Uncle Ebenezer

Uncle Ebenezer

So, in a nutshell, living in a supposedly democratic society, where should the line, as far as laws impacting on personal choice, be drawn?

Leslie

It's a neverending push me / pull you process. I don't think there are ever any clear lines drawn.

kimilseung

Rule of thumb: Any thing done by an adult that does not impact on others is OK

Problems comes defining what constitutes a legitimate impact on others.

On a more important matter: Gerrard with a second.

Leslie

Alcohol is legal - marijuana is illegal. Go figure.

kimilseung

And looking at Mexico, the impact on others is greatly increased by it being illegal.

Uncle Ebenezer

I was just thinking, we all have laws which we think are daft and shouldn't apply to us - for instance, I don't think my speed on an interstate should be restricted to 75mph. I do recognise and accept though that, should I be caught exceeding the limit, I'll be rightly punished.

We all have the right to our opinions and to lobby, before and after laws are passed. Having said that though, as long as the laws are constitutional and decided through due process, by elected officials, we don't really have a right to whinge, once they're in place, do we?

Uncle Ebenezer

"Anything done by an adult ..." What we're talking about though, are things done by elected state officials, enforcing a properly formulated law.

Sally Redux

I suppose some of this comes back to what we were discussing on the other thread about when the rights of an individual begin.

Uncle Ebenezer

Did the creature crawl back up its own anus?

Leslie

Sure we absolutely have a right to complain about the laws we disagree with. We don't necessarily have a right to disobey them though. It's the "whinging" that got them changed and/or created in the first place.

Uncle Ebenezer

Right, but we're talking about the rights of an adult here, not an embryo/foetus/baby.

Leslie

*shudder*

Uncle Ebenezer

As I said, I agree we should be able to have our opinions about laws and to be allowed to lobby to have them changed. What I meant was, we can't complain if laws we disagree with are passed, as long as they've been through the proper processes, to get into the statute books.

Sally Redux

Yeah but I think that's where it is less clear regarding abortion.

That doesn't give these goons the right to start their fascist probing agenda though.