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Title: When It Comes to Pot, Pain, and Cancer, Jeff Sessions Is An Idiot
Source:
Reason
URL Source: https://reason.com/archives/2018/03 ... sions-idiot-pot-cancer-opioids
Published: Mar 3, 2018
Author: Matt Kibbe
Post Date: 2018-03-03 17:48:15 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 5240
Comments: 66
I am a stage-four cancer survivor. No, that's wrong. I'm not a survivor. I beat cancer's ass into the ground, dusted myself off, and proceeded on with life. I don't consider myself, or the millions of other people who deal with life-threatening or chronic conditions, a victim. We are not. But surely, patients have enough to manage already without the idiocy rattling through Attorney General Jeff Sessions' teeth every time he opines on opiods, cannabis, and pain management. That's right, I said it. Someone had to. Jeff Sessions is an idiot. The problem is plain for anyone who has had an experience like mine to see: Our top federal law enforcement officer has no idea what real pain is really like, or what doctors do to manage it. Sessions recently told the surely apocryphal story about current White House Chief of Staff, and former four-star general, John Kelly refusing pain killers during hand surgery. I have no doubt that the general is one bad ass individual. But really? Did he wash the wound with tequila before the first incision, while grinding his teeth on a stick? Watch Sessions tell the story here. It is itself quite painful. It's like your crazy great uncle's circa-1950s-liquor-fueled rants you are subjected to once every year at Thanksgiving dinner. The difference is that your crazy great uncle is kind of endearing when he's drunk, and his opinions are harmless. This crazy uncle is the Attorney General of the United States, and he has all the power to act on his feelings, and he clearly intends to do so. "The plain fact, I believe, and I am operating on the assumption that this country prescribes too many opioids," Sessions told a gathering in Tampa a few weeks ago. "I mean, people need to take some, uh, aspirin sometimes, and tough it out a little." "Believe." "Assumption." "Too many." Forget the fact he doesn't have the slightest notion of the difference between acute pain, like when a surgical scalpel cuts into your flesh, and chronic pain, that can last indefinitely. And I wonder what exactly "Dr." Sessions means by too many? Which patients, with what conditions, under what circumstances will be determined by the federal government to be deserving of pain relief? And who, exactly, is just going to have to "tough it out a little bit?" The Attorney General probably doesn't have any specific patient in mind. He doesn't exactly appear to be focused on individual patients. He just wants to make sure that fewer patients are prescribed opioids to manage their pain—and he is weaponizing the federal government in order to accomplish this goal. The Associate Press reported last month that, according to Sessions, "the Drug Enforcement Agency is now asking medical practitioners whether they have received continuing medical education on prescribing or dispensing opioids when they apply for a license or renew." Sessions is forcing doctors to make an ugly choice: Either do best by their patients and adhere to their Hippocratic Oath—or suffer the bureaucratic harassment from the powerful Drug Enforcement Agency, and risk the loss of their license to practice medicine. If incentives matter, and they do, expect doctors to start making bad choices for their patients. I remember a time, not too long ago, when Republicans and conservatives proclaimed loudly and often that health care choices should be between patients and doctors, and the federal government should keep its nose out. But those well-worn talking points have been shelved, replaced with a new form of medical authoritarianism. For me, it's personal. I was diagnosed with cancer in 2001. I have been injected with aggressive chemotherapy cocktails that leave you feeling like you have the worst hangover ever, except that it goes on for months. And there's extensive nerve damage. If you are a masochist, you can read more gory details here. I have undergone multiple surgeries that sliced me open from stem to stern, each time leaving dozens of surgical staples in my belly, making my torso look like I big zipper. Years later, I still deal with collateral damage from the battle, including scar tissue in my abdomen that can generate significant pain. With all due respect to tough guy John Kelly, I doubt he has felt real pain, the kind that makes you wish you were dead, until scar tissue from past surgeries manages to strangle your intestines closed. And, yes, it irritates me to retell these stories. I'm not nearly old enough yet to be spending my waning days on the porch, telling my octogenarian friends about all the parts of my body that are broken. I was hoping to save the good stuff for when my wife finally sends me away to a geezer farm in the country. Of course opioid addicition is a real problem, and opioid abuse is indeed dangerous. I have friends who have told their stories about managing pain, and addiction. They all sought other forms of treatment, settling on medical cannabis as a safer, more effective treatment for debilitating pain, and other chronic conditions. I can recount countless stories of patients using cannabis to get off of opioids. But here comes the idiocy again. Jeff Sessions has said that "good people don't smoke marijuana," and that he believes that cannabis is the gateway drug that leads to opioid abuse. "We think a lot of this is starting with marijuana," he says at that same piece of performance art in Tampa. The research, of course, says the opposite. So with traditional pharmaceuticals and cannabis off the table, I guess I really will have to "tough it out a bit." When I sat down to write this piece, I debated using the word idiot. It's intemperate, you might say. So I Googled it. "Idiot: A stupid person. Synonyms: fool, jackass, knucklehead, numbskull, nitwit, asshat." It might as well have just said "Jeff Sessions." 
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#6. To: Deckard (#0)
(Edited)
Members of the Oath Keepers organization took an oath and they are fulfilling that oath: As the Attorney General, it is Jeff Sessions’ duty to ensure that the laws of the United States are enforced and that the Constitutional order is upheld. You must come to terms with the reality that you simply cannot pick and choose which laws you wish to obey….unless of course you want to do jail time. If we all arbitrarily pick and choose which laws to follow, our whole civilized society will collapse. If you don’t like the Marijuana Laws, then work to get the laws changed. Don’t work to try and get Jeff Sessions to violate his oath and ignore the laws just for you. That will never happen. It would be interesting to learn if you, as the professed Christian you claim to be, pick and choose which Biblical Laws to follow.
What does Paul say in Romans 13 about government, really? How does that apply to American politics and emergencies. The lie that all government is ordained by God is answered plainly and directly. God is righteous and ordained righteous government to enforce His justice by defending the people and their divinely established unalienable rights. Don't fall for the lies of paid off, sold out FEMA preachers, Clergy Response Team members. Get thee behind me, Satan Gatlin, evil doer! You're lying about the Bible. Despicable.
If you have time fatlin give the minister a listen. He is making sense on what I've listened to so far.
After watching the Brother Ken Christian voice08 video, I then did about 3 hours of research for Brother Ken. Yea, one of the videos exposing Brother Ken was almost 2 hours long….I watched it all. I find no last name for Brother Ken and no address for his ministry from google. I find no validation that he is even a minister. Strange. While google searches turned up nothing on him, I was able so find some more Brother Ken Christian Voice09 here. I did not have the time to listen to all of Brother Ken’s sermons….but I did listen to the first part of all of them and I listened enough to determine he is no preacher I will ever go to church on Sunday to listen to. I have now seen and heard all of Brother Ken that I ever need. Then surpassingly, I found two videos by Robert Guercia where Robert exposed Brother Ken for what Robert saw him to really be. Robert sounded very convincing and he made sense to me. I also found a video by Song Swan getting after Brother Ken for condemning Christian Music. So, you and hondo can listen to Brother Ken Christian voice08 all you want to and believe whatever he says….as for me, I will pass on him. I am in agreement with most all of the comments posted below in response to Robert Guercia’s videos exposing Brother Ken. You of course can form your own conclusion. Clopsy responded to Robert Guercia’s comments about Brother Ken by saying: You seem to suffer from the delusion that a "minister" or "elder" of the Church is exempt from having their teachings scrutinized , and, if appropriate, discounted. I point you to the apostle Paul in Act 17 "10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" The Bereans were commended for not taking everything at "face value" and researching the scriptures for themselves. I daresay that if Paul, who was writing the scriptures at this time under the direction of the Holy Spirit, had no problem with believers questioning the veracity of what he said, you should be more gracious 2000 years later when honest questions are raised by your exegesis / eisegesis of the Bible. Instead you resort to ad hominem attacks on those who disagree with you. You call them "illiterate", "uneducated", "liar", "sinner", etc., ultimately banning some for having the audacity to contradict you. You may well be a "minister" and an "elder" but I suggest you study the qualifications given by Paul for such an office and begin to behave accordingly. Pay particular attention to verse 7 "not self-willed" means "arrogant", "not soon angry" means "irascible", "no striker" means "pugnacious (quarrelsome)" (all definitions taken from Strong's Concordance.) Titus 1 5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. BROTHER KEN'S RESPONSE +Steve Barhydt No delusions at all. You apparently haven't read my posts below where I point out that very fact. However, you guys are obligated to be respectful of me and any other elder and minister. We are to be given DOUBLE HONOR according to Paul or maybe you hadn't read that verse before falsely accusing an elder. I have just finished a series of conversations with "Brother Ken" concerning, not so much his stance on music, which I totally disagree with him on, but his unChristlike manner in which he deals with those who disagree with him. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, my comments have started disappearing. With your permission, I would like to repost that conversation here on your YouTube with the prayer that those who are researching "Brother Ken" may find some balance to his rantings here. That's how I found you :) Several of my comments are rather long and I didn't want to post them without your okay. In Christ, Steve Robert Guercia - Robert Guercia - Song Swan - I will repeat and emphasize one of the comments.
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Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest When It Comes to Pot, Pain, and Cancer, Jeff Sessions Is An Idiot
A portion of that statement may be true, but Jess Sessions’ primary duty to our great nation is not to deal with pain and cancer. It is his sworn obligation to enforce the laws of the land and that includes laws involving marijuana. Recognizing that we each swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and affirming that we are guardians of the Republic, of the principles in our Declaration of Independence, and of the rights of our people, we affirm and declare the following ...
Be it recognized that Jeff Sessions is also an “oath keeper” who took an oath and is fulfilling that oath: The federal government requires civil servants to sign a loyalty oath to "bear true faith and allegiance" to the state and national constitutions, and to defend both documents "against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Employees must also pledge to perform the jobs for which they have been hired.
Why do you praise the “Oath Keepers” for keeping their oath, and at the same time side with people who want Jeff Sessions to violate his oath and ignore laws that you do not like? Is there some rational to this dilemma that you can explain to everyone? Romans 13:1-14 (English Standard Version) -
Do you pick and choose which Biblical Laws to follow?
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ...
#7. To: Gatlin, Satan, FEMA preachers, Clergy Response Team, Evil Government Not Ordained by God, Deckard (#6)
#8. To: hondo68, gatlin (#7)
#10. To: A K A Stone, hondo68 (#8)
(Edited)
If you have time fatlin give the minister a listen. He is making sense on what I've listened to so far.
I watched the Brother Ken video hondo posted, it sounds like Brother Ken and Deckard went to the same school. That is not a sarcastic remark, it is a true observation. Holy Cow I love how you make the proper corrections for him of the bible. He's got an ego and he just loves to manipulate the bible for his false doctrine. Nothing but lies and cliches with him. Oh how her loves to turn things into a cliche.
Wimpy Apple said about Robert Guercia’s statement: Very good and too the point on this man [Brother Ken].
David Gr8 stated after hearing Robert Guercia’s comments: Another good one here that really exposes him for what he was always doing. And! After investigating everything for the last few weeks. All i can say is "Brother Ken has a lot of hypocrisy in himself and double standards and are not CHRIST LIKE at all". Good job here! This is a most listen to video.
Jim Kanis commented on Brother Ken: The sad part is he just has no real scripture backing himself. But he's like the Obama Administration in this country when he talks acting like he knows what America needs to have along with the democrats not looking at the bill of rites. Last I checked! The bible does not speak on his translations and interpretation of it.
What follows is a conversation thread between myself [Steve] and Brother Ken of ChristianVoice08 YouTube channel made on the first of his "Anti Contemporary Christian Music" videos. I pray that all who read this thread will find balance to the manner in with Ken treats nearly everyone who disagrees with him. MY ORIGINAL COMMENT Watch these videos and then see if you still think that Brother Ken makes sense.
Read the remarks posted below the video. Holy Cow I love how you make the proper corrections for him of the bible. He's got an ego and he just loves to manipulate the bible for his false doctrine. Nothing but lies and cliches with him. Oh how her loves to turn things into a cliche.
I believe it is preachers like Brother Ken that give cause to some people having the wrong attitude about Evangelicals.
Replies to Comment # 10.
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