Letters
Meditation on campus
This is wonderful news [“Health center to offer lessons in meditation,” Nov. 4].
The current trend on many campuses is to offer meditation as an academic credit course, but evaluating students on their ability to be nonjudgmental seems a bit counterproductive!
I salute the mindful administrators at PSU for recognizing the value of offering meditation, and I’m especially pleased to see that the program is based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s outstanding method – no esoteric jargon required!
Meditation is a powerful tool, but not everyone is motivated to do it. The good news is that there are other options for developing greater awareness.
Maya Talisman Frost, Portland, Ore.
A proponent of legalizing marijuana speaks out
Hooray for your honesty towards this subject [“Medical marijuana up in smoke,” Nov. 1]. I first voted for the legalization of marijuana in the 1972 election. I have been a soldier for and been wounded in the drug war perpetuated upon America by the Nixon administration and all of the administrations since. We have come a long way in our struggle, but the fight for personal freedom is part of the struggle for humanity and has a ways to go. There are many wrongs done to many in this country and the world by the government of this country and their enforcers. We have tried to do things legally and peacefully; still they undermine the wishes and votes of the America people every day. There are very few in government who will stand up for the individuals right to smoke pot whether sick or not.
I have been a medical marijuana patient for one year now. I have smoked pot nearly every day for 40 years. I work hard and consider myself to be a good, patriotic citizen. I love my life and would not consider quitting pot for any reason unless they threw me in their cages tall and cold. I would hopefully not die there, God willing, and upon my release would only rededicate myself to the struggle of freedom. Our fight has just begun. For many it began years ago. The fight to be free of this fascist government that doesn’t represent anyone but a few wealthy individuals’ interests will take many more years.
America’s new revolutions timetable, fueled by the internet, will closely parallel that of a previous revolt and will be over by 2020. First we must remove the pacifiers (TV, sex, drugs, etc.) they have stuck in our mouths and get the word out. Hang in there my friends. Be ready.
Honesty will set us free.
John Farmer, Napa, Calif.
[Ed. Note: the column referenced is an opinion column, which does not reflect the views of the Vanguard editorial staff.]
