OPINION

Just fix pot laws

Re: "Weed bounty may go to pot", (Editorial, March 7).

BP is correct that the botched reform of laws relating to cannabis use needs to be corrected. Yet, it is misguided to accept that cannabis should be legal only for medical use.

What Bhumjaithai now needs to do is press for full legalisation of cannabis for use by adults, with no distinction between medical and recreational use. There is not now and never has been any good reason why cannabis should not be legally regulated exactly like the far more harmful drug alcohol.

It must be admitted that there is no doubt that some children do indeed access and consume alcohol. Parents should certainly be concerned about their children sneaking hits of whisky, wine, or beer, but that is not a just reason for the state to criminalise that drug for recreational use by adults.

No more is similar parental concern a just reason to criminalise cannabis. The concerned parents, many of whom are likely alcohol users themselves, need to stop throwing tantrums worthy of Chuvit Kamolvisit, get informed, and set a more mature example to their children of sound reasoning supporting impartial justice.

Fair play for all

Re: "Caged wild animals", (PostBag, March 7) and "Masaques bound for China stuffed in smuggler's cages", (BP, March 6).

While the most heinous criminals in prisons have certain rights (at least in America), innocent animals locked up in cages and zoos have no rights at all. Why do we assume that all humans -- even murderers and child rapists -- have rights but innocent animals are for us to abuse in any way that is profitable and convenient for us?

Years ago, I was at an anti-death penalty march when one of the organisers said: "if anyone gets hungry along the way, you can stop off at McDonald's."

How ironic, I thought to oppose the death penalty for even murderers but not for innocent cows.

I was involved in human rights long before I got involved in animal rights. But one day, it dawned on me that if I'm against injustice, there is no good reason why my sense of fair play should be limited to my species. And no one has ever given me a good reason why it should be.

American narratives

Given that you've recently published several comments and editorials, specifically the front page news of Feb 25 on the war in Ukraine, it might be of interest to call attention to the interesting admission by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the widely quoted interview "Blinken: I Understand Why Zelensky Is Demanding That the US 'Do Even More and Do It Even Faster'" published in The Atlantic on Feb 24.

In this interview, Blinken says: "The Soviet Union was supportive of freedom forces in South Africa, and of course unfortunately, more than unfortunately, the United States was much too sympathetic to the Apartheid regime, so that history also doesn't get erased, you know, overnight, it's a process."

What?

Soviets/Russia right and America wrong? How come? Is it even divinely possible? More to the point, perhaps, it happened once. Can it happen again?