Public Opinion

If we have learned anything with this last candidate for the Drug Czar, public opinion will sway this President.  Granted, it takes a lot of out cry from us, but we can make a difference.  It also highlights the problems with Corporations and their financial contributions to candidates running for office.  The three Senators that crafted this bill all got six digit campaign contributions from big pharma.  The debate in Congress, from what I understand from a Congressman who gave an interview this morning, the main issue that was discussed to promote the bill dealt with end of life issues and making sure cancer patients got the opioid medications they needed.  Well if that is the case, they shouldn't have issue with DEA inspecting shipping containers, but the bill limits those inspections.

Please, please, please, keep informed on the facts and let your voice be heard!!!

As I said in my last blog, that I will be doing some things so I am announcing that I will be joining the Democratic Party.  I have to admit that I used to try to vote my conscience, but the Republicans have got way too conservative and, in my opinion, only care about business.  I mean if a corporation can be considered a person and campaign contributions are considered "free speech" they can drown out the voice of average citizens with money to the campaign..  I have read the Wyoming Democratic Party Platform for 2016 and agree with the majority of it.  Interestingly it begins with the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the  United States of America."

Now in our history when there was an outbreak of disease, the government stepped in to help people impacted by it, medicines were the commons during those times.  This was evident during the Typhus, influenza, and polio outbreaks.  I encourage all of you to look up how our government dealt with these issues.  I really don't see addiction as being any different.  I won't sit here and say we always did it perfectly, but it would be worth studying and improve upon what we have done in the past.  To me, that falls into the category of "general Welfare."

I do not plan to run for office, but I don't deal in absolutes so we will see what the future brings.  I do want to bring the ideas of needle exchanges and methadone programs.  I am for legalizing marijuana for now; ultimately bring other drugs into that category and following Portugal's plan for combating drug addiction.  Again, in my opinion and I have a lot of those, we should look to the rest of the world and see what is working and of course what isn't.  If we tax the marijuana industry we can pay for those programs as well as education for addicts to learn a skill if they don't have one. 

So if there is anyone who thinks the way I do, then lets band together, lets raise our voices and drown out the voices of those who would try and detour our efforts.

Thanks
Katie