The above article was not up to your usual ’standards’ according to the paper’s editor. While we applaud her candor, it is funny how ’standards’ apparently have developed a new meaning, depending on the prevailing wisdom of the occupiers of our press rooms.

Mr. Kellogg, don’t you get it? It’s okay to editorialize glowingingly about the current costly and destructive ‘revolution’ in America. A far-left writer for the Post Independent did just that a few months ago, on the eve of the’revolution.’ (Oh, but it was ’spontaneous’ wasn’t it?)She was excited and hopeful! No censorship there, my friend; that’s ’sound reasoning’.

Remember this: on Thanksgiving, the Post Indepedent’s staff all contributed their personal testimonies of thankfulness. Two gave a special thanks to the OWS movement including Tahrir Square. Were they ever schooled in the original and sacred meaning of our American Thanksgiving? What a disgrace!

Thanks for taking this on, James; we know you’re up to it!

Betty Scranton, Organizer
The American Patriots of the Roaring Fork Valley

I’d suggest you or any readers do some additional research via the internet though. Make sure to approach it with an open mind. I did last year and I went from being on the fence to accepting it as viable. Others may disagree. That’s okay.

Legalization and it’s effect on the children:

Seems we could get a decent idea of drug use trends with regard to the youth by examining countries/territories with lax drug laws. The Netherlands and Portugal come to mind. Their liberal drug laws don’t seem to have been a cause of complete chaos. The Netherlands actually has a lower teen drug usage rate than the U.S. and surrounding areas in Europe. Why is this? Can’t say for sure. Might be because it’s well regulated and available in coffee shops, therefore less people feel the need to bring it out of said coffee shops.

In the same vein, a Google search shows that states that have enacted medical marijuana usage have seen a decline in usage among adolescences. Why? Maybe it’s all about not making it taboo. Maybe kids are lying about their usage for whatever reason. Who knows for sure.

Traffic Accidents and Marijuana per the NTSB:

I’d be interested to read the report on that. “Pot is a factor in as many accidents as alcohol.” It’s possible. Marijuana surely causes impairment. I’m curious as to whether the NTSB is able to be 100% sure if marijuana is a contributing factor in an accident though. If they are doing blood tests, etc. it should be known that marijuana can stay in your system for weeks. I want to know if the NTSB is counting people who toked up a week or two ago prior to the accidents, or if they are inflating the numbers just a little. Clearly, if someone has alcohol in their system they’ve been drinking fairly recently.

Marijuana as a Medicine:

Not here to debate which uses are appropriate (though if you look hard enough on the internet people will tell you it’s a cure-all). This is about Cannabis the plant vs Marinol. Cannabis the plant has at least 85 cannabinoids — The things which make you high, but also can have medical benefits — plus it is easy to grow and can be used ingested in various manners (smoking is most likely the worst). Marinol is a prescription drug which only has one cannibinoid (THC) and is EXTREMELY expensive.

That’s really all the effort I care to put into this topic tonight. Thank you for reading my little diatribe.

I enjoyed your article dated July 19! Thank you for putting, in print, the clear math of our debt situation.

I am part of the partly unemployed number in this valley. My husband and I are able to continue to live during lean times because we saved during times of plenty. We did use Dave Ramsey’s method and are thankful he came into our lives. Living within our means is the lesson here that needs to be taught Congress before they go any further.

Thank you for what you’re doing.

Mary Ditlove