A California state assemblyman took a revolutionary step when he introduced a bill to legalize and tax marijuana in California. Tom Armiano, who believes that taxing the drug would help relieve California's financial crisis, began the first steps toward legalizing the famous, or infamous depending on your perspective, plant. If the legislation passes, California will be the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
We, the academic community, are faced with an enormous challenge, one that confers great responsibility. Despite innumerable breakthroughs in biomedical research, our best efforts are not reaching the world's sickest and poorest. Every year, 10 million people die needlessly, simply because they lack access to existing medicines and treatments. Even as we continue to improve the lives of patients with HIV, cancer and other ailments in developed countries, the plight of those in the developing world has not similarly improved.
"I want to begin with an apology to all of you," began former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis at a special lecture to Professor Paul Wattenberg's class "Introduction to American Government" on March 1. "If I had beaten Bush I," he continued, "you would never have had a Bush II." Laughter ensued.
The California Supreme Court got it exactly right last May: gays and lesbians should have the same ability to express love and commitment through marriage as heterosexuals always have had. Gays and lesbians should be able to receive all of the legal benefits that marriage provides, and they should be able to experience all the same joys and disappointments of marriage that heterosexuals possess. I realize, of course, that there are some who vehemently oppose the idea of same-sex marriage. The solution is that they should not marry someone of the same sex; however, their personal preference is not a reason to deny others this right.
As a great, wise man once said, "The first step to getting yourself out of a hole is to stop digging." I'm not quite sure who first said this, but I know it wasn't a Republican.
Imagine a man walks into your school, work, place of worship, community—a place you consider a home away from home. He gives you his name, origins and occupation, and assures you he is of your kind but declares he's new. So you take him under your wing, befriend him and introduce him to your world...
