Poppies In The Field

We've had considerable rain here in central Texas this year. Last year, 2009, we experienced the worst floor of 100 years, then the rains stopped. We experienced a crushing drought that brought the ranchers to their knees. Precious stored hay had to be fed to the cows in the early summer. Still no rain. Surely rain would come. But, it didn't and people who kept hope and their cattle, found themselves in the middle of a record market sell off of cattle. My cows survived on 1 bale of hay a day and mesquite beans. We always have bumper crops of mesquite beans in a drought. Cows got thin, cattle prices were down. Still, some held on. Hopes were high that it had to rain sometime.

We never got a break in 2009. Cattle prices plunged down ward and farmer's cost spiraled upward. Hay bales were bringing $65 and up. It was a no win situation for ranchers.

2010 has brought rains. Late, but it's ground soaking rains. With rains come weeds and grass. The weeds overshadow the grass. One particular weed that I find interesting is a tall thistle that can reach almost 5 feet in height. It's dark green with prickly leaves. At it's maturity, the thistle pods open to expose bright pink or light purple dandy lion type flowers. As I look at the noxious plant that I know I'll have to mow eventually, it reminds me of something I've seen before. Of course, I've seen this thistle before but in hard economic times, it brings to mind other fields that look like this. Where have I seen them?

That's it! It reminds me of the photos of Poppy plants from Afghanistan. Can this be a poppy? I doubt it. Surely the drug enforcement agency would have swarmed the place if it was THE poppy. But, is it a relative? I'll make it a point to ask the Agriculture Extension Agency.

Which brings me to the next thought. What if the cash strapped Texas farmer could capture some of that incredible wealth by growing poppies?

The second gold rush!

A cattle drive of mammoth proportions!

Why should drug dealers make all the money?

Of course, if growing poppy crops was legalized, the price would drop. We couldn't make all that money without being illegal.

I grew up in a time when prohibition was the going thing. No Alcohol! Bad! Illegal!

Big bucks! Big crimes!

Then, all of a sudden it was legal. Granted, some towns and counties didn't and still don't sell alcohol, but for the most part, it's legal. People aren't put in prison for drinking alcohol (unless they are drunk). Prisons aren't full of alcoholics unless they have an accompanying criminal problem. Phew! Thank goodness, we've passed that illegal period. We can all sit and drink a glass of wine in public. There is still the thing about legal age but, no thought today at all that in a period of our history, it was illegal for all citizens to drink alcohol.

Now, project to the future. One day, the use of drugs will be legal. We can no longer fill our prisons with drug dealers. We economically can't provide huge police or army forces to pursue drug dealers, drug addicts, drug lords, crimes associated with obtaining drug money, burning fields of poppies, supporting terrorists who make their money off poppy sales, and terrorists who use drug sales to bomb and slaughter innocent people.

Our Texas, Arizona and California borders are riddled with crime drug lords from Mexico who are connected to the Mexican government and held accountable for nothing. Drug lords rule Mexico and set the tone for horrendous murders. This drug tidal wave has crossed American borders to terrorize hapless American families.

Legalize drugs. Save our money to treat drug addicts. When alcohol was legalized, there wasn't a tidal wave of alcoholics. Empty the prisons of drug dealers, drug users. Save the prison spaces for child molesters and the real threats to our society.

Legalizing drugs would immediately cut off the terrorists money supply. It would immediately solve the drug related crime waves coming from Mexico. If we, gulp, legalized alcohol, we can take the next step and legalize marijuana and cocaine.

Once legal, it would no longer have the allure and fascination of a forbidden fruit.

Oops! Phew, I just woke to a horrible dream. Is it okay to harvest my poppies now?

Just like me. I sell skinny cows when the market is flooded. Now, I'm harvesting my poppies when it's legal and the rains have stopped and the poppies aren't growing.

Next time around, I'll get it right.