Titanic Post

The following are my notes from the Forum on Substance Abuse held by the Otero County New Mexico Chapter of PDA June 25th – Ken Nicholson

The Otero County chapter of Progressive Democrats of America hosted a panel discussion on the substance abuse situation in the county. Panel members Dr. Gil Heredia, physician and chair of the Otero Libertarian Party, Sharon Hodges of the New Mexico Department of Health, and Ken Larson, Certified Peer Specialist and Recovery Mentor presented a comprehensive survey of the drug problems we are facing in Otero County to an interested audience of local activists. Al Kissling of PDA NM was the moderator.

Dr. Heredia said that the so called “War on Drugs” was having a more devastating effect on our community than the actual use of drugs. He cited the emphasis of the drug war being on law enforcement and leading to incarceration rather than treatment and rehabilitation. When those caught in the system have finished their time, they are released back into the community, still addicted, without the root of their situation being addressed. Heredia noted the high cost of incarceration versus treatment. Also, drug crimes are crimes against oneself and not directly against the community. He said that if drugs were legal, market forces would pressure dealer profits, and the supply of drugs would dwindle. One community activist added that the prison industry has lobbied for mandatory minimum sentences to the benefit of the private prison industry while removing judges’ discretion. (more…)

by Amy Goodman
As the media coverage of the Democratic presidential race continues to focus on lapel pins and pastors, America is ailing. As I travel around the country, I find people are angry and motivated. Like Dr. Rocky White, a physician from a conservative, evangelical background who practices in rural Alamosa, Colo. A tall, gray-haired Westerner in black jeans, a crisp white shirt and a bolo tie, Dr. White is a leading advocate for single-payer health care. He wasn’t always.

He told me in a recent interview: “Here I am, a Republican, thinking about nationalizing health care. It just went against the grain of everything that I stood for. But you have to remember: I didn’t come to those conclusions with lofty ideals of social justice.” (more…)

I have a friend who has an aversion to motorcycles. Now I can understand this in part, because, even though I am a rider, there are certain kinds of motorcycles that I don’t like either. Foremost among those are those street legal racing bikes that are sold to any fool who has the money. Some of these bikes have a top speed of up to 180 miles per hour. The riders, squids in protective T-shirts and 1800 cc egos, some sporting stickers boasting, “Loud Pipes Save Lives,” are subject to a Darwin-like attrition rate, yet they are still in the gene pool.

I have the same ambivalent feelings about these kinds of bikes as I have about assault rifles. I believe that anyone should have the right to own one as long as they are as wise and responsible as I. You can see the problem with that one very easily, because if I had one, I would surely want to see if it really would go that fast or shoot that many bullets so fast. Other bikes I don’t particularly like are the pretentiously stylish ones. I pretend that I’m not pretentious and therefore ride a “sensible” ugly bike. (more…)