Legalize Recreational Substances

Sorry Bob, maybe I guess I should take back my previous comment.

Seeing that I don't drink whiskey, never drink coffee, and if you remember in a post a couple months back in regards to Covid vaccines I said I pretty much have never taken prescription drugs and rather let time and rest heal my body when necessary instead of taking pills as a cure all......so maybe I am closer to being Saint Peter than I first thought.

Oh....and as for my upbringing you have it wrong if I'm interpreting your thoughts correctly. Parents divorced when I was in 5th grade.....myself and 2 brothers.....and my mom did all she could to guide us down the right path and provided us whatever little we had. Had NOTHING handed to me and far far from being raised privileged.
Me nor my 2 brothers went to college, rather right into the work force. Did not have money for college. And we simply needed the money as individuals /family. Both brothers law abiding and not using crap. One brother just retired a year ago from Southwest airlines after 30 years. Costed him a one elbow surgery and 3 shoulder surgeries handling all that luggage and working in odd tight spaces for too long. Other brother was more office type over the years and just retired a couple months back.
Again.....no excuse making.....no bad choices......rather just simple folks working hard for what they have.

Teach my kids the same, you want something you work hard for it. My daughter just graduated from UC Berkeley (no I did not pay a dime to her college in general but gave her a hefty check/gift for her sheer diligence and hard earned grades and accomplishments). She landed her first "big girl" job after fielding a few offers right out of the gate and actually has her first day in the office tomorrow and I couldn't be more proud of her.
She's a smart cookie, but not street smart how I grew up. Yet she didn't need mommy n daddy to coddle her and bring her all the way from Illinois to California in her first year, She wanted to do EVERYTHING herself and left with bags in hand on her journey to California figuring out what to do as far as plane, train, bus, getting there and registering in.
Setting up her belongings and such. And for that it has and is gonna make her a stronger person as she goes along in life. (Wonder where she got that from).
As for my son, in college locally and doing great at the moment. Part of Air Force ROTC local detachment, will go full time after graduation, loves aviation and just got his private pilots license a couple months ago. That I did help him out with and pay for. He wanted to start paying me back the other week but I told him don't worry about it but that that's Merry Christmas for 2 years & your college graduation gift 1 1/2 years in advance. I'll repeat again....GOOD CHOICES.....HARD WORK!!

Again, we are all responsible for our own decisions and I don't go blaming others for the lack of what I don't have now as I surely would like to be better off at my age than I am.

I most definitely can use some extra bucks, but I know it's WRONG to go try to hit the local bank or rob a convenience store or go jump some unsuspecting person......I was taught and know better to make good choices. To not be lazy and be a hard worker.

As for drug users/sellers I was around both growing up. Guys in the neighborhood that sold knew I was a solid "confidant" and what I saw taking place stayed with me. I was offered drugs FOR FREE but knew not to use them by CHOICE. And I was also offered a job selling under their wing because they trusted me and knew I wasn't a user and would not go on a binge and get sloppy handling business.
Surely would have loved to have the stacks of money they had and driving the fancy cars and all that came with it. But guess what.....ya......I made good DECISIONS and CHOICES and kept with my regular job, the same one that I have at this very moment. I CHOSE to stay STRONG & TRUE to my personal beliefs and principles, even at a young impressionable age when caving into it and not having much would have been such an easy thing to do.

Man, I was there in their home one day with my buddy Jeff and we went into their bedroom, moved a false wall in closet, and they gave him stacks of cash to go and buy them a couple new Caddies and a Jaguar as they couldn't obviously do it themselves. I was in my low 20's......you didn't think I wanted a piece of that??!!

Shit....with the work I do my neck, back, knees and ankles always hurt on n off now and I'm sure I'll have decreased mobility as I get older. So if you think I want one damn shiny dime of mine going to help some puke whose made crap decisions their entire life and I should show compassion I simply say HELL NO.

And as for those acquaintances that were dealing, those busters (4 of them) had to take it on the lam and escape to Mexico where they still are to this day. The heat was coming hard n fast as they got too flashy with all their belongings.....probably been there for I'd say 30 years now and can never return home to see family and all.

Lastly, your partner in crime Mr. Padrino for some reason always wants to "prescribe" books/articles so I can nourish my noggin reading.
I again say I appreciate your suggestions, but mi cabeza is strong and sharp enough.

Have a happy Sunday and a nice day ahead fellas.

They should make a movie about you.
Happy ending, even...