Why Prop 19 Failed

I've been following the Prop 19 movement for a couple months now, shortly after my personal political rebirth as a Libertarian. I've picked up a phrase along the way has helped me make sense of things.

We live by right, not permission.

Repeat after me. We live by right, not permission.

Everything about Prop 19 tells me the authors believe the opposite. If one believes they have the right to smoke marijuana, why not simply write the proposition in such a way that lines up with that. Why couch the whole issue in a mealymouthed compromise involving the state's ability to “tax and regulate” the substance you're claiming you have the right to use. Oh yeah, that's not what you're claiming. You're hoping the right will appear in the future, so for now, you're asking permission.

If denim was illegal, and Prop 19 was for the permissive use, taxation and regulation of denim, limited to 3 pairs of jeans, it would probably fail as well. In free societies, people are not limited to 1 ounce of tobacco any more than they are limited to 2 bottles of gin. They aren't limited to 2 handguns or 1 war protest per year. They don't need to ask permission because they have the right, whether or not permission is given.

People support principles, not results. If you want to smoke marijuana and you believe you have the right to do so because you own your own body, you need to push the principle of self ownership. You'll find it difficult to rally support around a bill with the stated purpose of giving special regulatory and taxing authority to the very same government which restricted its use in the first place.

If you believe you have the right, it's time to stop asking for permission.

You learned a hard lesson yesterday. Let's hope that in the future, you stop asking for petty permission to keep 1 ounce of pot and a 25 square foot growing area, and start demanding that your natural right of self-ownership be respected. You've got two years to get your act together.