Pubdate: Sat, 14 Jul 2012
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388
Author: Kimberly Decker

ON 'STATE'S RIGHTS'

Look, I support medical marijuana. Heck, I support marijuana period, 
whether for medical purposes or just for plain fun. But I can't help 
but feel a little uncomfortable with invocations of "states rights" 
as a defense of medical marijuana laws.

After all, wasn't it "states rights," more or less, that North 
Carolina just used to deny gays and lesbians their right to marry? 
And didn't the Deep South cry "states rights!" when they fought to 
keep little black kids from attending the same schools as white ones?

I understand and appreciate that the ends in these situations are 
very different from those in the current one. But is it safe to use 
the same means? I don't know the answer, but I think it's worth considering.

Kimberly Decker, Burlingame
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom