An "Inconvenient Truth"...

[TheeBadOne]

Al Gore's son arrested on drug, speeding charges

Gore's son arrested driving Prius at 100mph

The Gores do love their hybrids. And now there is evidence of their versatility. Al Gore III, the 24-year-old son of the former vice President cranked up his Toyota Prius to a paint-stripping 100mph on the San Diego freeway yesterday.

Trouble was the police saw him do it. Even worse, when they pulled the young man over, they smelled marijuana and, on further investigation, found a small quantity of the illegal substance in the car alongside a collection of other medications including Xanax, Vicodin and Adderall.

"He does not have a prescription for any of those drugs," Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Santa Ana Country Sheriff's department said, adding that the younger Gore was being held in jail on bail of $20,000.

He said Mr Gore's blue Prius had been stopped by a police patrol at 2.15am on Wednesday.

The incident was a most unwelcome Independence Day surprise to his greener-than-thou father, who may have done more to promote the Prius than even its Japanese makers.

It comes as Gore Sr also finds himself pressured to join the 2008 presidential race. No candidate, however, would welcome family scandals of this ilk, particularly where drugs are concerned.

Another presidential run for Mr Gore - pipped by George Bush in 2000 after the Florida vote-counting fiasco - is considered unlikely by most analysts. More immediately, however, his son's pedal-to-the-metal débâcle will be an unwelcome distraction as he tries to focus on final preparations for this Saturday's series of Live Earth concerts.

Trouble with Al the Third is not a new experience for Mr Gore and his wife Tipper, who was involved in a near-fatal traffic crash in Baltimore in 1989 when he was only six - a painful incident for the family that Mr Gore has often evoked in his electoral campaigns.

As an adult, however, the younger Gore has had repeated run-ins with the law, involving cars and drugsIn 2003, he was charged with marijuana possession in Maryland after police stopped a car he was driving without headlights. In February the following year, he agreed to go into a substance abuse programme as part of a plea agreement with the courts.

In September 2002, he was arrested by military police under suspicion of driving while drunk close to a military base in Virginia. His prospects appeared to have brightened in 2005, however, when he graduated from Harvard and landed a job as an associate publisher of Good Magazine, a start-up in Los Angeles.

While the rest of the country celebrated the Fourth of July, the younger Gore languished inside a cell at the Inmate Reception Center in Santa Ana, to the south of Los Angeles. Officials confirmed that he had been charged before the bail amount was set.

This weekend's Live Earth concerts were to be a crowning moment for Al Gore Sr, whose campaign to raise awareness of global warming took off with the publication of his book An Inconvenient Truth and the release of the film of the same name in 2005. Performers ranging from Madonna to the Police and the Red Hot Chili Peppers will play at concerts around the world, including in London, Paris and Paris. It has been billed at the largest charity concert event ever held.

[Wahnie]

Ok, so Al the 3rd got busted for pot. Big deal. The 100mph speeding concerns me a lot more than the dope. I support marijuana legalization, unlike most here it seems. Regardless of what some people may say, its not the evil its made out to be. Drunk driving is a far bigger crime. Its amazing how naive and corrupt this country can be. The pot is just thrown in there for the shock value the sheeple of this country long for.

Don't bother trying to debate with me. I really don't care about your opinion because it won't change mine.

[skeet]

Not trying to change your opinion...but GIII wasn't drunk. He was under the influence though..of drugs! And if you say grass isn't a drug ..well you're wrong. What is worse though is the illegal prescription drugs and the 100 mph. He shows he has no regard for other folks...just like your drunk drivers scenarios. And there are quite a few studies that show there is a direct correlation between marijuana use and the use of hard drugs. ....Although I have a tendency to believe that most people that abuse marijuana have other problems that makes them use it and other drugs.And there is also the fact that more than just a few marijuana users also abuse alcohol. Now I do agree with you that drunk driving is a real problem...but you will also have to agree that driving while under the influence of any drug is also a real problem. After picking those people up off the road and other places for all those years I saw the bad sides of illegal drugs...including marijuana. So...Yeah what the G III idiot was doing was a BIG deal. It's as big a deal as driving drunk. You know, I kinda used to feel the same way you do about marijuana. Don't even drink very much either now. Using any drug including alcohol really doesn't put you closer to Nirvana so contrary to what you feel, marijuana isn't quite the good thing you feel it may be. People with abusive personalities are going to abuse any sustance that makes them "feel good"


Now to something really important.. Haven't you been doing any moose hunting up there?? Plenty moose in Alaska. Caribou too!

[Wahnie]

First, comparing driving under the influence and marijuana and driving drunk is like comparing apples to oranges. You FAR more impaired drunk. I know this from personal experience. Do agree with driving stoned? I don't think its a great idea, but its no worse than taking a pain pill and driving, which is far from seeing double and swerving in and out traffic drunk.

Saying marijuana is a gateway drug is just a stereotype and a way to make it look bad. You're preaching to the choir there, btw, as I've been clean from coke and meth since May 25th, 2005. I picked those drugs up before I ever took my first toke. Almost every friend I have smokes pot and I have a lot of friends. Not a single one uses any hard drugs (heroin, meth, cocaine, etc). But, most crackheads also smoke pot because its cheap, hence the stereotyping.

And yes, a lot of potheads drink as well. Guess what, far more people drink than smoke pot. Honestly, I don't see why, if alcohol, which is far more dangerous and CAN KILL YOU is legal, why can't marijuana be legal. The ill effects are far less dangerous and its not addicting. No, don't argue, its not addicting, plain and simple. No one has ever died of a marijuana overdose either. Its just not possible.

So I stand by my word. Marijuana should be legalized and regulated just like any other substance. Heck, for all I care, shoot up, do lines, smoke rock if you want in your own home. Its your life and you should have the right to do with it as your please as long as you aren't hurting anyone but yourself.

Be damned if anyone is going to tell me what goes in and out of my body.

Do I condone G3 driving high? Not really, but its not the end of the world either.

But anyways, I do not hunt anymore. I haven't in years.

[TheeBadOne]

Good stuff for the anti's to read and use. http://www.huntchat.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

[8X56MS]

Wahnie: another stoner know it all................

besides algore cubed also had 4 perscription drugs and no perscription.

I hope they 'ParisHilton' him.

[skeet]

First let me congratulate you on staying clean for 2 years. If you had help getting clean though you KNOW that most people go back to it..just like the alcoholics that kick drinking...or even the people who quit smoking. Talked to quite a few docs in the past on the subject and they almost all agreed it was harder to kick smoking(permanently) than most illegal drugs(I quite smoking at least 10 times). Mainly because it isn't illegal to smoke...yet. But they are trying to fix that one too. Now as to grass being a gateway drug...I'm sorry...maybe not for you..but the preponderance of facts say that you are wrong. I'm not talking of addiction...it's just that kids, especially, use marijuana and because it doesn't provide the zing that they want will go on to try other things. Usually people who get into the drug culture are the type who have what we called addictive personalities. I had two of that type in my Fire Dept. I knew of their problems because it was my job to get them help. I couldn't(and didn't) even tell the chief of the dept about those guys. I set up their appointments and helped with what I could. One of 'em felt the same way you do about What goes into your body. He lasted about 3 yrs and finally went back into grass..alcohol coke and other stuff. Eventually lost his job, wife, home... after I retired. The other guy has been clean for 17 yrs now...and continues to go to meetings for drug users.

Now The facts are that under the influence is just that..whether it is pills, grass, coke or whatever... legal or illegal. And even if you don't want to believe it marijuana definitely influences your mind...much longer than alcohol. One joint can be detected in your system for 2 weeks and longer. Maybe 2 days for alcohol mainly cause the body converts alcohol into sugar eventually. Can't do that with grass or any other illegal drug that I know of. You don't have to like the facts about drugs...but you do have to accept them. To do otherwise could help put you back into the culture. Not many people who use drugs start out with strong resolve. That is what got them into the problems in the first place. Luck to ya man...I know I am not going to change your mind...The only thing that will change your mind is experience...and maybe having a kid or 2! Would you want YOUR kid to follow in your footsteps? I hope not.

[jon lynn]

Aaah.......remember the Bush girls on the first term................glugg-glugg-glugg! The kids aren't necessarily the true product of the parent, well I hope for Chelse Clinton any way:rolleyes:

I think it ain't got squat to do with Al Gore either way, he ain't running for office. But I do hope the kid gets put away, do the crime, do the time

[DogYeller]

I can empathize, having algore for a father would drive me to abuse drugs and alcohol.

[M.T. Pockets]

I hope he gets help, I hope everyone with a chemical dependency gets help weather it's alcohol, marijuana or whatever else people put inside themselves. Not good for you, your family or society.

As for hurting other people, I've got to disagree that intake doesn't hurt anyone else. Talk to your local law enforcement and they'll tell you that a large percentage of theft/burglary and armed robbery is by addicts searching for their next fix. An awful lot of domestic violence is caused by alcohol abuse. I'm a firefighter and I sure didn't appreciate the time I ended up in the middle of a live meth lab. A lot of tax dollars and time go into the bad side of alcohol & chemical abuse and how can you determine how much society pays for health care for these problems. I can't count how many times I've been called to accident scenes caused by drivers under the influence, and it's not only them who get hurt, I've seen many sober people killed by people under the influence. So yes, alcohol and drugs do hurt other people besides the user.

Lastly, I just don't want to see anyone hurt themselves or anyone else. Your life is worth more than that.

[PJgunner]

Originally posted by DogYeller
I can empathize, having algore for a father would drive me to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Now that is about the most honest statement I've seen on this subject. :rolleyes:

Seriously though, pot was made illegal by the heavy lobbying, mainly by the Schenley Corporation, which I believe is a Canadian manufacturor. The law was passed in 1937 after intense lobbying efforts by the distillers of achoholic beverages Led by Schenley. After all, why buy booze when you can grow a high in your back yard. In fact, until a couple of years ago, the only legal seller of marijuana was our own federal government..
One of the problems with pot today is those who grow it have transformed it into something a lot stronger than what was available even in 1965, let alone pre-1937.
Would I smoke say a 1937 version of pot if I were inclined to? Sure. Would I smoke the current version that may or may not be laced with other stuff like PCP? Not only no but HELL NO! :mad:
My thoughts on those who deal in crack, meth, coke, speed at whatever else, when caught shoul;d be executed on the spot when caught. The body should be left to rot on the spot as a mesage to those who would replace him. If enough dealer die, maybe the trheat of instant execution on the spot just might break the back of the drug trade in this country. Better yet, let's pull out of the middle east and send the troops in to destroy and capture those in the drug trade in Mexico and some of the other responsible banana republics.
Another thought; we outlawed booze and look what it did for organized crime. We've outlawed drugs and look at the current situation. Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Prohibition did not work then and it damn well ain't working now.
So maybe we should legalize it, regulate it and tax it. Several benefites. One, the crime rates on certain crime should drop drastically, the government has another source of income, the druggies can get it cheap. Put teeth into the law where if any druggie does stray from home and hearth while DUI, off to the slammer for a long vacation.
The main point whether anyone likes it or not is we are losing the war on drugs. Maybe it's time to change the way we're handling the situation.
In case you plan on asking, no, I do not do drugs nor do I drink alcohol. Being a diabetic, booze is a no no. before being diagnosed, maybe a beer or a glass of wine on the holidays or for a birthday party.
Paul B.

[scalerman]

I live in Canada where our government is a little different than yours on the drug issue. We seem to be much more leinient on the marijuana than south of the 49th parallel. When I was much younger I used my fair share of it (probably more than enough anyway). I did try other drugs because the kick I got from smoking dope was not enough. Thank God that I decided that I really didn't want to do that. I have enough friends who did move on and then become total basket cases (one of which killed his father) that I feel that we need to keep drugs - alcohol included- out of the hands certainly of children. The cost of drug addiction in our countries is enormous. The crime that is perpetrated so that those who are addicted can feed their habit costs our societies financially, physically (injuries, deaths etc), phsycologically, so on and so on is incalculable. I don't even drink anymore because I'm not really sure where the line between use of alcohol meets abuse. I guess in a perfect world we would not feel the need to alter our perception of reality. We would not feel the need to chemically alter the way our brains work. People have been doing it since forever so if we think that we are going to put a stop to it any time soon we're kidding ourselves. I would like to point out however that (certainly in Canada anyway) that if drugs were people with handguns you can rest assured that the government would put a stop to in the blink of an eye. Or maybe even look at it this way- how many kids got killed in cars with airbags before the government changed the rules (the passenger side air bags can now be turned off) and the child protection people said that you need to put your kids in the back seat so that the air bag does not harm them. It is all about priorities and awareness.

[skeet]

You all have posed questions(and answers) that are important but Scalerman answered some of your concerns PJ. The fact is that if you legalize any drugs you will exacerbate the problem. If it becomes legal, More people will use..meaning we will have to have More drug rehabs that will have to be paid for by the government(meaning us). If you think legalizing drugs will be a good thing just look at Holland. Also, if you think legalizing will make things cheaper...get serious! When has the government ever made things cheaper when they can tax it? Look at cigarettes!! And people will still steal so they can pay for their habit except it would be at an ever larger rate. Many people don't do drugs of any kind just because they are afraid of the law.. PJ you are right in saying that the pot of today is a far cry from yesteryear...and yeah people do become addicted to pot...even if it is only psychologically because they like that feeling. No You'll never stop people from using drugs including alcohol. But if you do as PJ said and execute the dealers on the spot(especially around schools) most will either quit or die. And don't forget about the drug lords as PJ said. Literally just invade the countries they are in... capture them and bring them back here and publically execute them. It sounds terrible but this IS a war on drugs..is it not?

Wahnie, been thinking on what you said too. I understand the feeling of youth. I kinda felt the same way when your age although I never did drugs. I gathered for some of the comments you posted on the board in the past that your childhood(includes your teen years) was kind of rough. I understand that..but let's be honest. As teens we always blame our problems on someone else because we can't take responsibility for our actions. I know I did. As I am sure you did. You seem to have overcome some of that shortcoming as most of us do. But to feel that the government has no right to say what can be put in your body legally is assinine. Your actions DO affect others also... even if you think otherwise. And yes marijuana is a gateway drug whether you want to believe it or not. As Scalerman said..he tried other drugs just because pot didn't have the kick he wanted. I've heard that over and over. So maybe it isn't physically addicting but it certainly is psychologically. And as I said, impaired is impaired either from pot of pills or alcohol. So don't hide behind that argument about the amount of impairment. You live in the land of midnight sun and the marijuana laws up there allow a small amount of personal pot I think...and alcohol use up there is really astronomical(or it used to be). C'mon man, get out of the drug culture completely...it's about time to join the world..whether it is what you want it to be or not. If it isn't, try to change it...in a positive way! Come out of the dark side into the sunlight...even when it is winter up there.:D :D Not dissing you man. Just concerned about you! Cause if you don't get completely away from drugs of any kind..they will probably capture you again...although I hope not!

[scalerman]

Wahnie your unwillingness to hear and consider others opinions is not the best course of action. If everyone chose your option your country would still be under British rule. We would still be burning witches at the stake, chances are most of us would be dead because people would not have even entertained the radical idea of washing your hands. It is through the exchange of opinions and ideas that our world becomes larger. If you don't want to hear others' opinions because they upset you then perhaps you need to look at why that upsets you. I would submit to you that those opinions about drug use that upset you are really speaking truth to you and you just don't want to admit it. I have heard it said many times "once an addict always an addict". Most addicts just change the form of addiction. I am surprised that someone who had been addicted before would go back into the drug culture. Wahnie we care about you and want what is best for you.

[TheeBadOne]

Time lapse booking photos of a drug addict

http://i16.tinypic.com/5ze173m.gif

[Hawkeye6]

"Don't bother trying to debate with me. I really don't care about your opinion because it won't change mine."

You are the one who brought it up. Nobldy else. Nobody tried to change your opinion. Seemsto me you were just asking for an argument.

G3 was just out being foolish.

[Andy L]

Whanie,
Your not clean. Glad you gave up the coke and meth, but sounds to me like you just traded it for another drug. Pot. It doesnt matter what drug your currently doing, you need a crutch.

I hope Im wrong, but I would be willing to lay cash your back on the meth and coke at some point, if not now.

Sorry to be so blunt, but thats truth.

[skeet]

Andy is wrong. That is why all the posts have been pointing away from what you seem to feel. Someone made a statement once that youth is wasted on the young. ..which meant that they seem to choose the wrong path when young. It is true that age can bring maturity...but it isn't a guarantee. We are looking at you from the sidelines Wahnie. Not in your shoes. But without a change in your outlook on the drug concerns the odds are really against you. Your friends that use pot aren't really, in the long run, your friends. They are the people who excuse you from your actions. Your apologists. Ya know, Like hey man...it's only a little pot. Just like the guy or gal who said hey man..it's just a littl bit of meth...ot the one who says to the alcoholic..hey man...it's only a beer! I know, we sound like parents! We have been for the most part... as well as the ones who go out and deal with the poor souls who are on the drugs or are affected by them. I know Andy has dealt with them as has TBO. Unhappily I had to deal with the after effects of the things that happened. Never forget the guy we picked out of his car. Six stoned out kids(pot by the way) hit him head on. He hardly had an unbroken bone in his body. Lived in agony for almost a month before he died. I was at the trial...and the driver of the car that hit him actually said..Hey it was only a little bit of pot. I wasn't impaired. We really don't want that for you. Get some new friends that are clean of all drugs. For your future!