In reading through many blogs today, something in particular caught my eye- the idea that making more and more things illegal will create a better world. Upon doing a search in ProgressiveU for the word illegal and here’s what I found:
1) Abortion, as I am sure all of you would have guessed, serves as one of the most argued-upon subject when it comes to creating laws to make it illegal.
2) Guns. Even though the Constitution of the United States of America grants its citizens the right to bear arms, some feel that guns should be illegal.
3) Smoking around children. This one would be almost impossible to enforce. We would have to put cameras in every home to ensure that no one lights a cigarette in the presence of their child. Plus, how would one actually define “around children?” Would it be something like 50 feet?
4) Alcohol. I have one question for those in support of this – wasn’t this one attempted in the past? Does anyone really think the end result will be much different than it was before?
Now I know that many believe that the government should pass these laws for the betterment of life, but I question this approach. The more power we put in the hands of the government, the less freedom we have. The less freedom we have, the closer we are to a total dictatorship. This may sound a bit harsh, but I really do not mean it to be.
Start with the four topics listed above. Say they were all made illegal. People will just find more and more that they think should become illegal, which I believe will do nothing except create more problems. We may think that stricter laws will help, but the stricter the rules, the more people find ways to get around them to try and take back a little personal freedom.
I feel that individuals need to take more responsibility for their own lives and their children’s lives, not try to force everyone to conform by passing laws. For example, people should not smoke around their kids because they want to avoid exposing them to second hand smoke, not because someone tells us “no.” We are adults and are capable for distinguishing between right and wrong for ourselves; and I say this in regard to the little things. Adults should be able to drink responsibly. Of course there are those who do not and go out driving while drunk. Drinking and driving is a crime and that is punishable. Just because of the few that DO break the laws, why make alcohol illegal? If laws like these were passed, I would feel as if I were being treated as a child. When people are treated like children, they tend to act like children. By going overboard and lobbying to pass laws that really aren’t necessary it’s just telling America that you don’t think they’re mature enough to make good choices for themselves. If you make guns illegal, people will find ways to get them. If prohibition returns, we will always have hidden bars serving the forbidden drink.
We ARE capable of making mature choices, why lobby to have more and more opportunities to make right choices taken away from us? Personally, I feel good about myself when I make good choices. I won’t feel good about myself if I am doing nothing more than following rules.
While I agree with what you are saying, I disagree with some of your reasoning. I don't think that the inability to enforce a law, or just saying that everyone will ignore it, is a good reason not to have a particular law. Nor do I think that saying we shouldn't outlaw things because it will make us outlaw more things is a just argument. However, I completely disagree with outlawing abortion, guns, smoking, or alcolhol becoming illegal (although I think fire arms should be heavily regulate- much more so than they currently are). I think all these things should be legal, because I think they are personal choices, and the government has no business dictating whether or not they are okay (with the exception of guns).
I think my argument, while probably wasn't stated very well, was that allowing the government to control more and more of our personal lives is doing nothing more than opening a door to catastrophe. I could write a book on the reasons, so I tried to summarize.
This isn't completely true...while I can't say I agree to outlaw all of those things or any of them...it wouldn't put us closer to total dictatorship...under the social contract we have tacit consent...we give up some rights for the benefits the government gives to us...so it's just something we have to live with in order to get larger gains like freedom of speech and such
Until freedom of speech is taken away by all the lawsuits concerning political correctness. I am not thinking anywhere in the near future, maybe even more than a hundred years down the road. The concept I have in my mind is so much more difficult to write out, so I do apologize for not being able to portray my point clearly. I am thinking more along the lines of George Orwell's "1984." That slowly, as the people request laws be passed that sort of invade personal decision making, slowly, we will be giving over more power and having less.
For example - seat belts. Shouldn't it be my personal choice whther I decide to wear a seat belt or not? There have been accidents where the someone died because the seatbelt restrained them - that without the seatbelt they may have lived. This case may not be common, by it exists. I'd only be hurting myself if I don't wear a seatbelt, so why should I get a ticket if I choose not to?
You have good points about this. I believe that it should be freedom of chose on what people would like to do. Banning guns I believe would be stupid. I really hate guns because my uncle shot my cousin, but putting that aside if you are out in the country and want to have a gun to protect yourself then you should have the right. I believe many things should not be banned. I am not sure about the government controlling everything because I believe they already control more than we realise.
I am here to inform and help:
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
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I could not agree with you more fully. Who is the government to tell us what is best for us? Also, it is the small things they will start with, then it will spiral out of control. There is a fine line to this however, if the action affects the public around you then it should be considered wrong, but if it's something you are doing to yourself, or for yourself who's to tell you not to.
For example, if someone decides to get drunk and fall asleep on the couch, while I do not morally agree that this is the best thing to do with your life it is nonetheless your decision. However, if you choose to get drunk and then go out on the road then there is a problem, there are boundries for your actions.
Now, for something like abortion I would have to say that that should be illegal, again your affecting someone elses life, who are you to decide to take an innocent childs life?
I do aggree that our government is leaning towards a dictatorship, or at least communism.Take eminant domain for example, what gives the government the right to just come and take our land because they have better plans of what can be done with it? If I own the land, it is mine, not the government, it's mine.
In regards to firearms, if they were to be outlawed that just stops innocent people like you and me from owning them, that however will not keep them out of the hands of the wrong people. If someone wants a gun bad enough, they will have a gun, and nothing that the government says will stop them.
In regards to your post again I say that your statements are accurate and true.