______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ And you're continuing to push this narrative that Zimmerman stalked and shot Martin? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ I don't know that 'stalk" is right word, as I associate it with hunting and a clear intent to harm an animal. I think it generally accepted that Zimmerman "followed" Martin and that Zimmerman "shot" Martin. I don't think Zimmerman was an evil guy hunting "The Most Dangerous Game". I'm just saying I agree with neighborhood watch training that urges volunteers to be unarmed and keep their distance from suspects. Zimmerman violated these principles and the outcome was not good for Zimmerman, the neighborhood, the local police, nor, especially, for Trayvon Martin.
Marijuana is presented as harmless. The caricature is that when you are high you are all about peace and love... Of course I have talked to marijuana users so I know there is some truth to that. In those conversations I have also heard that when high your sense of morality or inhibitions for doing "bad" things is significantly lowered. Not saying Trayvon was high, if the levels were low enough and he hadn't smoked recently I take the statement back. The point is that if he was high it probably made him more likely to attack someone than not.
Having used dope quite a lot, but being (gratefully!) off it now for 17 years, I'll tell you that's not quite right. Dope makes people act odd, and might make the other person misinterpret something you are doing or saying, but it's not going to increase the reaction toward violence--quite the contrary. Marijuana is an evil drug, but its evil is very subtle, and occurs over a long time involving motivation, changes in socialization, injection of illegality and dishonesty into your life, and a gradual and increasing favor toward physical comfort and pleasure and away from meaningful relationship and accomplishment. But, making you go get in a fistfight? No. Really, not even a lot of car accidents or personal injuries when you consider how many people are on it.
I appreciate your view point. I hear similarities from other people I have talked to. But I have heard some difference as well. That is probably due to differences in personality, experience, and context of use. Your experience may be more normative, but I have heard from some that being high can lead to a higher possibility of violence, not due to anger or temper but due to a numbing of moral sensitivity, empathy and conscience.
Not to say it couldn't happen, but that moral numbing is more likely to be sexual "mistakes," or blowing off a previously made commitment, or lying about why you are not where you are supposed to be, or leaving worthless scumbags in your life that you would never even consider as friends if they weren't your smoking buddy or your source. Again, I've never seen someone get violent on dope, and I've seen a lot. Now, if it's got something weird on it, like angel dust, or if the person is also on speed, or drunk, well, then I don't blame the THC. Now, I will say that people who are detoxing off any drug tend to be a little cranky, and might be short-tempered.
