Journal steeler359's Journal: Come on BBC - The Ganja Debate 2
More news on my so-called life when I get a chance, but first this:
I was absolutely outraged to find this on the *front bloody page* of the BBC News website just now:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4630938.stm/
For a moment I thought the BBC were publishing Daily Mail content. I was so digusted in fact that I was driven to write the following reply (and I'm really not the most vocal of people, as you can probably tell by my journal), I publish it here because I know I am pissing into the wind by sending it to the BBC, but at least I've got it off my chest. I do hope it's not the shape of things to come:
******
"First of all let me say that I have the deepest sympathies for the anonymous writer whose son descended into psychosis (drug-induceed or not).
Secondly, I would like to say that I am disgusted that this reactionary opinion/propaganda-piece has been published on the *front page* of the BBC News website. I find it to be completely unblanced, lacking in scientific rigour and has an emotional tone that is completely out of place on what purports to be a news website, and particularly one whose bottom line I contribute to with my licence fee.
The most telling passage is this one "Some experts claim that for many younger people who have "drug induced psychosis", like my son, this sort of mental illness would have happened anyway. That is total rubbish. He was a perfectly normal boy, until this happened.". Well, let me also say that I have known many people who have taken large amounts of cannabis, and while they may not be the most useful members of society, they most certainly are not psychotic. This poor man has been bereaved and shocked by the loss of his son's mental health and is casting around for something or someone to blame it on.
It also seems that this young man ended up taking a rather large amount of the stuff, £5000 a year (around £100 a week) is, I would suggest rather more than the average dope-smoker spends on this particular drug.
To balance this story, I would like a front page story from one of the millions of people, young and old across the country who have had no ill-effects from cannabis and who have gone on to lead happy and productive lives and may even have benefited from taking this drug"
******
Looking at it now, I wish I'd taken a bit more time to write it, but hey...
What irks me most is that this tripe has been published for all the world to see, on the front page of what is possibly the UK's biggest news website, and it's been done (at least partially) with *my* money. To a large extent I agree with the licence fee, even if I did spend years avoiding paying it, but if this kind of thing goes on, I might have to think twice.
BAH!
Bad, mkay? (Score:2)
At least the PM Programme on Radio 4 has treated the issue in a balanced way so far. Someone on PM was pointing out that millions take cannabis without getting psychosis. (Just like millions enjoy drinking beer without becoming wife beaters or alcoholics - I think was his point).
Re:Bad, mkay? (Score:1)
Jerry