Ellis D. Tripp writes "The California state assembly is considering a new bill aimed at reducing the incidence of Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID). The proposed law would make it a criminal act to operate a motor vehicle with ANY detectable level of ANY Schedule I through IV drug in your bloodstream. Not only does this include many prescription drugs, but it would also include substances such as gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), n,n-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and testosterone, all of which are controlled substances, and also happen to occur naturally in the human body.
Whether an intentional attempt to create a law to be used selectively against anyone the cops want to arrest, or just an example of the gross ignorance of basic science among US legislators, laws like this are sure to be on the rise as prosecutors and police seek to retain power in the face of efforts to legalize marijuana and begin rolling back the abuses of the War on Drugs."
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Sir Garlon on Thursday February 27 2014, @01:20PM
You're being very charitable. The politicians who submitted the bill probably didn't even read it.
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bucc5062 on Thursday February 27 2014, @01:54PM
These days I feel most politicians, once elected, have only two things active in their brain, (1) keep my job, (2) get more money. There is no room for anything else. Read a bill, no time for I have to attend a dinner to raise money to keep me elected. Take time to truly understand an issue? Sorry citizen, I am to busy fighting to keep people not like us away, please give me money. Help to enforce regulations that effect your constituents? Please, who gives me more money, thus more power? But thank you for your vote.
I don't know what is worse, that we have human beings that run for office who believe in creationism, who think science is subjective, who believe that only certain people should have rights, or
(only one cup of coffee, I'll get happier later)
The more things change, the more they look the same
(Score: 2) by dotdotdot on Thursday February 27 2014, @05:02PM
And yer being benevolent; the politicians who submitted the bill probably didn't drink their coffee either (or talk hypocritically or speak in the whining or singsong tone of a beggar [reference.com]).
I kid, I kid! We're having fun here, no? ;)
(Score: 5, Funny) by bucc5062 on Thursday February 27 2014, @05:33PM
Now that you point it out, perhaps that was a Freudian slip such that while I never knew that word consciously, it was in my sub-conscious waiting to be used in regards to politicians. Politicians cant...such a true statement as a default. Wonderful what I learn here. :)
The more things change, the more they look the same
(Score: 5, Informative) by jmoschner on Thursday February 27 2014, @03:09PM
The politicians who submitted the bill introduced a similar measure last year, but it was defeated.
Plus just because a bill has been submitted doesn't mean that it will pass or that it won't be gutted or re-written before being passed.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Ellis D. Tripp on Thursday February 27 2014, @03:19PM
But why was the original bill defeated? Because of its fundamental unworkability, or some other factor?
If it was previously shot down for being so broad as to make any driver a criminal, and was reintroduced without removing that provision, then the odds of that provision being a an intentional "feature" of the law, and not simply a "bug" goes way up....
"Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!"--Edward Abbey