Published: March 30, 2008 12:01 am            

WOLCOTT: Swerving from the indignation of the marijuana people

LOCKPORT — Marijuana people jumped all over me for being naive, misinformed, a government apologist and holier than thou. Don't marijuanalists know that when cut, journalists bleed? We have thin skin just like normal people.

My inclinations were to back off or laugh it off, but one reaction went to my heart and another to my funny bone. I felt like the kid who was punched in the mouth, tasted blood and decided to retaliate.

The person who quoted me as writing, “I don’t want to take part in a stoning, hitting the sinner while he’s down with rocks, jeers and judgment,” was right for criticizing me with a one-liner — “But, for our benefit, you will anyway.”

I got a kick out of the fellow who wrote, "Marijuana is not addictive. I've been using it for years."

The response that gave me pause was the one that blasted me for passing moral judgment. How dare I?

The moral majority hasn’t been allowed to do that since the 1960s. In 50 years, it’s become the moral minority. Hedonism has won. If it pleasures you, do it.

Fornicate, abuse drugs, be greedy. If it makes you happy, it’s good. You are what’s important.

But, if you are so precious, why do you give your body over to anyone? Why to you give your mind over to drugs? Why do you give your soul to the devil?

I know. Moralizing is out. Kids don’t want to hear about sin. I’m not sure “sin” can be said in schools. No one wants to read a Sunday sermon.

I’m hesitant to stand at a pulpit, because sure as heck, my sins will jump up and bite me in the behind. But I shouldn’t be afraid to say, “That’s wrong.”

When 25 percent of American girls have STDs, when drugs are decaying the fabric of our society, when greedy CEOs are walking away with millions while the rest of us can’t afford to see a doctor, someone should say: “IT’S WRONG.”

Are the hedonists happy living on the pleasure principle? Can they get enough sex, can they stay high, can they have enough toys?

I wasn’t looking to fight marijuana people when I wrote about a teen who was so whacked-out he killed a 67-year-old newspaper carrier in a hit-and-run accident. I wanted to point out that when there is a marijuana arrest, it’s often because the driver was swerving to the other side of the road or found a ditch.

I wanted to show my outrage that our system has forced senior citizens to take jobs like delivering papers in the middle of the night.

The marijuana people are free to put up their dukes, write anything they want on e-mail. It’s free, easy and anonymous. Best of all, no bloody lips.

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott

at 439-9222, ext. 6246.

        

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