Dangerous

Mr. President, I don't agree with you much, I admit. I don't like your insurance fiasco, I don't like your stance on immigration reform, I think your administration has been one big comedy of errors after another. Benghazi, Guantanemo, and "you can keep your policy" are just a few of the examples, among many. To be frank, if it weren't for the thought of Mrs. Clinton being elected in 2016, I'd look forward to the day when you were gone from the White House. I'd thought I'd heard it all from you, but now you go one step further. I now wonder if you have any idea whatsoever of what you're doing.

Let me quote you here, so there's no mistake.

"As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don't think it is more dangerous than alcohol."

Excuse me? Not more dangerous than alcohol? Do you have ANY idea how dangerous alcohol is? If not, please be patient while I educate you just a tad.

First, if all 17 million people who admitted to driving drunk had their own state, it would be the fifth largest in the United States*. Larger than every other state except Alaska, Texas, California and New Mexico. That's a big state, Mr. President. That's A LOT of people driving around drunk. Maybe, if you're lucky, we can have another state that big filled with people who are driving around while stoned.

Second, drunk driving costs each adult in this country almost $500 per year. I know you're a millionaire and all, and so don't really think much about 500 puny dollars, but the rest of us middle-class people still consider $500 as a big sum of dough. I'd rather keep that in my own pocket than shell it out for someone who's too self-important to get a designated driver.

Third, on average, one in three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime. If you consider that there are about 300 million people in this country right now, that's about 100 million people involved in drunk driving accidents. One hundred million! With that many people involved, some of them are bound to be children. Do you think some of these dope smokers will be crashing into children, too? You bet your sweet bippy they will.

Now, for some "sobering" statistics. Every single day in America, on average, another 28 people die as a result of drunk driving accidents. In 2012 alone, 10,322 people died in drunk driving crashes. Mr. President, that's one every 51 minutes.

So, let's assume you're right. Marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol. Let's assume they're about the same. So now you're saying that we'll have to shoulder the burden of 20,644 people dying every year, or 56 people every day, because of alcohol and marijuana use? What you're saying is that since sticking your head in a moving dryer is no more dangerous than sticking your finger in a wall socket, it's ok to do it? Oh, STD's like Syphilis aren't nearly as bad as AIDS, so don't worry too much the next time you're in a red light district. Maybe I'm stepping too far out on this limb, but you see my point, don't you? Marijuana use, just like alcohol use, is dangerous, and it will kill people.

And what kind of message do you think you're sending out to our kids? How about to your own kids? Yes, I know you said that you consider it a "bad habit" and "a vice", but that all depends on what your definition of "is" is, doesn't it? That excuse worked for another, hopefully less-scrupulous President. You shouldn't try and let it work for you, too. Call marijuana use what it is, Mr. President. Dangerous.

*All stats from MADD

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