokesperson, haha).
Progress has been made for both liberalism and rationality today. Though I can’t yet claim that I live in the most liberal state until our ultra-regressive tax laws are fixed. Wait…does that mean I’m living in the most libertarian state? Aaaaaahhhhh!!!!
Oh well. Still beats living in Indiana.
These victories give me hope that all the chaos and clatter of American politics can indeed produce valuable results. The loudass wingnut maniacs are hard to ignore, but they don’t get to decide policy unilaterally.
My wife and I are having serious discussions about moving to Seattle in the next few years, prompted by these new laws.
This story makes me so happy. Mostly for the whole freedom and equality thing, but partly cause my fundy gawd-bothering brother just moved to Seattle and he is frothing mad with impotent rage over this. Be careful Washingtonians, my brother and his church are praying that this gets overturned, and you know how effective that is.
So with all of these sins and godless temptations now legal in Washington, what natural disaster will befall upon Oregon? Will it be a fire or an Earth quake? As it has been pointed out before, God is old and his eye sight is failing, which has resulted in poor aim and unusual punishments for those who are sin adjacent.
Fear and loathing
I am very happy about the marriage bill. Not so excited about the pot one (with my allergies, smoking never worked) but hey, as long as you don’t make me breath it, toke away.
@loreo #1 – Seattle has a lovely climate most of the year, although winters can take a bit of getting used to (it’s not cold or snowy for the latitude, but the grey days and the prolonged sense of it either having just rained or being about to rain.) The summers, though, more than make up for it, being warm rather than hot and 16 hours of sunshine around the solstice.
@Dave #2 – Always happy when a fundamentalist blows a gasket. Let me guess: he’s affiliated with Mars Hill (our local Talibangelical megachurch cult)? Or maybe Antioch Bible Church (home of the arch-homophobe Ken “I’m a diplomat!” Hutcherson?
@holytape #3 – Nope. Sin and vice in Washington == natural disasters in Wyoming. Oregon gets hit because of the sin and vice in Nebraska.
Actually since Washington and Oregon sit on the Cascadia subduction zone, a major earthquake is predictable. So the wingnut fundamentalists may get the exemplar of wrothful God’s punishment. The fact that there are non-theistic explanations won’t register with that crew.
The cynical me wonders if these advances will be exploited in a bread-and-circuses way to cover up some of the bad civil liberties things going on. Then again, the realist in me keeps saying ‘privacy is over. cope’
>>>and no longer will people (disproportionately minorities) be fined and jailed because they want to take a drug less harmful than alcohol while
This depends entirely on Obama. He has induced Holder to raid state-legalized medical marijuana facilities hundreds of times (counter to his 08 platform). Obama is no fan of state’s rights so this could be like in CA, where a businessmen can open an MMF with the mayor at the cord-cutting ceremony only to be arrested by Obama’s DEA shortly thereafter. It’s difficult to predict Obama’s actions.
http://reason.com/blog/2012/09/28/one-day-after-dea-raids-71-medical-marij
And Asians are (on average) arrested for drug possession less often than whites. The oppressed minority story doesn’t really fit Asians.
The Seattle Times has a nice video from the King County Court House: http://seattletimes.com/flatpages/video/mediacenterbc3.html?bctid=2015241974001
The question I have is directed at – not to – the prohibitionists who scream “Lock ’em up and let someone else pay for it!”
What happens in 2013/2014 after violent crime, hard drug use (e.g. cocaine, meth) and alcohol related crimes (violence, DUI) all decrease as do the costs of enforcement, prosecution and incarceration? Will they wake up to reality, or will they continue living in their dream world?
Given that there are idiots who still “think” that “abstinence only” is the solution to teen sex, I think it will be the latter.
And as a side note, it’s good to see another rain-soaked post from FtB’s resident Seattleite.
Congrats, Washingtonians.
Indiana still kind of sucks, yes, but at least we managed to avoid electing Mourdock. I’m going to cling to that as at least a hopeful sign.
Actually since Washington and Oregon sit on the Cascadia subduction zone, a major earthquake is predictable.
Volcanoes, dude. Mt. St. Helens blows up every century and a half and Mt. Ranier every 10,000 years, rough average. Plus bunch of others somewhere in between.
As for Federal enforcement of marijuana laws…the constitution says you are entitled to a trial in the state where the offense occured. So, just keep refusing to convict your fellow Washingtonians and you should be fine.
There’s personal libertarian and corporate libertarian.
There is a sort of libertarian that recognizes the community’s place in guaranteeing personal freedoms.
In the NYT:
>>>Should the Justice Department prevail, it would raise the possibility of striking down the entire initiatives on the theory that voters would not have approved legalizing the drug without tight regulations and licensing similar to controls on hard alcohol.
Obama: like most liberals, no fan of states rights
Seattle’s wonderful. Moved here 2 years ago, wish I’d done it 20 years ago.
It’s almost enough to tempt me to switch coasts. Almost.
Off topic, might these two recent posts indicate you’re considering a return to the blogosphere? I, for one, have missed you.
This has me on the fence about moving to Seattle once my enlistment is up. However, the concept of being farther away from any family than I already am, plus the lack of severe thunderstorms, (half of the pro column in Oklahoma, the other being low cost of living,) make it a hard sell. If only PA went for marriage equality and marijuana!
Awwwwww, now you’re just bragging.
I remember the time when same-sex marriage and legal pot were unthinkable in any state. My parents remember a time when racial integration, on a national level and taken for granted, was unthinkable.
Both major candidates for POTUS — both self-procalimed atheists.
Scott/Plait 2016!
Glad to see you writing again Jen. Don’t let the bastards run you out.
Seattle just made the short list for the wife’s retirement destination and I go where she goes.
It is hard being a liberal in the south. I call myself an independent to fool others. It is hard being an atheist in the south. I call myself an agnostic to ward off demonizing from evangelicals. It is hard being an equality supporter in the south. I tell others that they should live and let live to avoid confrontational hardships. It is great that Washington can flourish with progressiveness but please send a little down here will ya?
Obama: like most liberals, no fan of states rights
If states had rights, black people would still be slaves in eleven of them.
paul,
>>>If states had rights, black people would still be slaves in eleven of them.
Well obviously, but at least WA and CO would be able to smoke choom without fear of Obama’s anti-drug goons.
Its kind of hard for the executive branch to lead on these kinds of issues. There is all kinds of institutional inertia, turf wars between agencies, people with their pensions on the line looking to see if their job disappears. To fall back on the Slacktivist Creed… “It’s more complicated than that.”
Lou Doench,
I agree that any government agency fiercely resists being shrunk, but what is stopping Obama (who smoked pounds of pot and ran on walking back that element of the WoD) from calling off the dogs? This is his opportunity. He could even sell it as allowing people to have more local control (tres democratic!) It just seems like his kill-list greenlighting; his instinct is to grab more reins so that he has more options. The DEA is his baby and it’s in his power to selectively enforce federal law … which he’s already done in a high profile way.
we really enjoy your atheist blog
do a search for jen mccreight on youtube
it is the one about the mentally ill liars
A wild Mabus appears!
Jennifurret uses banhammer.
It’s not very effective…