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Student Practices Persuasive Speaking (and Smoking)

By TChris, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 07:40:02 PM EST
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This story has the feel of an urban legend, except it happens to be true. A high school student in Tacoma, Washington surely attained legendary status in the eyes of his fellow students with this stunt:

At the end of his speech Tuesday urging legalization of marijuana, a 17-year-old Peninsula High School student pulled out a joint, lit it and smoked away. Then he ate the remains.

Priceless.

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    Student Practices Persuasive Speaking (and Smoking) | 18 comments (18 topical)

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    Sounds like (5.00 / 0) (#1)
    by scribe on Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 08:06:10 PM EST
    he persuaded himself....

    that will be a great story to bring up (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 12:27:14 AM EST
    at the Aspen seminar this weekend. TChris, I wish you were going to be there.

    To everyone else, the first time TChris and I met in person was at a NORML legal seminar in Key West. He had been commenting on TalkLeft for months and when he introduced himself to me as "TChris" I was really excited because of everyone who commented on the site at that time, he was the only one I always agreed with, no matter what the topic was. He graciously allowed me to talk him into blogging here and I still look forward to every post he writes.

    Thanks, TChris!

    This kid needs someone from the seminar (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by scribe on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 10:42:00 AM EST
    to go there an represent him - the school hustled him off to Juvie Hall.

    Parent
    Birds of a feather! Nice. (none / 0) (#9)
    by oldpro on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 12:36:08 AM EST


    Parent
    Former high school student? (none / 0) (#2)
    by oculus on Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 09:21:42 PM EST


    oops (none / 0) (#3)
    by landjjames on Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 09:54:00 PM EST
    sorry to be the spelling police, but it's Tacoma - no "h".

    Thanks (none / 0) (#5)
    by TChris on Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 10:37:13 PM EST
    Correction made.

    Parent
    Kind of challenges the value of a 3.7 gpa (none / 0) (#4)
    by Inspector Gadget on Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 10:27:23 PM EST
    He didn't do so well on the common sense test.

    This boy must have thought he would be provoking discussion and totally missed the part where what he was doing wasn't just illegal, but it was magnified as stupid simply because it was done on school property where authorities are mandated on what requires police intervention.

    Then, despite cigarettes having a minimum age of 18, schools across the country added smoking rooms for the students back in the 70's. Maybe he thought this small amount and his clever presentation would cause officials to look the other way on this.

    On the other hand, it was a (5.00 / 2) (#8)
    by oldpro on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 12:35:00 AM EST
    deliberate act, so maybe he decided that civil disobedience was worth demonstrating his commitment to drug reform.

    If so, good for him.  Certainly successful in getting coverage of the issue!

    Parent

    I would agree with you if (none / 0) (#17)
    by Inspector Gadget on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 11:58:28 AM EST
    he is fortunate enough to have only the most compassionate of authorities handling his case.

    There are some high-handed folks out there who would be only too happy to make an example out of a kid like him.

    I admire greatly the courage it takes to stand up for a belief, and taking a big risk to do so. At 17 years old I just hope his mom or dad is a very highly respected and wealthy member of the community to make sure this doesn't derail his hopes for the future.

    The laws against drugs are absent of all common sense -- on that, I'm 100% with kdog. Problem is, as jbindc said, the law is still the law. Would legalizing marijuana more likely than not have no age restrictions, or would it be more like alcohol with a minimum age requirement to be legal?


    Parent

    We're both right.... (none / 0) (#18)
    by oldpro on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 01:10:49 PM EST
    I agree that the kid's taking a big risk with the kind of high-handed folks in charge of most public high schools, local law enforcement, and all the hysteria over drugs and controlling students.  (I say this as a former teacher, school board member, parent, etc.)  NOT the most enlightened of communities...

    On the other hand...adults don't seem to hold youthful indiscretions re 'drugs' against kids the way they used to...witness even presidential candidates who say they inhaled!  A young friend of mine in the 70s was caught with a marijuana cigarette crossing the Canadian border back into Washington.  Big hoorah.  Some thought he was doomed after that.  Nope.  The local school district hired him as a teacher!

    You never know...activism is risky but often satisfying.  With civil disobedience, though, you have to be prepared to pay for breaking the law.

    Parent

    I think... (5.00 / 2) (#12)
    by kdog on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 08:29:21 AM EST
    it is the fools who sent him to juvie hall that are lacking in the common sense...just blindly following the rules, and surely ignoring their own conscience in the process...how else do you explain sending this young man away in chains but a lack of common sense and conscience?

    Parent
    Following the law? (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by jbindc on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 10:13:27 AM EST
    Maybe not a good law, but they were following the law.  Or should we all do whatever we want and have no rules or laws at all?

    Parent
    Sometimes following the law... (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by kdog on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 10:19:07 AM EST
    means ignoring common sense, and in such an instance damn right the law should be ignored or broken.

    Educators should be swift enough to figure that out...but maybe we should thank the authoritarians, they proved the kids point in spades...what he did does not require the state to place him in chains, isn't that obvious?

    Parent

    future public defender (none / 0) (#6)
    by garts on Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 11:48:42 PM EST
    The kid is a future public defender.  I say that in a good way!

    If he ends up with a drug conviction, (none / 0) (#16)
    by Inspector Gadget on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 11:51:46 AM EST
    can he still get a license to practice law?


    Parent
    I wish I'd done that. (none / 0) (#10)
    by Mikeb302000 on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 02:59:07 AM EST
    I really do.

    I've got a new hero.... (none / 0) (#11)
    by kdog on Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 08:25:33 AM EST
    better man than me...caring enough about liberty and justice to where ya get the chains slapped on ya....better man than me, to be sure.

    Student Practices Persuasive Speaking (and Smoking) | 18 comments (18 topical)

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