Were you here, we might be discussing these subjects:
Some Marine have caused an uproar by urinating on their vanquished foes, apparently some Taliban guys. I believe the video went viral, as they say (they being the people who talk about stuff like videos going viral). The U.S., doing damage control, has concerns that it might appear to be disrespectful to Muslims. I guess the part where they killed them wasn't disrespectful. Somehow it seems like wartime bestows some sort of nobility on killing.
This book talks about how some Japanese soldiers admired the fighting spirit of some U.S. soldiers during World War II. So much so that one Japanese guy, right after killing an American, thought he must look that guy's family up after the war and tell them how bravely he fought. Hell, I admire the guy who toughs it out to the end, but I'm not sure pissing on these men was as bad as killing them. Out of respect for a worthy adversary, yeah, you might not want to urinate on them after the fact. But these guys have indiscriminately harmed civilians and might not be worthy of that respect. Anyhow, I digress. I guess the central question is whether it's worse to piss on somebody or kill somebody. Or piss on somebody after killing him. Or pissing on somebody before killing him. That's probably the worst, since then they're aware of being pissed on, which likely would really piss them off.
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I still don't understand why marijuana is illegal. at least not while alcohol is. A recent study found that marijuana smoke appears not to damage one's lungs.So, with the tobacco industry bucking up against hard times, I may have arrived at a solution: Let Altria, formerly Philip Morris and still a purveyor of Marlboros, and its ilk get into the game. Some tobacco fields in North Carolina and Virginia could convert to growing marijuana, the big companies could harvest it and I could go to 7-Eleven for a few joints. The government could collect tax revenue, and we'd have fewer problems at the border. In addition, people wouldn't be taking over remote tracts of national forests to cultivate weed. Then, when people smoked, they'd get hungry and eat a bag of Doritos. So it would be good for the economy because of the food we'd have to buy. And in my experience, people tend to think shit's funny when they get stoned, which appears preferable to getting violent.
With the Super Bowl coming up, and the accompanying wife beating, now would be a good time to consider this policy. At parties, stoned people wouldn't even care that the vegetable dip sucked, or even that it had vegetables in it. And instead of engaging in fisticuffs, they'd chill, man, or maybe play some hacky sack or even fall asleep. Everybody would win.
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This guy Haley Barbour, the outgoing Republican governor of Mississippi, recently decided to pardon a few people. Apparently working at the Governor's Mansion gives you a leg up if you eventually want a pardon for killing your wife or whatever, as eight of those who received pardons seem to have done. What was he thinking? Take this guy David Glenn Gatlin, for example, who apparently shot his estranged wife while she held their baby. Perhaps Haley thought, "Oh, David Glenn's a good guy. He cuts the grass around here and makes a mean whiskey sour."
