Questions, Always Questions

It is another Friday, thankfully.  I have been fighting a head cold since Tuesday.  Storms do a number on my sinuses.  So the posting has been a bit sketchy this week (well more sketchy than usual anyway).   I count my blessings though, especially after watching the news and seeing the effects the storm had one others.

Okay, to the election.  To the stuff that really will make a significant difference.  The ballot questions,  Question 2: Death with Dignity is the first one today.  I understand it, I agree with the concept.  I honestly don't know which way I am going to vote at this point.  

Why do I agree with the concept?  There are certain decisions in life, including when to end it that should be left to an individual.  Do we want to make it so easy that it can be done on an impulse?   No, at I least I don't want it that way.  

Where I get troubled over the question, on both sides of the issue really, is at what point does one determine when it may or may not be appropriate.  There are many forms and level of pain, just as many people have different tolerance for different levels of pain.

I understand the request has to be made twice, at least 15 days apart.  If the doctor tells you you have 6 months to live and your immediate response is I want to end my life, does that count as the first request? Should there be some required type of counseling?

Is the six months to live period right?  I have known people given that diagnosis who have lived years longer.  I have also known people to die within a week of such a diagnosis.  

The only thing I truly hope everyone does when deciding how to vote is to read not only the summary, but the full law.  Then do a little research on the pro and con arguments.  Then make an informed decision.  

Question 3, medical marijuana.  As conservative as some of you may think I am against this question. 

However I am not against this question.  You might be surprised at just how socially liberal I am. Truth be told I often assume a devil's advocate position.  Part of the reasoning for that is I believe issues needed to be hammered out.  A part of it is also, as I have been told, I have a bit too much of the devil in me.

But I digress ...

I still need to check a few things out before I decide firmly which way to vote. That being said, quite frankly, I fail to see the realistic fight against the use of a drug that does in fact have medical benefits.  

The reality though is the data does exist that such laws have a tendency to create a host of other problems.  If I were in such a lazy mood this morning I would dig up the link to the previous blog on this.

Still have to deal with that sticky issue of it being against federal law, but hey, why nit pick.

On the whole though, I can't see voting against it.   Pot does help people, or so the other data indicates.

I could veer off and give you my personal take on the whole drug war, but it isn't relevant to the question here.  It really isn't.  It is a drug with benefits for people who need it.  Its use could in fact help some to decide not to take the death with dignity step.  

Will there be abuses if enacted?  Absolutely.  Is that a reason not to do it?  No.

I have to add that I do get a kick out of authorizing "not for profit" organization to grow, possess and distribute the stuff.  Every time I see the term "not for profit" used for such purposes it makes me cringe.  

Make no mistake about it, an industry will be created out of this.  There may not be any stockholders/investors reaping the dividends, but a whole bunch of people are going to make a whole bunch of money off of it.   

Every not for profit corporation operating and providing services for "compensation" be it private pay or state subsidies should be required to publish salaries and compensation figures for officers, directors and upper management.  

You would get a real big kick out of just how much money many social service "not for profits" really make.

But I digress.

I am still most probably voting "yes" on Question 3.

Okay, that's all the screen writing I got in me for this A.M.  Take care.  Be safe.