Posted by crepuscular on June 5, 2002, at 22:31:31
In reply to Liberal thinking ? (very long post), posted by omega man on June 3, 2002, at 22:38:08
Recently, (in Michigan I think) there was legislation proposed to ban splitting ones tongue. Apparently some masochistic freaks want to have reptilian tongues and this trend is spreading in freaky subcultures. The grounds for the legislation were that speech problems and nerve damage might result.
Now, as far I'm concerned, you might as well legislate against obesity because it causes early onset diabetes, heart disease, etc.
I oppose such legislation. Where does it stop? How could it possibly be enforced?
As an American, I find *any* law restricting what I can do with my body, state of consciousness, etc. completely odious. The flip side of this freedom is to have a fully developed concern for your fellow human - not hurting them through your actions. That's the trade-off.
So I'm sorry, but I simply can't abide by drug legislation. It doesn't work, it is a social engineering failure. Black markets for drugs exist inside prisons for God's sake.
Where are the lowest STD and teen drug use rates in the world? The Netherlands, where even hard drugs are essentially decriminalized.
I don't take illegal drugs, but someday I'd like to try mushrooms or mescaline (if only I could find them!) The descriptions in literature are interesting to me and seem like valid psychological explorations when done intelligently. These drugs don't seem all that dangerous. Certainly less so than alcohol or cigarettes. But even if they were, it's my right to investigate. Rock climbing is dangerous.
So which one of you is going to say I can't do this before I die? What gives anybody the right to limit my personal freedom?
One word: Taliban.
It's a very slippery slope.
poster:crepuscular
thread:108590
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020602/msgs/108875.html