No Reform

Today we got the news that the medical cannabis bill may not pass. One phrase that has been bugging me all day 'Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell warned: “Convicted drug dealers could secure a licence to supply cannabis.”'. I'll be honest here I'm in that category so maybe I'm more emotional about it, but let's break it down a bit.

People with experience shouldn't use their experience to work a legitimate job. That goes against any concept of freedom of employment and also the common sense of someone working in a field they're good at. Looking at how the government in the states has grown some of the worst weed known to man as reported by Vox governments have no idea what they're doing. How would you like your medicine made by someone who has no idea what they're doing? "Hello pharmacist give me 24 of your finest 'maybe paracetamol' and a pack of 'pin holes passion condoms', please". No I don't think so.

Let's also look at our TDs (Irish politicians) approach to people previously found guilty of crimes. There appears to be an attitude that criminals shouldn't have legitimate business or be a benefit to their society. Our representatives pick and choose who they represent. Should our representatives cause an 'us vs them' attitude in our society? This may seem acceptable to you right now but what if things changed, are you a smoker, enjoy occasional game of poker, like pornography or maybe have a vehicle with after market parts? Because all those things will come into the line of fire in the near future and then you're on the other side, the side that is reprehensible, morally corrupt and do not deserve representation from the people who take a percentage of your wages by force (don't forget, taxation is theft). That's why you need to be outraged by a politicians exclusion of a member of society no matter who they are.

Lastly I'll raise this, this concept that someone with criminal record shouldn't be allowed the same opportunities as someone who doesn't have a criminal record? Does this politician not believe that our criminal justice system is capable of reforming criminals? It's reasonable for them to believe so, what's unreasonable is that they have gotten in to a role that allows them to instigate changes in that area but they don't. Did they end up in a role they didn't understand?

What conclusion can we draw from that? A few things I can speculate, sheer ignorance developed by a sense of superiority. The concept they're better than others, with the nativity that's there's good & evil, that they're the good and only they can defeat the evil. Ignoble glory, to be a leader is to be a great person, surely they wouldn't have won the great democratic popularity contest if they weren't a great person, right? Finally, divide and conquer, politicians like this have something to gain while we're suspicious of each other. So what does Kate O'Connell need to hide or who is she hiding it for?