tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post3888796552018365409..comments2023-10-23T12:23:54.134-05:00Comments on Larry James' Urban Daily: Inner city kids and our culture. . .Larry Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124477733714017000noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-17500602334553140722007-03-14T18:48:00.000-05:002007-03-14T18:48:00.000-05:00We walk-it then we talk-itWe talk about advantages...We walk-it then we talk-it<BR/><BR/>We talk about advantages of the 13 year old car we drive, <BR/>and the "almost paid for house",<BR/>we tell the truth, "it came from a Thrift Store" when we're complemented on a possesion,<BR/>we model how you can live without debt, we pay cash.<BR/><BR/>It's not glamorous, but speaking about the benefits of "owning" as opposed to "being owned by" is a legacy my g-ma gave me, and I have passed on to my twoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-72115850751935254502007-03-14T16:14:00.000-05:002007-03-14T16:14:00.000-05:00A couple of things. First, owldog, it is my under...A couple of things. <BR/><BR/>First, owldog, it is my understanding that all of the students were Hispanic.<BR/><BR/>Second, the issue here is not drugs. The issue is hopelessness in the face of consumer/material expectations as communicated by the entire culture. The question for urban youth who are poor remains, "How can I be 'somebody' as defined by the America I see, watch and know?"Larry Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06124477733714017000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-8926358883036508212007-03-14T15:32:00.000-05:002007-03-14T15:32:00.000-05:00We have legalized drugs, we call them pharmaceutic...We have legalized drugs, <BR/>we call them pharmaceuticals. <BR/><BR/>Understand the dynamics of <BR/>the body's chemistry and mental illness, then look at drug and alcohol addictions.<BR/><BR/>Having money = having insurance, a psychiatrist and a pharmacist.<BR/><BR/>No money = having a dealer and an addiction.<BR/><BR/>cynthia o.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-64879417016447784592007-03-14T14:19:00.000-05:002007-03-14T14:19:00.000-05:00I agree with Justin at least in the case of mariju...I agree with Justin at least in the case of marijuana. I think the net effects of such a move would be beneficial for our society and economy. It can be grown in the US which would give struggling farmers another cash crop and possibly allow us to reduce farm subsidies. It would help reduce violence in the border towns, because it would no longer be lucrative to smuggle it across the border. The reduced demands on the criminal justice system and revenues from taxes could be put into programs aimed at treating drug addiction as a disease, not a crime. Lessons learned from litigation in the tobacco industry and strong regulation from the beginning would probably make large corporations reluctant to market marijuana aggressively to new audiences. I don't think marijuana use would dramatically increase because there would still be strong social disapproval, just as there is for smoking.dmowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01973580062988114747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-46654762564121559782007-03-14T11:56:00.000-05:002007-03-14T11:56:00.000-05:00I'd say one of the first things we need to do is l...I'd say one of the first things we need to do is legalize drugs. When they are legalized (and regulated and taxed by government) there would be no black market profits for anyone, which would cut down on gangs and turf wars defending their drug territory. When alcohol was illegal, white gangs formed and organized crime went nuts. Prohibition is never the answer.mundiejchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17029540431840334762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-398240521618400172007-03-14T10:07:00.000-05:002007-03-14T10:07:00.000-05:00There's a great chapter in the book Freakonomics a...There's a great chapter in the book Freakonomics about the economy of the inner city drug trade. It opened my eyes to the reality.wwwAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com