Reader disagrees with marijuana depiction
Occam’s Razor — the theory that the simplest explanation or fewest assumptions should be selected among competing explanations and assumptions when making a decision.
Occam’s came to mind after I read an essay for the many and varied reasons on page 10 of the February 15 issue of the Fairhaven Neighborhood News to avoid the sale of pot — apparently pot, and nothing else, leads directly to the use of heroin. Forget Aspirin. Forget peer pressure. Forget fear of failure or fear of success. Forget alcohol. Forget everything and anything that may contribute to the use of heroin. Chronic illness or prolonged hospital stays? Must be impossible as it was never mentioned. Pot must be the culprit.
Like the scene in a movie where one belligerent is being chased by another, the writer throws everything he can onto the path of an oncoming future. He threw the School Superintendent. He threw profit and greed — the very thing Adam Smith lauded as creating wealth and prosperity to all — as if making money was a bad thing. He threw a family member. And in the final scene he tries to take children hostage. Do it for the children, he pleads.
Why do I hear many of these arguments echoing down through decade after decade of our past; resistance to change, resistance to personal choice and freedom? I think fear or a desire to control the actions of others.
Occam, it seems, would scratch his head trying to determine a path through all the writer’s theories and assumptions.
Edward DeMedeiros, New Bedford
•••
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News at: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Y6V5ARRYH689G
Click here to download the entire 2/22/18 issue: 02-22-18 Marijuana_REV_DateFixed
