Religious leaders must take action against drugs: Paul Chabot

By Paul Chabot

What if all of America’s religious leaders spoke out, united, about the damaging effects to children and communities from drug legalization efforts? What if America’s churches asked their members to focus volunteer efforts in their local streets to address our nation’s epidemic of drug use?

What if the tens of thousands of religious leaders could empower their flocks; the estimated 100 million to take action for this noble and worthy cause? A lot of good could happen!

Most crime is drug-related, including gang activity. Child abuse, poverty and so many other societal issues are traced back to drug use. Yet, there is little concerted effort to rally our citizens, elected leaders and leaders of faith, to what should be a common cause for all. However, in July of this year, Pope Francis spoke out against drug legalization saying, “A reduction in the spread and influence of drug addition will not be achieved by a liberalization of drug laws.”

According to Reuters news, Pope Francis took an unequivocal stand against legalization as a means to fight drug addiction and criticized the trend in Latin America to decriminalize narcotics.

Drug legalization in America is so much more than “drug legalization.” Citizens need to understand that the effort to legalize drugs is a clear and present danger to the values and morals of a free society. The big-money people behind drug legalization have grander ideas in mind once they turn our great nation into their vision of America.

This nation’s people have been desensitized to marijuana. We were first told it’s “medicine,” and once the general public became soft on pot as medicine, the pro-drug lobby expanded its reach to outright marijuana legalization. This past year, both Colorado and Washington voters gave the thumbs-up to pot. At this rate, 20 years from now, we could be looking at a very different America — one where all drugs are legal.

According to my friends at Drug Free America, “legalization will increase crime and other societal costs. Approximately 75% of children in foster care are placed there because of parental substance abuse. Sexual assault is frequently facilitated by substance use — some experts put the number at over 60%. The U.S. Department of Justice found that 61% of domestic violence offenders also have substance abuse problems. Would drugs be legalized for use by adults only, and if so, how can we ensure children don’t get them? If marijuana, for example, were legalized, it would be marketed like tobacco. Perception of harm would decrease with everyday ad placements undermining years of drug education and prevention work.”

Very few church leaders are addressing this issue with their membership while some in Congress and state legislatures are moving forward with drug legalization agendas.

Faith-based leaders from all sectors must become engaged. They must educate their membership and speak loudly and clearly.

God’s army here on earth is enormous and I pray we can find the courage to fight the good fight. This is a battle of Good vs. Evil. It will not be easy. The other side is vicious and will attempt to tear you down. They will curse you, your family and attempt to destroy all you love. They mimic the very effects of what drugs do to a human being.

Martin Luther King said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” If those of faith do not engage in this moral battle, it will be our children, and our children’s children who will bear the burden of that inaction.

Time is short. Without you, we will fail. Therefore, we pass the torch to the faith-leaders to guide us all. Pope Francis has given his direction. It’s time to lead, my friends.

Paul R. Chabot, Ed.D, MPA, is president of the Coalition for a Drug Free California and author of “Eternal Battle against Evil” (www.battleevil.com)

The Obama Administration is Responsible for Teaching a Generation how to Lie so they would abuse Marijuana

By Alexandra D. Datig

After a lengthily wait of more than eight months, it was only a few days ago the White House finally announced that the Department of Justice would not seek legal interference with Colorado and Washington State’s recreational marijuana laws.  Of course not.  Interference with the will of voters would be dictatorial and unconstitutional, yet not interfering with prevention is barbaric and stupid! 

I do wonder, at what point the Obama Administration is going to fess up to the realty that they have been going along with teaching a generation of young people and adults how to lie about marijuana use by calling recreational use "medicine."  That is how we got legalized recreational use in Colorado and Washington State in the first place!  The Department of Justice and the White House refuses to see the hazards of caving in to the pressure of the drug lobby and their the red herring called medical marijuana.   But let’s face it, the damage has been done and it is irreversible. 

For the sake of social truth and mental health, can we please stop making liars out of recreational marijuana users who lie and claim a false illness in order to obtain a doctors recommendation so he or she can get high on pot?  I can’t take this ridiculous charade anymore!   Why do we have to be so duplicitous about this issue?  It's like the blind leading the blind!  What’s wrong with just telling it like it is? Win or lose.  The entire country is being manipulated into believing that it is perfectly fine to obtain marijuana by lying about an illness for at least 90% of users who do not have a serious illness!  Kids are watching and adults are downplaying the reality that lying about drug use is somehow okay. 

Legalizers may still be shown the door and will lose elections, but they would be better served if they just were honest about their intentions.  “Marijuana is better than alcohol” does not validate the dishonest so-called medical aspects of obtaining marijuana.  Making liars out of our young people in order to push a political agenda is cruel and oppressive.

There are several sides to the argument of marijuana.  Some have purpose, some do not.  One:  Yes, there should be medical marijuana for people who need it who are critically ill.  Two:  No, marijuana should not be sold out of dispensaries to sick people.  It should be made available through pharmaceutical methods that are laboratory tested and safe.  Three:  If people would rather go home and light up a doobie at the end of the day, instead of having a glass of wine or a beer then SAY IT AND STOP LYING!  What kind of an example is our government to our young people by condoning this outrageous lie?  When people get addicted to pot and have to go to treatment, the first thing they have to do is come clean with him or herself about lying to obtain a doctor’s recommendation to get medical marijuana?  And then they will realize the reason they thought it was okay to use marijuana was because their government caved in to legalization advocates and political donors like George Soros, running a pay-for-play game at the cost of our citizens health and prosperity.  Worst of all it was a scam built on a lie designed to fool a generation of young people.  If this is not an abject failure of leadership and transparency, then what is? 

The Hill: White House: Obama Not Ready to Back Legalized Marijuana

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that President Obama does not "at this point advocate a change" in how marijuana is classified, despite believing that targeting individual pot smokers was "not the best allocation for federal law enforcement resources."

"The priority in terms of the dedication of law enforcement resources should be targeted toward our drug kingpins, drug traffickers and others who perpetrate violence in the conduct of the drug trade," Earnest told reporters.  The statement comes as Colorado and Washington await word on how the Justice Department will respond to passage of laws in each state that legalize the sale of marijuana. The practice is banned under the federal Controlled Substances Act.  

It also follows a column earlier this month from CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, who apologized for dismissing the medicinal benefits of the drug. Gupta was widely reported as under consideration for nomination as surgeon general after President Obama's election in 2008, before ultimately removing his name from consideration.  “We have been terribly and systematically misled for nearly 70 years in the United States, and I apologize for my own role in that,” Gupta wrote.

Earnest said he was not sure whether Obama would be willing to take administrative steps to make it easier to conduct medical tests of marijuana.  "I'm not exactly sure steps are required or what changes could be implemented into the law to have an impact on marijuana research," he said.  But the White House spokesman wryly acknowledged that the subject garnered lots of interest.  "For some reason I have the sneaking suspicion that this is going to draw me all kinds of traffic on Twitter," Earnest quipped.

Source:  www.thehill.com