Fireworks, prohibition doesn't

The double standard on display in yesterday's Herald editorial didn't pass unnoticed.

Sure, we need a ban on imbeciles, not on the fireworks they use - but, as MikeE and Rick Giles point out, this comes from the same newspaper which has been inciting public opinion against BZP. If fireworks shouldn't be banned, then neither should BZP, and for exactly the same reasons.

Thank God for fireworks. Every 5 November brings a fresh opportunity to highlight the double standards of those who would keep recreational explosives legal, but ban recreational drugs.

Here's last year's press release from Peter Dunne, with mods by Will de Cleene. Click here to toggle between the two not so different versions.

Dunne: fireworkMarijuana ban a step too far

Wednesday, 8 November 2006, 10:12 am4:20 pm
Press Release: United Future NZ Party
Media statement
For immediate release
Wednesday, 8 November 2006
Dunne: fireworkMarijuana ban a step too far

United Future leader Peter Dunne says a total ban on fireworksmarijuana sales to the public would be a step too far.

He was commenting in the light of calls for such a ban in the wake of this year's Guy Fawkes eventsharvest.

"An outright ban will not work.

"It will simply encourage people to makegrow their own fireworks – which would be far more dangerous to public safetymarijuana.

"The formulasseeds are available on the internet and every school chemistry laboratoryplant shop is a source of the raw materials.

"Only the naïve, or the killjoys in our community could seriously imagine that such a ban would work," he says.

Mr Dunne also asks what sanctions there would be against those who either madegrow their own fireworksmarijuana, stored them upshared it out, or even imported themit directly.

"Where will it end? FireworksDrugs police doing snap raids on people's homes to check they are not illicitly holding fireworksde stinky 'erb?"

Mr Dunne says it is time some balance was introduced into the debate.

"Most New Zealand homes let off fireworks at Guy Fawkeshave at least one marijuana smoker.

"While not condoning individual irresponsible behaviour or damage to propertythe lungs, it is worth remembering that the vast majority of Kiwi families enjoy their backyard fireworksmarijuana fun without any danger or risk.

"Why penalise them for the irresponsibility of a few?" he asks.

Mr Dunne says he would support an age restriction on the sale of fireworksmarijuana, and limiting the period of sale to the week before Guy Fawkesany day ending in a Y.

ENDS

Aspirin satirist

Ben Wilson has posted a great piece of satire in a comment at DPF's Kiwiblog. Surely it deserves a post of its own.

It is an outrage that Aspirin is not banned. It has a lot of quite bad known side effects for a lot of people. It is often taken to induce an alternate state of consciousness, namely 'not having a headache'. To many this effect is a potent uplift in alertness, particularly in people who are prone to headaches for whatever reason. Such people exhibit clear signs of dependency in many cases on Aspirin and its analogues.

Children, in particular, should be protected from this insidious drug, which they shouldn't need. Every child should by nature not have a headache, and if they do have one, there is almost always a cause. Just curing the headache doesn't address the cause.

But even consenting adults shouldn't be allowed...

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