Addiction to power weakens the nation

Fred Bilello, Laughlin

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 | 2:01 a.m.

Regarding J. Patrick Coolican’s column, “It’s time for Nevada to legalize marijuana”:

The only drugs in my system consist of a single dose of caffeine in the morning and minimal alcohol consumption two to three times a week. With that in mind, here goes.

The issue is drugs, and we must acknowledge the ugly fact that government as an institution is addicted to the most insidious drug of all: power. And just like those addicted to tangible drugs, the afflicted have no consideration for others and resort to lies, chicanery, manipulation, gross and irresponsible mismanagement of precious resources, and thuggery in order to keep their addiction sated. There is no law to stop these specific addicts because they are the law and delude themselves into believing they are doing good.

In 1937, with the de facto outlawing of marijuana, our government crossed the Rubicon with a cynical, unconstitutional action based upon lies and half-truths, and that morphed into the war on drugs and establishment of the Drug Enforcement Administration. We face a major threat to the American Experience in which our government is its own worst enemy, and because of this, the only entity on Earth capable of ending the descent into omnipotence is the people.

Even if the tally is less than that magical 51 percent for total legalization, the number would confirm just how many are for it. And it could still be enough for an unstoppable movement toward total legalization because the crisis deals with commerce and liberty, not political elections, and such a far-reaching event could launch an American Spring.