In Class: Unit 2 Primary Sources

The three primary sources that I chose all fit together because obviously they are all about the same thing but generally they have the same view in response to the law formed in the city of Denver based on the ruling in favor of marijuana use. The view that they all hold is that it is an effective law because although marijuana is still classified as a drug it is less detrimental to its users and it is much less dangerous to use than other legal drugs (tobacco) and alcohol. They all have the same audience and that is people who view marijuana as a harmful drug and because of this they are trying to persuade their audience that it actually is far less harmful than those people believe. The three primary sources are different because they all have different opinions on the actual law, some believe that since the law is overruled by federal law that it is not even truly legal to possess and use marijuana in the privacy of someone's home.

The unstated assumptions that allow these arugments to succeed is that there is no proof that marijuana is a harmful drug because no one has overdosed by smoking it before. There is also the assumption that the law is unsuccessful because federal law overrules state law so it still makes possession and use a crime. The overall feeling of the law is that it is one that should be adopted by the country as a whole because otherwise people can still be charged unless it is adopted nation wide. People must know the wording and ruling of the law to have an opinion on it.

The state of argument in the U.S. based on these three texts reveal that arguments are very contridictory and that although something may be legitimately argued that it doesn't make the argument absolutely true. These arguments suggest that we live in both a culture of assertion but that we also live in a conflicting society. Why make a law that is just undermined by another more powerful law? What is the point of making such a law? Why doesn't our society do what is most logical and what is best for our citizens? Many people and not just people but our government have conflicting views on policies and laws that must find a common ground because otherwise laws and policies are unsuccessful.