It wasn’t just the lunar eclipse that had everyone in awe this week. Its “once in a 500 year cycle” was almost overshadowed by another ‘once in a lifetime” event.
Pat Robertson, scourge of all but those not just like him, has said something that united bloggers of all kinds. And for once its not in condemnation.
Charles Johnson not known for his positive for anything deemed “right” had this to say.
“So far today, the Earth hasn’t reversed its direction of spin, the magnetic poles haven’t changed places, and cats and dogs haven’t started living together, but Pat Robertson did come out in favor of legalizing marijuana.”
Reason Magazine has the video, as well as the weak retraction for the statement by Robertson’s people quoted at the bottom of this piece… They do make an interesting point about what he did say.
“Watch the clip again. Robertson said: “I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing possession of a few ounces of pot, and that kind of thing — it’s costing us a fortune, and it’s ruining young people.”
IIlya Somin over at the Volokh Conspiracy, who admits never to have a good word about Robertson analyzed what he said.
“I suspect that Robertson has begun to realize that the War on Drugs is bad for family values. It will take a lot of good works to make up for all the ridiculous and offensive things that Robertson has said over the years. But helping to end the War on Drugs would be a good start.”
Somin reminds his readers that William F. Buckley was not a fan of the war on drugs either.
Art Carden over at Forbes uses Robertson’s words to make several important points about the war on drugs and states.
“As Robertson points out, the “tough on crime” routine backfired for a lot of social conservatives who thought that the answer was brutal suppression of the drug trade.”
Its sad that CBN felt the need to make any sort of clarification Robertson’s statement, not that anyone found it unexpected.
“He was advocating that our government revisit the severity of the existing laws because mandatory drug sentences do harm to many young people who go to prison and come out as hardened criminals.”
Brief though it was in the end, it was nice to have a “together” moment for many in the blogosphere. Like the lunar eclipse it will not be something we will see again for many a moon.
