Posted on 01/15/2002 6:27:04 AM PST by tberry
My neighbor owns my body? Here we go again. YAWN!
The point is abundantly logical. You would assume a vaccuum of philosophy...a perfect world approach, if you will. I understand the 'theory', but look at the facts, eg., tobacco and OxyContin.
The fact is, the door libertarians want to open, would open the door for an expanded government and more dependency programs...you just can't separate the two.
Physical force used to obtain compliance. For example, some religious people would outlaw contraception if they could. They would gladly use physical violence to prevent or punish me for buying/selling/using it. The same goes for material they deem obscene. That's what I mean.
Many Libertarians seem to think that freedom to express religious views is coercion.
I certainly don't share that view. Keep in mind that while I am an ardent free speech defender, and that applies equally to religious views, these views cannot be made through government, because this nearly always involves tax money to provide a forum. I see this as a parallel to coming to my door, sticking a gun in my face, and forcing me to pay for speech. This is wholly unacceptable.
As Jefferson wrote: "that to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical; that even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor, whose morals he would make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most persuasive to righteousness, and is withdrawing from the ministry those temporary rewards..."
This in no way means that that religion has no public place. Stand on a soapbox on a street corner and proclaim your faith, pay for advertisements of all sorts, etc, These are in the public arena, but aren't paid for by money gotten through the use of force against unwilling sponsors.
Sure I am against the use of government force to impose religion, but government, with the blessing of Libertarians, use the government to surpress individual religious views.
Only government sponsored speech. Speaking of your own accord and with your own money is your unalienable right, and I strongly defend that as much as my own.
Because your neighbor owns your mind, body and property, I guess. Where have you been?? We own everyone but ourselves. LOL!!!
If you think prostitution and drug legalization are the cornerstone of 'freedom', you totally disregard common logic.
You could always ask the next time Pat Buchanan is on a call-in show.
Which rights, exactly?
Who owns your body, you or your neighbor?
Dang it, I thought you would have forgotten by now. I want a rematch, I want a recount......... It was stolen....
Now go get me some coffee!
Oh, is that leaded, or unleaded?
Only when Christians and others, but especially fundie christians, employ the Bible as justification for unjust law, i.e., sodomy laws.
Non-initiation of force or fraud is the cornerstone of "fredom", and this includes initiating force or fraud against those who sell their body, or ingest substances you disagree with.
You may want to shy away from using the word "common logic". You may as well say, "..you totally disregard my personal views".
How is Culberson doing? I miss Bill Archer, I could always count on him to say something about making government smaller. I am going to miss Phill Gramm when he leaves the Senate. On the other hand, some of those Republican candidates last time were in favor of gun control and affirmative action.
That's a big 'if'. I see one's life decisions made of voluntary consent and the lack of fraud and coercion as the cornerstones of freedom. What people choose to do with their lives is their own business, not mine. If they choose poorly, it is still their choice so long as they don't harm me. That is freedom, and it is entirely logical.
I may own a gun, but can I point it at you, thereby threaten you? No. Prostitution and drugs are an endangerment to my being, my property value, my children's welfare, and my community's quality.
That's like asserting that machine politics and vote buying are the cornerstone of 'democracy'.
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