COLUMN Illegal To Stay

From Paul Godinez's, "Word Up G," Fall '95 From Paul Godinez's, "Word Up G," Fall '95There are no greater errors in human relations than shortsightedness and miscalculation. A great facilitator of interest for Ivy Leaguers, the marijuana legalization bandwagon, is as erroneous as they come. The process of legalization, a monumental and irreversible step, has consequences far beyond the diminutive world of the Ivy League brat fighting for weed. Those upper class proponents on this campus fail to consider the detrimental psychological and social effects on the poor and, in the process, show their ignorance of their special place in society. Theoretically, organized crime will, poof, vanish like a fairy princess straight outta Disney. Law enforcement will lose all business, probably resulting in the cancellation of the America's Most Wanted, and the world can use all the paper they want now that the efficient hemp plant will replace the standby logging industry in paper production. I can just see all the tree huggers smiling. The greatest victory will, of course, be for Joe Q. Public. Individual rights win over pesky government intervention once again. And why not? The individual benefits from smoking, so why not let him/her make their own choice? Jay Miller of the American Civil Liberties Union, testifying before the United States Congress in 1978, asked the obvious question, "How can we continue to clog our courts prosecuting social behavior, which is impossible to control and which harms no one beyond the users, if even them?" What do those ruffled old politicians know about fun, anyway? After all, dude, you are no addict and are not at risk to the pressure of harder drugs if it is only marijuana. These bandwagon riders fail to consider what happens to the rest of America. Those upper-middle-class users have so many alternative, drug-free lifestyles to choose from. The poor do not, making them susceptible to drug abuse. Marijuana use can, and definitely does, lead to use of the harder drugs that cause the problems. The rich kids can access the best rehabilitation programs their parents' money can buy, while the poor kids, the highest risk group for drug abuse, do not. No one is talking about the deeper complexities of social change. The truth is no one else cares about the community as a whole. Everyone is just too happy being an individual. At this school, it is all about me, me, me. Who is setting the example for the youth of America to follow? It is the older members of Generation X. Everyone looks to the unsuspecting college students for the societal norms. Those Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90-whatever characters are not figments of the imagination. Most of all, the urban youth look to their richer peers not only for fashion tips but for social acceptance. Successful youth who use drugs recreationally project the image to the rest of the group that drug use can be socially productive. Poor kids who watch the successful lobby for legalization will follow en route, not knowing that their chances of escaping are far slimmer than their role models. The destruction of their lives through drug abuse is a horrible scar for society to bear but, really, it is a burden the best and brightest bring onto society. Legalization is more than free choice and popularity and law enforcement costs. It is about legitimizing a lifestyle that has a disproportionate impact on the different social and class levels of American society. Marijuana reaches beyond the immediate vicinity of the wealthy who partake of this collegiate ritual. It reaches down to the lowest of low who witness the use of drugs and misperceive it as a rung on the ladder to social acceptance. Until the deeper complexities of social change associated with legalization are addressed, debate must continue and no action should be taken. Maybe some lobbyist someday will present the magic social formula so that everyone is happy and drug abuse disappears with the setting sun. Until then, keep it illegal. Even deeper than illegal or legal, the dilemma is about assuming the necessary role of being a model for people to live up to. The Ivy Leaguers, this generation's best role models, are failing in this task. The picture of the best and brightest hung up on securing momentary gratification sends the wrong message. There are better causes to be striving for than to rally around some green, stinky weed. The culture makers of today and tomorrow inhabit the University, hoping to receive the education that will allow them to leave their own legacy. Let us hope that we have more to offer the world than this. The answer to the question who is a role model is an easy one. You are, punk ass.