One could write volumes on what is wrong with America. But one small news story tells a lot.

In an up-scale suburb of San Francisco, a man tried to feed a French fry to Bentley, his 12-pound Chihuahua-terrier mix. But the dog refused to eat and acted lethargic. The vet diagnosed marijuana toxicity. Since the man did not use pot, he concluded that the dog had either picked up an edible, or been offered one, on the playground next to the middle school where he drove his daughter.

It was not enough that we legalized marijuana cigarettes, despite the fact that their smoke contains most of the carcinogens of tobacco smoke. No, we had to legalize edibles – brownies and the like. We knew that edibles would be consumed by children, from toddlers to teens, both accidentally and when offered by adults. But protecting children was not high on our agenda, nor was protecting animals.

Marijuana edibles on a playground next to a middle school? Intoxicated children and pets? No problem. But as we loosen restrictions on drug use, we tighten restrictions on going to stores, going to restaurants, going to theaters, and even going to church. The enormous contradiction escapes us completely.

In fact, the very concept of contradiction escapes us. It implies that we should develop a consistent world view. It implies that we should strive to be logical. It implies that we should take all relevant facts into consideration before making decisions. It implies that we should hold government officials to these same standards. How’s that going?

On second thought, Bentley may have been a lucky dog. In his stoned condition, he couldn’t recognize the decline of the nation where he lived. But we can.