APRIL 26, 2007

What the hell is wrong with the government? No, really. Let's compare and contrast. A gunman opened fire on a college campus a few weeks ago killing 32 people but, despite prolific gun violence in this country, our government still isn't willing to implement better gun laws. And last night, I went to the store to buy nasal decongestant for my allergies but was told that, due to the meth epidemic, over the counter sale of the nasal decongestant pseudoephedrine is now illegal in Oregon, so the only way to get pseudoephedrine is from a doctor. So, with the way things stand, it's perfectly legal for me to buy a semi-automatic weapon, but not nasal decongestant. Because, you know, nasal decongestant can be dangerous.

But, thankfully, there are ways around the law banning pseudoephedrine sales. All any Portlander has to do to curtail the law is drive 10 miles north to Washington state, because pseudoephedrine is legal there. Which is what we did tonight. I was hesitant when we went to the store in Vancouver because I wasn't sure if its legal for Washington to sell pseudoephedrine to Oregonians, what with nasal decongestant being an illicit drug in Oregon, but it turns out there's nothing stopping Washington from gladly selling pseudoephedrine to us. And I say gladly because Oregon's ban on pseudoephedrine has created an economic plus for Vancouver. The pharmacist said tons of Portlanders flock to Vancouver to buy the forbidden fruit of nasal remedy and Vancouver certainly isn't complaining about the extra income.

And to demonstrate how weird and paranoid the current affairs in this country are making people... After buying the pseudoephedrine, Ross and I zipped back to Portland and went out for coffee. As we sat at the cafe, I got out the pseudoephedrine so that I could take some and finally get rid of the sinus headache I've had for weeks, but just as I started to open the box four police officers sat down at a nearby table. I panicked because, dear god, I had a box of contraband nasal decongestant and what if the police saw? I wasn't sure what the laws are regarding possession without a prescription or if I could be arrested for having it, so I hid the pseudoephedrine and waited until the cops left to take it. I know that sounds silly but, when you live in a country that bans nasal decongestant but considers semi-automatic weapons a god given right, it's best not to assume that common sense or logic is any part of the equation.

But, for the time being, I have 24 precious tablets of pseudoephedrine and for that I am grateful. My sinuses get so bad in the spring that even my eyes hurt due to the pressure and to finally get relief from that snot filled hell is sublime. I am worried, however, that Washington state will also ban over the counter sales of the medication, especially since Washington, Oregon, and California are legislative amigos and tend to follow each other's leads on such things. But even if Washington state or even the federal government decides to ban pseudoephedrine, at least we'll still be able to stroll into the local Wal-Mart and buy guns that we can then use to rob a pharmacy and get nasal decongestant.

listening: depeche mode . reading: --

walk: 0 minutes . weight lost: 9 pounds

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