Moral, Legal or Responsible?
People in our country seem to have a big problem discerning the difference between legality and morality. If it's not against the law, we seem to think it's morally right. Conversely, if it's against the law, we think it's morally wrong. That's such a screwed up logic. Lying isn't illegal, but it's immoral. Not wearing a seatbelt is illegal, but it's not immoral.
We're going insane. We're willing to give up our rights, just to satisfy the popular opinion of morality. Last century, we made alcohol illegal in our country because it was immoral. The backlash was so strong and crime increased by such a large margin that the ban had to be repealed. What should we have learned from that? YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE MORALITY. Did we learn that? No.
Take the seatbelt law... What's the point? How does it hurt anyone else to not wear a seatblet? They say it costs more money in insurance, and increases insurance premiums for everyone. If law-enforcement has a right to look into my vehicle, which is my private property, to see if I'm wearing a seatbelt, what's to stop them from looking into your house to make sure you're taking the medicine the doctor prescribed? Are they going to pass a law requiring everyone to take aspirin or blood thinners in order to prevent heart-attacks? That would save a lot of money paid out in insurance premiums, too, wouldn't it?
There are precedents being set, and it's all in the name of some twisted moral-legality. Another example is the 'Drug War'. We spend billions a year pursuing the drug war that hasn't produced any real results. Drug use is UP. When one dealer goes down, two dealers take his place. We send billions to foreign countries to fight drug production, only to have that money used to PRODUCE and TRANSPORT the drugs we're fighting!
Current trends in popular opinion should not be the basis for laws. Before ANY law is passed, it should be able to pass the Bill of Rights. The right to have secure and private property without unreasonable searches must NOT be violated. When we start randomly stopping people, demanding their ID, or to inspect their effects, we're going down the path to fascism and totalitarianism. When we stop trusting people to own weapons capable of defending against a corrupt government, we've taken a dangerous step off the cliff into the chasm of authoritarianism.
Americans have the right to be STUPID. If a person wants to drive without a seatbelt, he should have that right. If a person wants to use a drug made in a bathroom out of Clorox and ammonia, I question his sanity, but he should have that right, as well. Reliance on government to take responsibility for us makes us irresponsible. Our government is treating us like children, and we're becoming more child-like as a result. We have to grow up and take responsibility for ourselves in order to be able to rely on ourselves.
We're going insane. We're willing to give up our rights, just to satisfy the popular opinion of morality. Last century, we made alcohol illegal in our country because it was immoral. The backlash was so strong and crime increased by such a large margin that the ban had to be repealed. What should we have learned from that? YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE MORALITY. Did we learn that? No.
Take the seatbelt law... What's the point? How does it hurt anyone else to not wear a seatblet? They say it costs more money in insurance, and increases insurance premiums for everyone. If law-enforcement has a right to look into my vehicle, which is my private property, to see if I'm wearing a seatbelt, what's to stop them from looking into your house to make sure you're taking the medicine the doctor prescribed? Are they going to pass a law requiring everyone to take aspirin or blood thinners in order to prevent heart-attacks? That would save a lot of money paid out in insurance premiums, too, wouldn't it?
There are precedents being set, and it's all in the name of some twisted moral-legality. Another example is the 'Drug War'. We spend billions a year pursuing the drug war that hasn't produced any real results. Drug use is UP. When one dealer goes down, two dealers take his place. We send billions to foreign countries to fight drug production, only to have that money used to PRODUCE and TRANSPORT the drugs we're fighting!
Current trends in popular opinion should not be the basis for laws. Before ANY law is passed, it should be able to pass the Bill of Rights. The right to have secure and private property without unreasonable searches must NOT be violated. When we start randomly stopping people, demanding their ID, or to inspect their effects, we're going down the path to fascism and totalitarianism. When we stop trusting people to own weapons capable of defending against a corrupt government, we've taken a dangerous step off the cliff into the chasm of authoritarianism.
Americans have the right to be STUPID. If a person wants to drive without a seatbelt, he should have that right. If a person wants to use a drug made in a bathroom out of Clorox and ammonia, I question his sanity, but he should have that right, as well. Reliance on government to take responsibility for us makes us irresponsible. Our government is treating us like children, and we're becoming more child-like as a result. We have to grow up and take responsibility for ourselves in order to be able to rely on ourselves.
Labels: politics, random thought
posted by Tonewah at 6:55 AM
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