Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: When do we get liberated?
I understand the difference of opinion, and I'm not in the habit of making ad hominem attacks. That laws are imperfect is a given, and that the efforts to mitigate undesirable behavior are likewise imperfect is also to be expected. In my mind that doesn't mean that we as a society should do nothing. In any event, I responded to his inquiry with what I think is a logical formulation, even if others do not. Thanks for the thoughts.
54 posted on 07/29/2008 9:52:51 PM PDT by americanophile
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies ]


To: americanophile

The problem is, under our rather unique form of government, We, the People, gave government (through the Constitution) authority to do certain things in our names and on our behalf. We cannot, however, give to anyone that which is NOT OURS TO GIVE. And we, as individuals, do not have any legitimate authority to regulate or control one single, solitary thing that someone else does in the privacy of his own home which does not involve the involuntary participation of another. If we hear someone screaming bloody murder from next door and we reasonably believe that the person’s life is in danger, we can (and should) ride to the rescue. And we can hire someone else to do that for us. If, on the other hand, we see our neighbor sitting on his back yard patio, smoking a joint and harming no one else involuntarily, WE HAVE NO SUCH AUTHORITY AND CANNOT PROPERLY INTERFERE OURSELVES OR HIRE SOMEONE TO DO IT FOR US. This is what the founders gave us and it is this that differentiates us from ALL OTHER governments in history. That we are the first nation to be founded on a total respect for our God-GIVEN (NOT government-granted) rights. Thus, the ONLY rules and regulations ANY level of government may properly impose would be solely at the local level (most assuredly NOT at State or FedGov level) and only to regulate PUBLIC use of something (when and where you may fire a weapon in a non-emergency situation but NEVER what sort of weapon you may own or possess, even in public) or public behavior when indulging in mind-altering substances of whatever nature, pot, alcohol, heroin, whatever.


94 posted on 07/30/2008 9:19:11 AM PDT by dcwusmc (We need to make government so small that it can be drowned in a bathtub.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson