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CNN may have just posted their best piece of investigative journalism in years. In the following video, three drivers of varying ages got incredibly high on marijuana and test-drove cars around a course.
A driving-ed instructor accompanied them to avert any chance of an accident, and police watched from the sidelines to spot any visible ##Q##signs##Q## of inebriation in their movements.
The volunteers — a young daily smoker, adult weekend smoker and elder infrequent smoker — proceeded to test escalating levels of stupor against the new baseline ##Q##legal limits##Q## in Colorado and Washington state. They had to reach excesses of 5 times the legal limit before their ability to drive became impaired. In most cases, the danger they presented was driving too slowly or with frequent hesitations.
Although hardly scientific, this test does offer some insight into a specter which has haunted us for years: marijuana legalization. Last November, the country watched tame and good-natured celebrations sweep Colorado and Washington after their pro-marijuana ballot passed. The sudden and complete lack of tension between public smokers and police was wonderful to see; it was like two opposing armies finally laying arms to rest. It was as if a part of America had leapt into a progressive future, giving the rest of us a glimpse into what might be.
Could anyone deny that this was a microcosm of the future most have been waiting for?
Despite resounding state level calls to end to the war on drugs, the DEA and federal government still loom overhead with murky legal gray zones. When asked by Barbara Walters what his current stance on the issue was, Obama said he would not make it a priority to go after recreational users in states that have passed legalization initiatives.
This evasive, political response is to be expected: we aren##Q##t permitting drugs, but we won##Q##t fight the states on the issue.
Perhaps it would be too much to ask for the president to fully legalize marijuana and end an obscene prohibition that imprisons millions of Americans. But if the political PR can be ignored, it is undoubtedly the right thing to do. For now, maybe the best tactic is to keep harassing citizens federally, so they demand protection from their states and take the issue off Obama##Q##s plate.
Driver
So back to our drivers, and the issue many mothers are now concerned about: children having a new intoxicant to afflict their driving skills.
How did the ##Q##impaired##Q## volunteers actually do?
Well at a certain point, the substance had an undeniable effect on their ability to navigate a vehicle sensibly.
But they all maintained surprising control, even at incredibly excessive levels of marijuana consumption. Moreover, unlike drunk drivers, they were very much aware of their state and agreed they were not on top of their game.
Without over-indulging, it seems people##Q##s critical thinking can be trusted more with a few hits than a couple of drinks.
When it comes to marijuana in America, there##Q##s still a long road ahead to change laws, perceptions and behavior.
But it##Q##s progress worth making, as long as it gets us away from misinformed stereotypes like this.
Source: CNN
The Ram Truck brand pledged to make a donation to the National FFA Organization for every view of its two-minute “Farmer” Super Bowl video on the brand’s website, with the intent of generating $1 million.
It took less than a week to reach the 10 million view milestone equating to the $1 million donation. As of Feb. 14, the “Farmer” video has been viewed more than 18 million times at www.ramtrucks.com/keepplowing a
nd www.youtube.com/ramtrucks and millions of more times on other sites.
“The compelling images in the video of America’s heartland mated with Harvey’s ##Q##So God Made a Farmer’ words resonated with viewers nationwide,” said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler Group LLC. “We set out to create a call-to-action to support farmers and to recognize their place as the foundation of the American character and are gratified with the dialog the video sparked.”
“’Farmer’ is about having America appreciate everything that far
mers and farm families do on a daily basis and captures the hard work, determination and character of the farmer in all of us,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico. “We are so pleased and excited that this has touched the hearts and souls of so many people in a positive way.”
The video also launched the Ram Truck brand’s 2013 “The Year of the Farmer” campaign aimed at bringing national attention to the significance of the American farmer. The brand enhances its long-standing partnership with the National FFA Organization (formerly known as Future Farmers of America) with this year-long, multi-tiered initiative. Together with agricultural equipment manufacturer Case IH, Farms.com and other brand partners, Ram set out to raise awareness and generate funds for FFA hunger relief efforts in local communities across America.
“Ram scored a major win for American agriculture and our producers and ranchers with its ‘Farmer##Q## Super Bowl commercial and has sharply elevated the image of agriculture in the public’s mind,” said National FFA Organization CEO Dr. Dwight Armstrong. “This highly successful partnership with Ram through the National FFA Foundation has generated $1 million of new support for FFA that will be utilized to drive our ‘Feeding the World-Starting at Home’ initiative and other programs that will benefit our nearly 560,000 FFA members in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.”
The “Farmer” video was inspired by the stirring “So God Made a Farmer” tribute delivered by legendary radio broadcaster Paul Harvey and used as a national anthem in grassroots videos created by farm families. To honor American farmers, the Ram Truck brand set out to create even greater awareness, support and appreciation for farming families, communities and providers. The brand commissioned 10 noted photographers to document American farm life, yielding a beautiful and comprehensive catalog of farming images. Many of these artful and compelling still images provide the visual mosaic for the video; Harvey’s passionate oration provides the narration.
The photographers shot images throughout the United States over the course of 25 days with 35 still photographs used in the video. Many more of the commissioned images will appear in a book the Ram Truck brand plans to publish later this year, creating a beautiful and comprehensive collection of original agriculture, farming and family farm photography. The book will provide a broad view of the agricultural community and lifestyle. Ram will contribute a portion of book proceeds to agriculture and hunger related efforts across the country.
Source: Dodge (Chrysler Group)
