Amid the fanfare of becoming the first state to legalize recreational use of marijuana for non-medical customers, Colorado appears to be leading an inexorable trend toward relaxing pot laws that’s taking place in all of the United States…EXCEPT Indiana. Because of laws requested and signed into law by Gov. Mike Pence, Hoosiers actually have to deal with even stricter laws and penalties.
In a nutshell, Pence and the ultraconservative, GOP-controlled legislature revised reforms last year to actually increase possession from a misdemeanor to a felony. Ironically, these changes were initially intended to lessen marijuana penalties. During the debate, the Governor said he’s interested in reducing prison populations. "I think we need to focus on reducing crime not reducing penalties," Pence said.
While Pence remains resolute in his plans to clamp down on pot, some folks suggest that his motives may be laced with unethical and ulterior motives. From the Daily Kos, a diarist writes that Pence favors stricter penalties because it helps fill the beds in the state’s corporate prison system, whose parent company (the GEO Group) is a huge campaign donor.
“The Indiana governor wants to make possession of small amounts of marijuana a felony because, apparently, we aren't nearly hard enough on those non-violent pot smokers. Or something. Lurking beneath the surface is an insidious actor. The unmentioned hand of political influence guides his actions, as prison corporations like GEO own their candidates and wreck state criminal codes.”
According to followthemoney.org, GEO contributed $12,500 dollars in 2012 to the Pence gubernatorial campaign, and nearly $68,000 dollars campaigns statewide. From the Daily Kos:
“That (campaign) contribution made GEO one of Pence's top 30 corporate contributors, ranking in front of US Steel Corp, Caterpillar, and Koch Industries.”
If these assertions on Pence’s motives are true, then this information serves as one more contemptuous affirmation that the so-called ‘war on drugs’ is nothing more than a huge money-making scam for corporations and the political whores who serve at their beck and call.
It has become a customary ritual during the waning days of every year. And as 2013 is poised to become history, like clockwork, folks are reflecting on the people, events, and trends that have made the past 12 months unique.
While having its share of politics and news of great significance, 2013, it seems, has had a curiously high percentage of catchy words and phrases. In my humble opinion, the following two entries are the most memorable:
Twerking
Hands down, “twerking” wins the award for generating the most news, social networking talk, and controversy during 2013. The Urban Dictionary defines a twerk as ‘the rhythmic gyrating of the lower fleshy extremities in a lascivious manner with the intent to elicit sexual arousal or laughter in ones intended audience’.
Pop singer Miley Cyrus and her infamous, and, shall I say, abominable, performance at this year’s VMA music award program catapulted the term into the national lexicon.
Due to my general lack of knowledge of contemporary pop culture, Cyrus’ performance, which was shown on seemingly every media outlet capable of playing video, was my first exposure to the term. My teenage sons, however, say they knew about twerking long before her performance last August.
Selfie
While not quite as earth-shattering as “twerking”, the entry “selfie” has made some significant headlines during the last year. The Urban Dictionary describes a selfie as ‘a picture taken of yourself that is planned to be uploaded to Facebook, MySpace or any other sort of social networking website.’ The picture of me on the right, which I’ve used as profile pic on Facebook, is an example.
The term gained a national audience when President Obama was caught snapping one with other world leaders attending the recent funeral for former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Within hours after its release, Obama’s selfie went viral, and his political opponents saw quickly another way to score some partisan points over his supposed narcissism. (First Lady Michelle’s body language in the pic suggested she was bothered, and this also lent fuel to the fire.)
Again, it wasn’t until the incident at Mandela’s funeral until I learned about the term, selfie. On the other hand, I suspect millenials have known about selfies for quite some time.
While not all bad, 2013 was kind of a discouraging year for me. In fact, I've been in kind of a rut. So, I've decided to get a proactive jump on 2014 by carrying out my annual New Year's resolutions before Christmas.
The first resolution I've begun pursuing is my pledge to learn how to play guitar. I've taken several casual stabs of taking up the instrument in the past But this time, I have a certain fire in my belly. After going nearly three decades without plucking a string, I, along with my wife, decided to buy brand new acoustic guitars as sort of a Christmas present to ourselves. So far, I'm really delighted that I have.
I've also begun putting the needed pieces in place that will enable me to act on another resolution, putting together a podcast file I can send to broadcasters as an audition for on-air employment. I've downloaded an audio editing software program called Audacity, and have settled on buying a 'Yeti' USB microphone online. It comes highly recommended from some trusted broadcasting acquaintances.
I'm at a point in my life where I want to work at jobs that I'll really enjoy, and fortunately, I believe that I'm financially secure enough where I can be really picky. Broadcasting is where I want to be. I just need to learn the mixing and editing techniques needed for a decent audition podcast. It will take some resolve, but again, I think I have that fire in my belly.
On a personal level, 2012 will leave several memories of enormous happiness countered with one devastatingly painful and grief-stricken experience…the passing of my beloved mother who died last spring at the age of 84. I suppose I’ll always associate 2012 with her death, just as I associate 1988 with my father’s passing. From the opposite end of the emotional continuum, I’ll forever remember 2012 for the birth of my first grandchild. It’s also the year I earned a second bachelor’s degree after graduating from DeVry University.
From a communal perspective, I believe 2012 will be most remembered for the following news stories:
The Supreme Court ruling that, more or less, made the Affordable Care Act or ‘Obamacare’ a fact of life.
The reelection of President Barack Obama.
The reopening of the gun control debate following the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.
The growing acceptance of gay rights.
The Supreme Court upholds 'Obamacare'.
In my humble opinion, this surprising development of 2012 will have the most lasting impact on future generations. The law has sweeping implications, providing coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans in an attempt to improve the nation's health and bring down health care costs, and in a 5-to-4 vote, the Supreme Court made it clear: ‘Obamacare is here to stay’. Eventually, the Affordable Care Act will become part of the national fabric as Social Security is now. Folks in future decades will have a difficult time imagining life without it. Eventually, the Affordable Care Act will become as much the accepted national fabric as Social Security is now. Folks in future decades will hard have a difficult time imagining life without it.
President Obama wins reelection.
The results of a presidential election almost always have a substantial impact on people’s lives and shape the course of history. I believe 2012’s clash between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will embody this fact more than most elections. The competing platforms from both campaigns indicated decidedly different approaches to preserving capitalism. Obama and Democratic Party appeared to be moderate adherents to Keynesian economics, while Romney and the Tea Party-inspired GOP wanted a more hands off government approach advocated by Milton Friedman and his philosophy that places the interests of stockholders above all else. Americans chose the former course, and in the process, reelected the nation’s first African-American president.,
Gun control debate reopens.
I inject this development partly out of wishful thinking that the debate arising from the tragic shooting massacre of 20 children and 7 adults including the shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, might bring about some meaningful gun control legislation and measures. As of this writing, this story continues to rivet the national psyche, and some politicians, including President Obama, are offering possible solutions that might make a difference. Let’s hope that our collective short attention spans don’t take over and compel us to drop the ball as we have so many times in the past. I really have a sense, however, that the wickedness of this crime is stimulating this old debate to a new level.
Tolerance for Gay rights grows.
The 2012 elections brought historic victories for gay-rights supporters. Maine, Maryland and Washington became the first states to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. These developments followed President Obama’s announcement earlier in the year supporting laws that enable same-sex couples to marry. Obama’s hand was forced apparently when Vice President Joseph Biden declared in an interview several days before with NBC's “Meet the Press" that he was "absolutely comfortable" with gay marriage. These incidents appear to be a reflection of a larger national trend where polls indicate a rapidly growing tolerance of Americans toward gays and lesbians. This new political landscape is in stark contrast to the one from just four years ago.
Not all the trends of 2012 were encouraging.
The war in Afghanistan raged on into its 11th year, and in the process, became America's longest in its storied history. Sadly, President Obama has given no indication of it ending any sooner than 2014. Moreover, our foreign policy is becoming more militaristic. Even so-called 'liberals' seem to be chomping at the bit to begin unprovoked wars in Iran and Syria. We almost seem destined to be in a perpetual state of war. Tied into this disturbing trend is our continued use of robot technology (drones) against innocent civilians, and the continued surrendering of our civil liberties with our continued preservation of the "Patriot Act" and its draconian surveillance measures that can be imposed on civilians.
In the balance, however, 2012 was a good year. As we begin 2013, let us hope we see a further broadening of human rights and fair play, and a lessening of the insane violence that seems to plague so much of the planet. Happy New Year!
