Guy Fawkes Revisited

Remember, Remember... the 5th of November...

Many of you remember that line from the film: V for Vendetta. Before the phrase was made infamous in the 2006 Wachowski brothers film, it referred to Bonfire Night, celebrated in the UK. Here is a pertinent snippet from an earlier post...

"Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night is an annual celebration on the evening of the 5th of November. It marks the downfall of the Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605, in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament, in London, United Kingdom. It is primarily marked in the United Kingdom where it was compulsory, by fiat, until 1859, to celebrate the deliverance of the King of Great Britain.

This day was also celebrated in the Colonies and was called "Pope's Day". It was the high point of 'anti-popery' (in the term of the times) in New England. In the 1730's or earlier Boston's artisans commemorated the day with a parade and performances which mocked Catholicism and the Catholic Stuart pretender. It was also the day when the youth and the lower class ruled. They went door to door collecting money from the affluent to finance feasting and drinking."

It seems fitting to remember the 5th of November... the day after election day... here in the US. The American media has been gorging on political punditry for several months... Although this spectacle was billed as a second-rate event... dismissed as mid-term elections... it has dominated the airwaves, none the less. Alas, poor Babylon.

Apparently, those ravenous, rascally republicans have "swept" the mid-terms... taking control of the US Senate, while retaining control of the US House of Representatives. They zealously did this, foaming at the jowls, to save the American public from the Affordable Care Act... from an obviously un-secure border and from "he who must not be xenophobically named" ...President Barack Obama. In other words, "We the People" need to be saved from ourselves. After all, if the government doesn't trust the people, they should dissolve them and elect a new people... Alas poor Babylon.

Not all went the way of the GOP, however... In the Pacific Northwest, Oregon became the third State in these United States to legalize Marijuana for recreational use. In the words of the most-reverend Bob Marley... "Excuse me while i light my spliff." Now cannabis, by virtue of Measure 91, allows production, processing, delivery, possession, sale of marijuana to adults, licensed, regulated by Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC). The OLCC collects tax imposed on marijuana producers at different rates for marijuana flowers, leaves and immature plants.

Strange days have found us... Oregon joins Washington State and Colorado in legalizing Pot, while it remains an illegal and controlled substance in the eyes of the Feds. That seems a little schizophrenic to me... The Federal government should make up it's mind on the legalization of Marijuana. As for Washington State, Colorado and now Oregon... the people have spoken.

So now the Oregon State government, under the authority of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, will control and tax Ganja... Alas, poor Babylon.