A History Lesson For President Obama

[winstonwolf]

From The Defining Moment, Jonathan Alter's book about Franklin Roosevelt:

The quick amendment to the Volstead Act is one of the least appreciated elements of how FDR changed the country's psyche during the Hundred Days. Although formal repeal of Prohibition would not come until the end of the year, beer parties were held all over the country starting in March [1933]. At 12:01 a.m. on the first dayof legal beer, a Hawaiin guitarist drew a crowd as a truck from Washington's Abner Drury Brewery pulled up at the White House with a sign: PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, THE FIRST BEER IS FOR YOU. In Times Square, bands played "Happy Days Are Here Again." H.L. Mencken,tipping a few in Baltimore, decided that maybe Roosevelt wasn't so bad after all. "Something was happening immediately! Bars were opening overnight, with every other beer on the house!" recalled the author Studs Turkel, explaining how the news played for a young man growing up in Chicago. "In the midst of the Depression it was a note of hope that something would be better."

 

[JBonez]

yeah, weve been saying that for a while now man.

Obama doesnt care about pot, we all know that. Its a political pitfall for him to back something that so many conservatives hold so much disdain for.

But its all cool, they go home and drink, tie one off somehow, they are the hypocrites.

 

[winstonwolf]

I realize that I'm going to be in the minority on this but I'm actually quite hopeful about what might happen in the next few years. Obama, in allowing his justice department to say it won't prosecute if state laws aren't broken, is framing the issue in a way that just might diffuse Republican opposition. At the end of the day, the economic case might finally make the difference.

 

[chefboyrd420]

I agree. I think (and he's said) Its definetly not one of his top priorities, but he also said he wouldn't waste federal funding on busting people for pot. In a way his tolorance is the first step. If he suffucates the departments that enforce these bullshit laws by cutting thier funding back, it will make a difference eventually. Hopefully, even americans who dont smoke will realize what your saying. I saw an NBC special not to long ago about a dispensery in CA that paid about a mill in taxes in a year. It would create a **** load of jobs(thats what I would do). :watchplant: Release people from addictions to perscription drugs that permenetly wreck your brain. As of now Im just a laid off constuction worker(for almost a yr!) with anxiety problems. Not lazy either, have a degree in my field that has no meaning right now. If pot became legal to the public, we would all have jobs doing what we love.:heart: Keep the faith....... and the patience....... soon we will overcome.