How About A War On Dumb?
Tommy Chong's in jail for selling glass pipes to pot smokers, writes Deroy Murdock:
Prosecutors were not impressed that his Nice Dreams Enterprises marketed a morally neutral product. Chong's pipes, after all, could be used with loose-leaf tobacco, just as any stoner in an Armani suit can smoke pot in a lawful Dunhill meerschaum.In fact, as the Los Angeles Times reported October 10, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Houghton's court pleadings sought Chong's harsh punishment because he got rich "glamorizing the illegal distribution and use of marijuana" in films that "trivialize law enforcement efforts to combat drug trafficking and use."
Chong must have wondered when such activities became criminal. Perhaps the FBI now will arrest Sean Penn for hilariously smoking grass in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Then they can handcuff Denzel Washington for portraying a crooked narcotics officer in "Training Day."
As Murdock writes at the end of his piece, "An honest, national debate on the War on Drugs in general ñ and its uniquely idiotic marijuana phobia in particular ñ - would be a welcome development in the sad history of this national fiasco."
Yikes! 1200 law enforcement people devoted to rounding up 54 glass blowers and shipping clerks? The cops are always giving me the impression they're understaffed and overworked. I guess when it comes to dangerous glass pipe makers, they pull out all the stops. Just for the comparison, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Crime never had more than 30 cops on the payroll at any given time. I guess now we know who the government thinks are the real dangers to society.
Wally Fay at October 24, 2003 7:40 PM
A war on dumb? Amy, you're asking Bush to attack himself.
Patrick at October 24, 2003 8:43 PM
I especially like when the Santa Monica police think they need three police cars to pull over some 5'4" blond soccer mom in an SUV, like she's some gang hag or something.
Amy Alkon at October 24, 2003 11:49 PM
Wait -- is Amy actually complaining about people in SUVs being harassed?
Surely the cops should do that MORE often?
LYT at October 25, 2003 1:27 PM
I'm personally waiting for the War on Weather. Those hurricanes and floods sure are spendy.
Riboflavin at October 25, 2003 2:27 PM
How about a war on dumb names like "Deroy Murdock"? Reminds me of a comment I overheard a drag queen make one night on Christopher Street: "Honey, if my motha name me Oprah, I slap her!"
Lena Cuisina at October 30, 2003 12:03 PM