On March 2nd mom had her 86th birthday. I just learned today she will likely be in heaven before I can get from San Antonio to Asheville. She is surrounded by nieces and a nephew, folks from church, and friends, but all they can do is say a prayer and comfort each other. Mom is not conscious and has not been for much of the last few days. She is one of the last of “the greatest generation” as someone has dubbed those Americans who lived through the “Great Depression”. The last of eight siblings and the last of my family except for me, my younger brother, and his son. My father died full of faith in 1993.

Mom, like my dad, was born in Yancey County N.C. dirt poor, but from good stock. Her English/German mother and her English father were honest, hardworking folks cut from the same cloth as their parents and grandparents. Mom lived her young years, up until her early 20’s, with no running water in the house, no electricity, and a bath and a path.

When she was about a year from graduating from high school two events interrupted her plans. Her mother became bed-fast and had to be cared for day and night. And, one of mom’s brother’s young wife of 22 died with scarlet fever leaving mom with two babies in diapers to care for. Other than boiling water for cleaning and cooking on a wood stove, cooking for my grandpa and the others, rising at 3:30 a.m. to get him off to work with a meal in his belly and lunch in a bucket, working in the family garden, doing all the laundry by hand on a scrub board, she didn’t have much to do.

My dad met and married mom when she was 21 years old. I was born a bit over a year later and then my brother 18 years later. By the way mom had been totally blind for several years when my brother was born. She did all her own house work, cooking, mending dads works clothes, and teaching my little brother most of what he was expected to learn in the first grade.

Mother is a remarkable woman to say the least. She was never  a complainer, always giving grace to everyone, a giant of prayer, and a faithful follower of Jesus. She came to faith in Christ when she was about 6 or 8 years old at a Bible School. She told me she was furious that they made her wait two years before she could be baptized. She reported to me only last year that story and that not once in those many years has she ever doubted her security in Jesus.

The last words my mom spoke day before yesterday were “Papa and Mama”, her parents. And, on yesterday, at just a whisper my cousin and her nurse could make out the words “going home”. That’s my mom, on her way to that city whose builder and maker is God.

She fought the good fight, she kept the faith, and will soon see clearly once again. I could not be more proud that Vivian Ogle was my “Mama”. I have often said Daddy taught me how to die and Mama  taught me how to live. I so admire her blameless life, her quiet but consistent lifetime of prayer (with remarkable answers as a usual pattern), her devotion to my dad and me and my brother, and I expect to meet her again.

Thankfully, because of Christ, I really don’t have to say goodby to Mama, but rather “see you later”.

His peace,
Royce Ogle

About 3:10 this morning mom went home. (Wed 03/19)

For several decades the U.S. government has been at war with the drug trade. Multiplied millions have been spent and we haven’t made a dent in the sale and use of mind altering substances. I wonder how many millions pot smokers cost U.S. taxpayers each year?

According to the Associated Press, at the beginning of 2008, using state by state data, 3,218,358 Americans are in jail or prison. That is about 1 of 99.1. Shocking numbers huh? And, according to other data I have seen, a very conservative estimate is that about 12 % of Federal inmates are there for marijuana felony convictions and the percentage is much higher at the state and local level, perhaps as much as 25%.  A very conservative estimate is that between 300,000 to well over 400,000 U.S. citizens are in jail for marijuana offences. The numbers have improved slightly at the Federal level but have increased at the local and state level so that the net numbers are still climbing.

Government estimates are that each year $7, 500, 000 is spent fighting the drug marijuana alone. And add to that number another $7, 000, 000 users spend buying marijuana each year and you have a minimum of $14, 500,00 sucked out of the nations economy each year not counting the cost of keeping offenders in jail.

On the west coast states have allowed people to grow their own pot for years and in some jurisdictions it is even prescribed for medical purposes. Those states and towns have no worse problem with drug related offences that the rest of the country. My conclusion is that the U.S. should legalize the growing and use of marijuana. I never thought I would say such a thing but if anyone has better solution I would like to hear it.

Now, let me hasten to say, I wish there was no marijuana on the planet, we would be far better off. I don’t use it, have never used it, and don’t want others to use it. Here is my logic and the reasons I have come haltingly to this conclusion.

If pot is made legal, first prices would fall so fast that street sales would be virtually gone in a few months. And, users would stop committing crimes to get money to buy it. (Remember Prohibition?) Most of the crimes are for possession, possession with intent to distribute, etc. People who are caught driving under the influence, or misbehaving in some other way,  should be arrested and put in jail just like someone who is under the influence of alcohol.

I know the argument well, Marijuana is a “gateway drug”. It is and I am aware of that. However, alcohol is a far greater “gateway” to the drug world. And, I just read detailed statistics from the Dept of Justice showing that with the exception of two categories the use of alcohol is used more of the time than pot before crimes are committed.

Legalize pot and instantly U.S. taxpayers save $7, 500, 000 each year not counting treatment, prison related costs, public defenders etc., and another $7, 000,000 can be spent on goods and services in our economy rather than giving it to street thugs. The way to eliminate drug lords is to take their market away. Of course we will still have the curse of the more dangerous drugs but at least we could rid ourselves of part of the problem. 300,000 t0 400,000 less folks in jail would result in enormous amounts of money saved.

What do you think? How can we solve the problem? So far, all we have done is waste zillions of dollars and have saved no lives, made our society no safer or better in any way, and there is no hope on the horizon.

By the way, tobacco kills more people than any other thing I can think of and not only is it legal, some of our church members use it and by doing so teach their children and grand children its a good idea. I know someone will jump on me like a pit bull but before you leap, what about all the over the counter and prescription junk a huge percentage of our congregations are using that they don’t need?

Just wondering,
Royce Ogle

The evidence is in, the earth is not warming, it is actually cooling.

Where do I pick up my Nobel Prize?    I also invented the internet. Oh….that one is already taken. Hmmm….let me see, I’ll have to think about this..