“It is not easy but as I asked before what is the alternative? Much worse.”
We didn’t used to have most of these “preventative laws” for most of this nation’s history for very good reason. The nation was much more free and I’d say that’s much BETTER. Freedom from constant government harassment is worth the cost of all those supposedly “prevented” crimes and stupid people hurting themselves.
You used to be able drink while driving and nobody cared unless you actually broke traffic laws. IF you swerved, etc you were pulled over and cited. But simply having a beer in your hand did not equal a jail-able crime
If you didn’t wear a seatbelt, you were taking your own personal risk and nobody harassed you over it (or took you to jail for it when you couldn’t afford the fines)
You used to be able to blow anything up on your property and buy dynamite by the ton. And nobody cared unless you ACTUALLY harmed someone. Now you can’t buy a little fire cracker in many places!
You could buy a machine gun for whatever reason you wanted and nobody cared unless you ACTUALLY hurt someone
And you used to be able to buy any drug known to man at the local store. No questions, no government database, etc. And nobody bothered you unless you ACTUALLY hurt someone.
The tiny handful of idiots or people that abused their freedoms is no excuse for taking them away from the MILLIONS that didn’t hurt anyone while responsibly exercising them.
Bring back personal Freedom and Natural Selection! I’m absolutely SICK of what this nation is becoming- a PC nanny/police state of wimps afraid of anything with a little danger. Live a little! Take some risks and face the consequences!
Seems like people in modern society are so isolated from death, they think they’ll live forever and pointlessly try to legislate this illusion of “safety”...
In re: preventative laws, I don’t support all of them. I think we have to honestly do a cost/benefit analysis, and change with changing situations/technology, etc.
I drive a taxi. I can have open containers in there. It is not a problem. I don’t support open container laws. I don’t think they are effective in stemming any major problems.
I think with the advent of airbags and etc, mandatory seatbelts should be questioned, at least for adults. The only caveat is, you become a missle in a moving car if you aren’t wearing one. I’d have to think about that point.
I am not for mandatory helmets on motorcyclists. You are just risking your own self truly in that instance.
I am all for blowing things up on your property as long as dangerous explosives are kept from minors or the retarded. Also noise ordinances being reasonably kept.
I am all for buying machine guns if you want one. I think they do more good than harm, particularly as deterrents.
I think meth labs should not be allowed next to my house. I should not have to wait until I am harmed.
Etc.
I think drugs designed to make you irrational, comatose, or hallucinatory should be banned. Unless medically needed. Sorry. It is bad enough if someone is one of the above through no fault of their own. I don’t think it is your “right” to make yourself a potential hazard to other people just because you like it.
Personal freedom by its nature has its limitations, even the most hard core Libertarian will agree to that. It is where those limits lie where we have disagreements. I find Libertarian philosophy inconsistent on this count.
Not many Libertarians would have a caregiver on acid taking care of their senile Dad. Even though Dad didn’t get hurt yet. You realize the danger is too great and you don’t do it. Because you love your Dad. Most of us wouldn’t leave baby in care of a sitter sitting in the living room smoking bowls. Most of us would not want to sit in front of an unbelted 200 pound man in the car, you know. Most of us would object to an unfenced pond in the neighbor’s front yard if we have toddlers. Yet hard core Libertarian philosophy says you must wait until the death or injury occurs. I don’t think that’s biblical, actually, although not everyone cares - and I don’t think it’s right.
Of course the pendulum can swing too far the other way and we end up having to mince down the street in bubble wrap. I don’t advocate that, either.
We have to look at these issues and re-assess when called for and consider the cost/benefit and protect the innocent from measurable threats of harm from those who like to exercise their “liberty” to a degree that truly threatens others, even if somewhat passively like the pond I mentioned.