Pubdate: Fri, 30 Mar 2001
Source: News-Sentinel (IN)
Copyright: 2001 The News-Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.fortwayne.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1077
Author: Leo Morris
Note: Leo Morris for the editorial board

THE GORED-OX EFFECT

It's interesting how people will often abandon an apparently strongly held 
philosophical position when it collides with a real-world issue they care 
deeply about.

Over here, we have the left, passionately committed to the federal 
government's wisdom and largesse, especially when it comes to support of 
"the arts." But then comes Congress, saying libraries and schools that 
won't put approved Internet "filters" on their computers won't qualify for 
federal help in getting connected to the Internet. Outrageous! howls the 
left. This is an issue on which local people have the "expertise" to know 
how best to control what children have access to -- there is no federal "role."

And over there, we have the right, which distrusts the federal government 
and thinks states and local communities should have more power to decide 
their own fates. But then come a few states, led by California, that want 
to pass laws allowing for the medicinal use of marijuana. Unacceptable! 
thunders the right. Why, this is just an attempt to circumvent the 
marijuana prohibition so that everybody can use that dangerous, evil drug. 
Besides, these are federal statues involved here -- the states have no 
right to supersede the mighty central government.

It's worth noting, on the filtering issue, that no one seems to be arguing 
that children should have unrestricted access to everything. The only 
question is who is best able to determine what they should see and how best 
to get the job done.

And none of the marijuana-as-treatment opponents seem willing to argue that 
the drug should never be permitted for legitimate medical needs. They 
merely argue that there is no such thing as a legitimate medical need -- 
anything marijuana can do, a legal drug can do better. Of course, the 
marijuana proponents have doctors who testify otherwise, so logic would 
dictate that the question bears further investigation.

In fact, a clear appraisal of both issues, rather than an attempt to 
determine whose ox is being gored, would suggest that these are areas where 
the evidence is likely to become less clear the more accumulated knowledge 
is left unexamined. On Internet access and marijuana access alike, there 
are legitimate opinions on both sides. Let the debates continue -- and the 
federal government tread lightly.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart