I am going to make a fearless prediction about this:
The White House on Thursday announced a new way it will keep in touch with public concerns — by promising to consider online petitions that get at least 5,000 supporters.
The idea behind “We the People” — as the program will be called — is that anyone with an idea or cause can go to the White House website and make a public pitch for support. If the idea gets 5,000 backers within 30 days, said White House spokeswoman Sandra Abrevaya, a “working group of policy officials” will respond.
I predict that the number one issue that will succeed in getting 5,000 supporters will be pot legalization. It seems like this is what happens whenever the political parties pretend to give a crap about what ordinary folks care about. Personally, I have other interests at the top of my list, but I don’t know anyone who thinks we should treat casual pot-smoking as a serious crime. I’m not advocating smoking marijuana. But I think you undermine respect for authority and the rule of law when you have laws that no one respects or wants to see enforced. Legalize pot and tax it. Use the revenues to help petty criminals deal with their substance abuse problems and to give them work-skills so that they can be productive members of society. Empty the prisons of drug offenders and put them through the training/rehab program.
I bet I can get a million supporters for a well designed plan like that.
