Think about your property, and where it comes from. You work hard for some of it, some of it comes easily or without work at all. Either way, it is yours. You own it.
What does it mean to own something?
It means that you control it. You possess it. It means that any economic benefits of owning the property are yours to be had. You have the right to do with it as you please. You can modify its appearance or function, you can keep it, you can give it away, you can even destroy it.
You might own a car. If you want to put nice rims on it you can. If you want to change the paint to a sportier color you can do that too. If you want to change the engine to make it faster that is your choice to make. If you want to transfer ownership to someone else either by way of sale, trade, or a gift you can do that too. If you want to junk it you can do that.
You do own a body. You're in it right now. It's yours. Nobody else can lay claim to your body. You control it. You possess it. Any economic benefits of owning that body are yours to be had. You have the right to do with it anything you please. You can modify it any way you like. You can even destroy it.
Apparently there are millions of people out there who do not agree. They believe that you do not own your body.
According to them, you do not have a right to any economic benefit that comes from being the owner of your body. Or rather that they have a right to a portion of it, to be determined by them, not you. They call it taxation.
They also don't believe you have a right to "destroy yourself" by driving without a seat belt, or ingesting things like recreational drugs. They must protect you, at your expense, of course.
And recreational drugs are just the big thing. The thing they're most open about. What you rarely hear about is the government "protecting us" from things like vitamins and herbal supplements, or raw milk.
If the masses agree that we don't have a right to destroy or modify our bodies by ingesting things, how long is it before the masses decide that we don't have a right to destroy or modify our bodies with tattoos or piercings? How long before it is illegal to dye our hair? How long before you have to wear safety gear to walk down the street? Where does it end?
You don't think it could ever happen? Yeah, the Amish never thought they would have their farm raided by government thugs because they sold raw milk, either. I bet New Yorkers never expected to have a ban on soft drinks.
These are all examples of the masses choosing what you are allowed to do with your property.
Even if nothing I discussed in this post affects you directly, it affects all of those around you, and creates a precedent for things to come. Once the precedent is set, there's no limit to how much of your business, your personal property, or your body, they can lay claim to. Because however bad it is, there's always someone out there who wants to make it worse.
That's the way I see it.
What does it mean to own something?
It means that you control it. You possess it. It means that any economic benefits of owning the property are yours to be had. You have the right to do with it as you please. You can modify its appearance or function, you can keep it, you can give it away, you can even destroy it.
You might own a car. If you want to put nice rims on it you can. If you want to change the paint to a sportier color you can do that too. If you want to change the engine to make it faster that is your choice to make. If you want to transfer ownership to someone else either by way of sale, trade, or a gift you can do that too. If you want to junk it you can do that.
You do own a body. You're in it right now. It's yours. Nobody else can lay claim to your body. You control it. You possess it. Any economic benefits of owning that body are yours to be had. You have the right to do with it anything you please. You can modify it any way you like. You can even destroy it.
Apparently there are millions of people out there who do not agree. They believe that you do not own your body.
According to them, you do not have a right to any economic benefit that comes from being the owner of your body. Or rather that they have a right to a portion of it, to be determined by them, not you. They call it taxation.
They also don't believe you have a right to "destroy yourself" by driving without a seat belt, or ingesting things like recreational drugs. They must protect you, at your expense, of course.
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| I wonder how many kids got beat up by cops to "protect" them from recreational drugs each year. |
If the masses agree that we don't have a right to destroy or modify our bodies by ingesting things, how long is it before the masses decide that we don't have a right to destroy or modify our bodies with tattoos or piercings? How long before it is illegal to dye our hair? How long before you have to wear safety gear to walk down the street? Where does it end?
You don't think it could ever happen? Yeah, the Amish never thought they would have their farm raided by government thugs because they sold raw milk, either. I bet New Yorkers never expected to have a ban on soft drinks.
These are all examples of the masses choosing what you are allowed to do with your property.
Even if nothing I discussed in this post affects you directly, it affects all of those around you, and creates a precedent for things to come. Once the precedent is set, there's no limit to how much of your business, your personal property, or your body, they can lay claim to. Because however bad it is, there's always someone out there who wants to make it worse.
That's the way I see it.
So i have a comment.. or maybe its a question. Not to debate but to spark comment and conversation. Lets say the recreational drug of choice impedes on anothers civil right.. or.. even their safety. How then should that be regulated? Example: drunk drivers that kill innocent people or crazed drug users that hurt others (face eating?) In their drug induced high.
ReplyDeleteGood question!
ReplyDeleteIf you eat someone's face off you're destroying their property. Isn't it enough that we outlaw destroying another person's property, especially their body? If I ate someone's face I would still be responsible for my actions, regardless of what drug I was on (or if I was sober). Outlawing the drug itself is much too dangerous, much too invasive, gives the government too much power over our lives, and is essentially a waste of effort. Outlawing eating people's faces (something we already do) seems to pretty much cover it.
I'm against drunk driving laws, too (especially zero tolerance laws). Not only does it give the government too much power over drivers, but it simply doesn't make sense when you think about it. Why is drunk driving illegal? Because you might drive recklessly, or drive into a light pole, or hit somebody. But all of those things are already against the law. Why do we need another law making the act of drunk driving itself against the law? What about all those people out there who had a drink or two every night for 35 years and got in their car and drove home, never once breaking any other law. Are they criminals? How do we justify calling them criminals with no victims?
The fact is: The simple act of buying drugs behind closed doors, or carrying them on my person, or using them (even while driving), is a "crime" with no victim. Nobody gets hurt by doing any of these things. Government prohibition of any substance that people want only serves to create a black market. A black market isn't a bad thing, by the way. It is just people trying to trade with one another, voluntarily, without government interference or regulation. That's something we should all be able to do, everyday, as long as we can do so without a victim. The alcohol prohibition era created the Al Capone type gangster, just like the "war on drugs" creates drug cartels in South America and gang wars in Chicago.
I hope that helps!
Very valid points. The only exception i see is when citizens call for the laws and not the government. Most of your posts are against the government having power over such things am i correct? But since we are (or were) a nation of the people for the people and by the people..it stands to reason that if the citizens call to action a law.. like MADD and drunk driving.. we are creating laws based off the society we created.
ReplyDeleteSo in theory.. as the old saying goes, we created this monster.
You have to be licensed to do anything. To be licensed you have to pay the government. To pay the government you HAVE to go to school. To go to school (our right..free right) you have to pay and when you pay to go to school you have to go..its not your choice, if you dont go x amount of days youre dropped without refund..because the government pays the school for how many days you attend.
When will the frankenstein monster end? When the Dr. Pulls the plug and stops trying to play god. Leave the constitution alone. Dont keep adding bolts and wires where they arent needed. I believe in my country. But i also believe that some sense of order is necessary. Checks and balances is way out of order.