Pubdate: Sun, 17 Aug 2014
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2014 The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://tbo.com/list/news-opinion-letters/submit/
Website: http://tbo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446
Author: J.D. Lynch
Section: Views
Page: 2
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n659/a02.html

STOP DOWNHILL SLIDE

Douglas MacKinnon's sober and instructive column, "Greed fuels rally 
for medical pot," followed by last Sunday's editorial, "Do voters 
want to unshackle pot?," were an outstanding one-two punch on the 
side of sanity.

Medical professionals oppose medical marijuana. Law enforcement 
professionals oppose medical marijuana. The Tampa Tribune has stepped 
up with integrity and intellectual honesty to oppose medical marijuana.

Where, one might ask, is the political class? You know, those from 
whom we hear so much.

Those who lie to us so often. Those who cannot resist spending and 
wasting so much of our money. When they run for office, they talk 
about "leadership." Their vaunted, experienced "leadership." When the 
going gets tough, we don't hear anything from them. They hide under 
the bed. Some might call it "leading from behind." Others would 
rightly call it cowardice.

Polls indicate that slightly more than 70 percent of the public 
believes that the nation is heading in the wrong direction - 
downhill, rapidly. They are right. A vote to legalize "medical 
marijuana" would serve to hasten that process.

The Tampa Tribune and other non-corrupted media outlets should press 
the politicians - local, state and federal - for their opinions. Give 
them the opportunity to really lead. Give them the opportunity to 
tell the public whether or not they want to lead the downhill slide 
or the return to greatness.

J.D. LYNCH, TAMPA
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom