First, in Boycott Kellogg’s news: I’ve added a new feature to the boycott, an idea I stole from 2004 when people were posting “I’m sorry” photos to the world for George W. Bush’s re-selection. Registered Stashers can now send in a photo (moderated) expressing their newfound dislike of Kellogg’s products. Maybe if they see real people trashing their products we a) keep the story in the media for a while longer, b) educate stoners as to which favorite munchies are Kellogg’s products, and c) have a little fun while we do it.
Now, here’s some notice of Lee Stranahan’s petition by Andrew Sullivan, the blogger at The Atlantic. I haven’t gone after the John Harvey Kellogg biography because I didn’t find it as relevant as the Phelps DUI angle.
Heh. My own commitment to boycott Kelloggs was weakened a little by the fact that the Phelps contract was expiring anyway. But the prissiness of all this is really galling especially when you consider that
a quick Wikipedia search shows the founder of Kellogg’s – John Harvey Kellogg – was a total frickin’ weirdo who believe in putting children’s genitals in a cage to keep them from playing with themselves and also believed in yogurt enemas.
via The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan (February 07, 2009) – A Pothead Petition .
Andrew Sullivan can always be counted on to have a distinctive take (“My own commitment to boycott Kelloggs was weakened a little by the fact that the Phelps contract was expiring anyway.”)
But AS’s take is wrong. This is NOT about Michael Phelps. This is about adults being able to do non-harmful things in their own homes. In your own home, a person has a zone of privacy: they can smoke a cigarette, down a six-pack, or engage in any number of sexual practices. By similar reasoning, they should also be able to smoke cannabis.
Look, we don’t want the government in our private lives.
Responsible adult marijuana use is nothing to be ashamed of. It shouldn’t be illegal. Grown-ups who use cannabis responsibly should NOT be stigmatized. We demand tolerance. We demand equal rights. We demand to be left alone.
Michael Phelps is just incidental to the situation. I don’t particularly love the guy. Between his underage DUI, his apology despite having done nothing wrong, and his excuse about being “youthful,” I think the guy is arguably a jerk, and certainly not a hero.
Kellogg’s thinks that potheads are easy targets. They think we’re marginal, hated, and won’t fight back. Truth be told, we’re sick and tired of the derision, of being closeted, of having no rights.
Phelps is unimportant, a tool. Freedom is what’s important. The right to do what we want, provided we’re not hurting anyone, in our own houses is what we demand.
Adult cannabis users aren’t criminals. And we won’t shut up about it until the Federal Government finally agrees with us.