August 30, 2004
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Legalize it?
If you could legalize and outlaw 3 things each, what would they be and why?
Legalize:
- Marijuana – whether you smoke marijuana or not, can you give me one legitimate reason why it’s illegal while alcohol and cigarettes aren’t? The billions of dollars a year spent on the “war on drugs” could better be spent on other more important issues in this country like healthcare and education. Consider how overcrowded our prisons are and ask yourself if it’s efficient or even fair to have some people serving longer sentences for marijuana possession than some rapists/murderers. Not to mention, the medicinal benefits or marijuana. I think everyone should read this. <—- It’s pretty compelling. I think marijuana should be legalized and taxed by the government. It would free up the prisons, reduce the crime related to smuggling/dealing and generate revenue for the people.
- Prostitution – The laws outlawing prostitution are obviously based on morality, but does that argument even hold in today’s society? Women sleep with men for a lot less than money (sluts) and some sleep with them for other material possessions (gold diggers). Personally, I think if you legalized prostitution and regulated it with mandatory testing, it would make it safer for both the prostitutes and their johns. Isn’t it ironic that pornography is legal but prostitution isn’t simply because of how it’s labeled?
- Smoking in Private Establishments - Now I can totally understand and accept the no smoking ban in all public buildings (libraries, museums, government buildings, etc.) but I think the owner of a private business should be able to do what he wants with his place. The argument using employee’s rights to free air is bullshit if you ask me. If you’re applying for a job working as a bartender, wouldn’t it be assumed that you’d be exposed to smoke? The argument that a non-smoker should be free to go where he pleases without being exposed to smoke is bullshit too. Let’s say there’s a nice restaurant with a smoking section. If the smoke bothers you, you have the CHOICE of not going there. Just like if the food sucks, you don’t have to go there. Would you demand that the quality of food be changed at a certain restaurant because you didn’t like it? Now I’m not saying that people should be able to smoke freely when inside a private establishment, but at least allow the owners to maintain a smoking section of some sort. And the smoking ban shouldn’t be a blanket policy either. I think smoking is expected when it comes to places such as bars and clubs.
Outlaw:
- Children – Although there would be no way to implement this in this country, I think there should be some way to regulate child birth in this country, kinda like China. There are too many people in this country who are unfit to be parents. Children having children, women having additional children to receive more welfare benefits…it only perpetuates the cycle of poverty and ghetto-ness for them and their children. Then there are the numerous parents who do absolutely ZERO as far as parenting goes. They let their kids go runamuck without any supervision or education. It’s pretty sad when children are now being tried as adults due to the severity and heinousness of their crimes.
- Welfare – The way the welfare system works now, people can receive benefits indefinitely, with an added incentive to receive more benefits depending on the number of children you have. I think there should be a time limit of how long you can receive benefits which would force lazy asses to go out and work, kinda the way unemployment works. The welfare system is supposed to assist you in getting back on your feet if some unforeseen circumstance occurs, NOT to support your sorry ass and your 10 children on tax payer’s money indefinitely.
- Drivers’ License Mandatory Retesting – I think when people hit a certain age, let’s say 65, it should be mandatory that they retake their driving test. I’ve read stories of accidents that have occured involving senior citizens which I think were totally avoidable. Let’s face it, as you get older, your reflexes are slower, your eyesight is poorer, and your memory isn’t what it used to be. If there’s a minimum age to get a driver’s license for teenagers (16-18 depending on state) on the premise that they’re not mature enough to drive, why shouldn’t there be a retest of people 65 and older to ensure their safety and the safety of other motorists? If you can enjoy the benefits of retiring at 65, then the least you can do is make sure you can drive properly with all that free time on your hands.
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P.S. Please wish pc1004rn a Happy Birthday today!
Comments (17)
i totally agree with you on the 3 outlaws. some people are just not fit to be parents. i was on a 12 hour plane ride where the little girl sitting in front of me was screaming for about a good three quarters of the way. all she needed was a nap and the stupid mother or whomever she was just left her alone, roaming the plane aisles….
i think parents should be required to get a license (at the very least) to have children. if you need a license to get married and one to be able to drive, certainly you should need one to bear responsibility for another human life. and maybe they should have to pass a test too, but that would of course open up a whole can of crap, including abortion issues.
as for retesting for 65+, i think that’s total age-discrimination. i think people should have to be retested at say, 10-year intervals after they’ve received their license. cuz there are plenty of under 65 idiots out there driving too.
prostitution in brazil (legal), the govt provides health benefits to prostitutes.
prostitution is legalized in the state of nevada.. (the bunny range).
ditto for me with legalizing shit.
outlaw, i’d definitely say drivers license for old people and welfare but for the third one, fat girls shouldn’t be allowed to wear tight clothes that show pudge….gross.
You have a couple of nice points for your outlaws, but I don’t totally agree with you on your legalizations. Also, I don’t know much about parenting but I know it’s a helluva lot harder than it looks.
I think legalizing MJ would actually perpetuate more problems than solve them. Sure it would bring in added revenue, but then there would also be the added costs of regulating growth and sale, testing to make sure it falls within acceptable THC levels, as well as the costs and headache of law enforcement against illegal distribution (due to ubiquitous gov’t taxes) and operating while under the influence, etc. You can’t use a simple breathalyzer or walk the line test all the time, and the potential for abuse will still be there.
The only reason alcohol is still legal is because Prohibition failed under massive societal pressure and demand. The proponents for MJ are nowhere near in number as those of alcohol, so there’s really no need to make another harmful, potentially addictive substance more accessible to our society. I won’t even go into the smoking debate =) Just stopping by to throw in my 2 cents. I think I ran into you at Harald’s bday @Trust when you gave up the sofa seat next to my friend.
i think laws are made to set a standard…not necessarily define what’s wrong from right. if there were no rules to be made…people would not know when to stop. i take laws to be a set limit to the irresponsible ones.
i agree with the three outlaw points, but the legalize ones are a different matter. i dont think marijuana should be legalized because it is a mind-affecting drug. prostitution will support idleness and random sex, wasting time. smoking is plain unhealthy, and it is best if it went away.
prostitution is legal in brazil??? no wonder y i was surrounded by hoes! as for your licencing for parents idea – what happens if some dumb ass gets pregnant – mandatory abortion? maybe we should just sterilize stupid people..hah
I agree with you about everything except for the smoking in private establishments…people are free to smoke outdoors…just be considerate of others who don’t want to breathe your smoke indoors.
nah, i’m just staying there for the week cuz of the convention.
ohh my gosh that’s alot of reading… todo. let see.. i need my dictionary. lol
so what’d you get for your gf’s bday?
you should found your own country so you can make your own rules. i would live there. i agree on the kid thing. when i first read the heading, though, i was like, “you would ban kids? what’s the matter with you?” but then i actually read it. yay on that one. we need some kind of population control pho shizzle. no more than two kids per couple. making more babies should be punishable by penisotomy.
nay on smoking in any place. except bars and strip clubs.
i totally agree with your views on welfare…totally and completely…awesome site
i agree especially with the driver retest. Everything else is stuff im not too keen on.