August 20th, 2013 at 9:49 AM ^
As for weed debate, it really depends. Kennedy family made their fortune bootlegging...guess it really depends how much $ you make and if you get away with it....While corporate stoogery works for some, it is not for everyone to sit in a cubicle and crunch numbers in excel all day until they become an over paid exec. Morality and ethics is a very loose term in the American business world. Success is often about being a clever kleptocrat. Terrell was doing this for money, it was a business decision and a poor one in that he got caught. But spare us the sanctimonious "weed is bad" bs when cigarrettes, alcohol, and addictive pain meds are legal simply because lobbyist and the govt are getting their cut.
August 20th, 2013 at 1:25 AM ^
If it's marijuana then I have no problem with it. You shouldn't be arrested for selling herbs. Nobody goes to jail for broccoli....yet. And not I don't smoke. It's legal where I live.
August 20th, 2013 at 8:14 AM ^
August 20th, 2013 at 9:58 AM ^
"Right and wrong" - I think you meant legal and illegal.
August 20th, 2013 at 10:39 AM ^
Nope. Don't think he did.
August 20th, 2013 at 11:48 AM ^
Using an intoxicating substance isn't inherently immoral. It may be unwise but not immoral. If you shirk your responsibilities or put other people in harm's way while using an intoxicating substance or blow all your cash leaving your dependents destitute, that's immoral - but not the basic act of ingesting an intoxicating substance.
So unless your use of an intoxicant harms others, it's really nobody else's business include. Depriving somebody of liberty or somebody of a parent for the "crime" of using a recreational drug is deeply immoral and indeed "criminal."
Again, as a disclaimer, I don't use recreational drugs and don't approve of their use. But that's my personal opinion and choice. I also don't engage in many other risky activities that are legal.
By the way, cocaine can be adminstered legally as a drug. I am an emergency physician and I give it intranasally for nosebleeds. And narcotics are used legally all the time in medicine. The same drugs (which are functionally the same as heroin) become illegal when not prescribed. Many legally prescribed drugs are far more dangerous than marijuana which is prohibited for political, not medical, reasons. It has legitimate medical uses. Marijuana's arguably much safer than OTC meds. You can't OD on marijuana but you can OD on tylenol and aspirin. Tylenol will kill your liver and aspirin will probably just kill you. So, marijuana prohibition makes no medical sense.
Legal/illegal is very different from right/wrong.
August 20th, 2013 at 1:35 AM ^
Allow me to play devil's advocate. From what I read in the Tribune, it sounds more like DT and another person were smoking pot at that person's apartment with a third person. In Chicago, possession of up to 10 grams is a non-criminal offense. (http://www.wbez.org/news/has-idea-ticketing-pot-gone-smoke-104861), 10 grams is far more grass than was probably in Terrell's hands if, hypothetically, the cops even saw it in his hands as he was inhaling it.
As for the "resisting arrest" and assault on a cop, again, I'd be curious to see how a jury at 26th and California would view such a story, especially because Terrell has 3 witnesses including himself- it's 3 against 2, and God knows the CPD's word is dicey at best in the City of Chicago (I'm a city dweller, have been for quite some time, and have friends who prosecute and defend at 26/Cal). Should Terrell have been smoking weed? Kind of irrevelevant, morally, and the City of Chicago has said "eh, shrug" with the new policy. So let's say the other guys, or the one who lives there takes the charges for the weed, because it's likely his anyway seeing as Terrell didn't live there, and you've got he said vs. he said 3 vs. 2 on the resisting arrest charge, and a non-criminal offense; in fact, from what we know now, all they can prove is that David Terrell was present in a room with marijuana, and that an officer claims Terrell injured him by slapping his hand. Hardly much. We will see what Mr. Terrell is convicted of, or what he pleads to. I like his chances a lot.
The devil's advocate would say that you can pile on David Terrell for a lot of mistakes, and you can say he shouldn't be smoking pot (I guess) but some of the judgments that are being cast about on this board are taking what we know at this point and running a little far, IMO.
August 20th, 2013 at 1:51 AM ^
This situation could have happened to a number of my buddies growing up, but none of them were drug dealers. Users? Yep. Dealers? nope. Regardless, its still a bad look for David and at least a small indication that he may want to re-evaluate some things in his life.
August 20th, 2013 at 8:02 AM ^
August 20th, 2013 at 9:13 AM ^
August 20th, 2013 at 10:59 AM ^
August 20th, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^
Well, I was simply making what I think to be the defense's argument, in broad strokes, and I think, given the forum, the defense's argument in court has an excellent chance of prevailing. What actually happened? I have no idea.
August 20th, 2013 at 10:53 AM ^
he was arrested for using a substance which is far far less dangerous than legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. He was arrested since we have a fascist state that abuses individual citizens and denies them their basic human right to choose whether to ingest a particular substance. Personally, I think smoking pot is idiotic and a waste of time. And it's not totally harmless. But there are many legal far riskier activities that are similarly idiotic and a waste of time, in my personal opinion. How about riding a motorcycle? It's far more dangerous than smoking pot. It's not even close. I could go on and on.
As for his "resisting arrest," that would be another stupid move. But it's not immoral to resist an immoral police action.
I hope he gets his act together. And more importantly, I hope we have reform of our fascist drug laws and stop the drug war which abuses,destroys, terrorizes and kills many good people.
August 20th, 2013 at 10:57 AM ^
August 20th, 2013 at 8:00 AM ^
In other M WR news, Steve Breaston was released by NO yesterday. Hopefully he can catch on with another team.
August 20th, 2013 at 8:19 AM ^
He provided great memories wearing the #1.
August 20th, 2013 at 8:43 AM ^
August 20th, 2013 at 9:37 AM ^
What's wrong with a little free enterprise? It's this type of entrepreneurial capitalism that made America great!
August 20th, 2013 at 10:39 AM ^
Never seemed able to keep himself out of the police blotter and/or injury list in the pros. Waste of top talent, but I guess that happens.
August 20th, 2013 at 10:42 AM ^
The article is a little sparse on the details but my impression is that the cops probably charged him with everything possible (instead of just posession) because he acted like an ass. I've got a ton of sympathy for someone being busted with pot but this was just stupid... act like an adult, be respectful and let the lawyers figure it out.
That being said, what a bummer! One of my all-time favorites Woverines and (I thought) a prototype NFL receiver who'd be dominant at the next level.
August 20th, 2013 at 11:38 AM ^
This is Urban Meyer's fault.
August 20th, 2013 at 11:50 AM ^
It's a new documentary being made by my former classmate, colleague and UofM graduate, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. It explores the up to date medical facts on marijuana.
August 20th, 2013 at 12:50 PM ^
David, relocate! No one will bust you for pot in the San Francisco Bay Area as it is deceiminalized here. In fact you can get a prescription for it here pretty easily but if you choose to use it casually, the cops are not going to target you at all.
Also, if you move to Washington State you can legally smoke all you want. There are other states where you can get your weed on and not be worried about million dollar SWAT raids designed to catch you for puffing a little.