Pot and Guns?

[Ben Lamb]

Don,

regardless of the rest of this discussion, I am really happy for your son. That's a major accomplishment & he should be really proud of his work to get there. it isn't easy, and it takes a mountain of self-discipline to not fall back into something your entire being is trying to trick you into.

 

[Don Fischer]

It's more complicated than that my dude! It is not only a medical condition but it can be brought on by various socio-economic issues, among other things.

A good example of that are the victims and families of the Residential School System here in Canada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_system

Some of the survivors were face with years of abuse, neglect and experienced continuous traumatic events. The victims lost their identities, culture, language, etc and thrown into a world they knew nothing about and left to starve/die. Some of these individuals later on in life turned to drugs and alcohol as a way to cope in a system/society that treated them like crap and didn't believe what had happened to them was real, and even if it was nobody cared because they were indigenous. In turn, some of these affected individuals had children, these children's lived in families/communities riddled with addiction issues and crime. The kids, were now growing in a similarly messed up environment and so did their children, and so on. Obviously not saying this happened to all of them, but we still see it today in our communities. I see it a lot when I respond to medical calls, the grand parents are gooned out of their mind, they called 911 for their child who are having a medical emergency due to drugs/alcohol, all the while the patient's kids are just chilling watching mom convulsing on the ground with a look on their face saying "bruh, trust me I've seen worst".

It's easy to pass judgement when you are not affected by it.

I am affected by it. I made my choices, and those people can either make another choice on their own, which they have, or live the way their poor choice makes them live! You do nothing to help people with problems like these by patting them on the back and telling them it's not their fault.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Addiction IS A CHOICE! If not, my son wouldn't be working on it now, he's over one year sober. I know two other people that are recovering from alcohol addiction, neither has had a drink in over 40 yrs now, IT IS A CHOICE! Don't feed me the oh poor me crap that allows it to continue. People should except the return on bad choices they make!

You are not the only one to experience mental health issues. There is little scientific doubt that addiction is a chemical brain activity that some are more susceptible to than others. Addiction is NOT a choice. The Choice is how to respond to the addiction. My sympathies to your son for the Affliction of addiction, but kudos to him for making the Choice to combat it.

 

[Don Fischer]

Don,

regardless of the rest of this discussion, I am really happy for your son. That's a major accomplishment & he should be really proud of his work to get there. it isn't easy, and it takes a mountain of self-discipline to not fall back into something your entire being is trying to trick you into.

Thank you, Ben. He's thrown himself into it and when he faulters with it he gets a talking to about it from his sick father and several other family members. Nobody is saying the road is easy but regardless the road you take is still a choice!

 

[MTGomer]

Don,

regardless of the rest of this discussion, I am really happy for your son. That's a major accomplishment & he should be really proud of his work to get there. it isn't easy, and it takes a mountain of self-discipline to not fall back into something your entire being is trying to trick you into.

Took an Uber ride Saturday night from someone that was addicted to heroin and homeless just over a year ago. He has a house, a new car and is 100% sober now.
For whatever reason he told me the entire story in detail. Pretty inspiring really.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Thank you, Ben. He's thrown himself into it and when he faulters with it he gets a talking to about it from his sick father and several other family members. Nobody is saying the road is easy but regardless the road you take is still a choice!

That choice needs to have a ton of support, and I'm really glad to hear you are part of that awesome support network.

 

[Don Fischer]

You are not the only one to experience mental health issues. There is little scientific doubt that addiction is a chemical brain activity that some are more susceptible to than others. Addiction is NOT a choice. The Choice is how to respond to the addiction. My sympathies to your son for the Affliction of addiction, but kudos to him for making the Choice to combat it.

Got me there. Addiction is not a choice but, BUT, how you deal with it is. I will not sit back and tell you, you have a problem but if your willing to work on it I'm willing to help! If you have cancer you can get help or not, it's a choice! Having caancer is not a choice, how you deal with it is! If your a drug addict or alcoholic you can get help or not, it's a choice, tuff choice but still a choice. Don't excuse these people that won't make a good choice, doing that you slam everyone that made a good choice!

 

[VikingsGuy]

Don't excuse these people that won't make a good choice, doing that you slam everyone that made a good choice!

I agree folks are accountable for their choices, but we cannot always readily judge those choices as situations are different. Someone may have mild depression that would respond readily to anti-depressants, great medical insurance, supportive family, strong incentives to get better and feel hopeful (kids, good job, etc). A second person may have profound depression along with an anxiety disorder that makes asking for help almost impossible, a form of depression that does not respond well to routine anti-depressants, have little to no financial resources and no real reason to believe tomorrow could be better (no family, no job, multi-generation poverty). Certainly, they both have a choice in theory, but in practice, those choices (and the ability to act on those choices) are extremely different.

Our mental health system is broken - hard for even the high functioning and well-off folks to navigate, let alone the profoundly ill and limited-resource populations. As a small-government conservative, I have no trouble shouting from the rooftops that our drug and homelessness problems are the symptoms of our inability to solve for mental health, addiction, and multi-generational poverty and NOT the moral inferiority or laziness of others. Of course, I have little confidence in government spending to solve any of this - but until our society privately or publicly figures this out we should expect no improvement - and shame certainly achieves nothing but boosting the ego of the shamer.

 

[SaskHunter]

Got me there. Addiction is not a choice but, BUT, how you deal with it is. I will not sit back and tell you, you have a problem but if your willing to work on it I'm willing to help! If you have cancer you can get help or not, it's a choice! Having caancer is not a choice, how you deal with it is! If your a drug addict or alcoholic you can get help or not, it's a choice, tuff choice but still a choice. Don't excuse these people that won't make a good choice, doing that you slam everyone that made a good choice!

I don't think we're making excuses, breaking the stigma surrounding this issue, much like mental health, and exposing the realities many face is what I'm trying to do anyway. All that to say that you don't chose to be an addict, but like it's been said above; continuing to use whichever substance is 100% a choice. Having a support system and the willpower to overcome your addiction is key. Very few people can do it on their own and everyone who overcomes their addiction or mental health issues has my respect, it takes guts to face and beat your own demons.

Now don't get me wrong, addiction or mental health issues are in no way excuses to do as you please and be a menace to your fellow citizens.

Back on the subject, smoking a bowl shouldn't make you a criminal.

 

[Don Fischer]

I don't think we're making excuses, breaking the stigma surrounding this issue, much like mental health, and exposing the realities many face is what I'm trying to do anyway. All that to say that you don't chose to be an addict, but like it's been said above; continuing to use whichever substance is 100% a choice. Having a support system and the willpower to overcome your addiction is key. Very few people can do it on their own and everyone who overcomes their addiction or mental health issues has my respect, it takes guts to face and beat your own demons.

Now don't get me wrong, addiction or mental health issues are in no way excuses to do as you please and be a menace to your fellow citizens.

Back on the subject, smoking a bowl shouldn't make you a criminal.

One of the problems with depression is the idea that you are mentally ill, hard to accept. Support groups are great but not always there. Anytime anyone want to talk about it, here I am. One hard thing to get around with people that have issues like that is not excusing their behavior but getting them to do something about it, only they can do that.

Get where you are coming from now! It is the stigma of some things that make it hard to deal with. It took me years to come to grips with the idea I was mentally ill. But I also believe responsibility for my choices falls on me alone. Until they can accept that, they will never overcome it. My ex-wife is an alcoholic and I did get her into a program with the help of my doctor. They convinced her she was simply a problem drinker. A few years after we were divorced she finally decided to quit drinking again. She doesn't get the problem. she doesn't drink anymore but one drink can start it all over again. Her mother was an alcoholic, both her sisters are, her brother was and her son was. her brother and her son are both gone. She's just a problem drinker! Two distinct different personalities. Sober she was the best thing that ever happened to me and drunk the worst!

Sorry, sort of, if I get to carried away by these things called addictions, they have been a big part of my life and those people that get the addiction in hand deserve the better life they have. those that don't, are living the life they choose.

 

[mtmuley]

Some people have a couple beers or a whiskey. Some people smoke some pot. Big F-ing deal. And, they do it without addiction. mtmuley

 

[44hunter45]

Since the dawn of time, pottery 101 students have been making really ugly bongs that ultimately get left behind when they move out of their dorm rooms and into their first group home which has 14 people in a 4 bedroom craftsman that is in desperate need of asbestos removal and much, much better fire alarms thanks to that jackass who lit an everclear infused watermelon on fire and then slung it around the whole damned kitchen, ensuring you'd never get your damage deposit back.

Or so I've heard.

Nasty and Inebriated

 

[44hunter45]

@Ben Lamb - I had no idea you went to school at U of Idaho?

And if I had to guess, living in those apartments on Taylor Avenue behind A&W.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Nasty and Inebriated

I want my $70 back. That was my 1/10 share of the damage deposit!

 

[morley.tyler]

And if I had to guess, living in those apartments on Taylor Avenue behind A&W.

I woulda guessed Otto Hills, but Hell, we're in the same neighborhood!

 

[Don Fischer]

Some people have a couple beers or a whiskey. Some people smoke some pot. Big F-ing deal. And, they do it without addiction. mtmuley

Nothing I see wrong with that but even then booze and drugs don't belong around guns till the guns are put away! Guy that finishes up shooting and puts his gun away then has a beer made a choice, the right one!

 

[jt13]

Around here you can drink, operate firearms, and hunt as long as you're under .10 BAC. Possession of marijuana is still illegal regardless of amount, whether hunting or not unless medicinal. While hunting, medicinal marijuana is legal to possess but not use.

Enforcement of "being under the influence" of marijuana is tough. Not as cut and dry as alcohol due to the lack of breathalyzer and blood tests aren't as reliable in distinguishing level of impairment.

I'm personally of the opinion that operating firearms while under the influence of marijuana or alcohol in any amount should be illegal. However, use of these drugs shouldn't prohibit the ability to purchase or own a firearm.

 

[DouglasR]

I don’t think you should be able to operate firearms while you’re under the influence of psychoactive drugs like caffeine or nicotine

 

[morley.tyler]

I don’t think you should be able to operate firearms while you’re under the influence of psychoactive drugs like caffeine or nicotine

I'm out.

 

[BackofBeyond]

And if I had to guess, living in those apartments on Taylor Avenue behind A&W.

Pretty sure I ruined someone’s damage deposit there, back in the day.