I was having a conversation with a former colleague of mine about my recent flag burning post. While he thinks the proposed amendment is not a great idea, he thinks that burning the flag is disrespectful and, if you don’t like living in the US, you should leave. I, personally, think you should be able to do whatever you like with the flag – it is YOUR flag after all.
Remy also owns a bunch of guns. He thinks guns are cool. I’ve never had the need or desire to own a weapon. Again, we’re at odds, but I don’t argue with the fact that it’s totally his right to own as many guns as he wants.
You see the freedom in these two scenarios? Choice. He chooses to own guns and not burn flags, while others are free to not own guns and burn flags. Those are tangible examples of freedoms that both Republicans and Democrats are trying to take away from you. Freedoms we’ve had for 200 years.
What makes this country great isn’t some piece of cloth, the fact that you can buys as many guns as you want or the fact that you can abort your unborn child. What makes this country so great is that you have the choice to do those things.
If Democrats and Republicans get their way people will start losing their ability to make their own choices. It’s already illegal for adults to make lots of choices. Here are a few things that you no longer have a choice on how to act.
- Wearing a seat belt
- Consuming narcotics
- Wearing a helmet
- Marry people of the same sex
Here are four choices that you are no longer allowed to make. You know what strikes me is that these choices are my choice to make. They don’t affect anyone else, with the exception of number four, which shouldn’t matter either if the other person agrees as well.
Look around people. Two men or women getting married shouldn’t anger you. Abortion shouldn’t anger you. The fact that you have or are losing the right to make those choices is what should make you angry.
Heres how I see it, if you don’t like something, and you have the ability to remove yourself from that without impacting anyone else. Why not do it? Not happy with having to pay the IRS, abide by traffic safety laws, or not being able to burn a flag? It’s easy enough to get up and move to a different country where you might be able to do one of those things.
I mean, would you work in a job where you thought the management was abusive and conditions unbearable … while you had a second job offer on the line? Probably not….
As far as other loss of rights go … I can see a need for a few (1 & 2 specifically). Frankly the majority of people in the world don’t tend to make the smartest of decisions all of the time. Who hasn’t thought to themselves, “Well now, that was dumb.? Many of these mistakes can result in uncovered (insurance wise) or government paid bills which we as tax-payers have to shell out for.
In my not so humble opinion, if people are stupid enough to not wear their seat belts and they get into an accident, they will probably get what they deserve. Unfortunately, for now, the state will have to spend a ton of money helping that person out and cleaning up the mess.
Are there any alternatives to this? Sure! Instead of adding a law that restricts my rights as a citizen, why didn’t they just say, “If you get in an accident, you will be fined for all associated costs.”? You can see many other areas of the government starting to use this train of thought. Several search and rescue operations lately have been billed to the “rescued” individuals. Considering the National Parks service pays around $3m. a year to rescue lost climbers and hikers … just imagine what it’s costing for police and road crew workers out there to clean up someones brains after they went through window … or how much it cost the other people waiting on the same road to get by). Not to mention how much it will cost care manufactures when the guardians and relatives of the person try and sue them for money.
Now I’m sure you’re thinking, what if they can’t afford to pay? Well … enforced labor and salary garnishment has worked in the past. That might sound harsh, but they took the risk and should pay the price for it.
Do I think not allowing couples of the same sex is right or allowing people to smoke pot is bad?
Heck no! Let them go for it! Frankly I think there are many more hard core issues in the country right now then whether partner A can be on partner B’s insurance policy or if Billy down on the corner goes home and smokes a bowl before going to sleep.
It’s not like the first couples decision is impacting anyone elses life (And for those of you who say that this type of thing will make people more perverse, etc, etc. Look around. The top selling products on TV use sex to sell. Teenagers (and younger) are going around in clothes that don’t even cover their bodies, and when was the last time you saw a new pair of jeans that didn’t come down to just above the crotch).
Worried about poor Billy getting your kids hooked on crack so they will never amount to anything? Well, a little bit of parenting an education should stop that.
Legalize drugs and tax the hell out of them. If someone is caught visibly stoned in public throw them into a cell for night. It works for drunks and then they, nor the people around them, will get harmed.
~R
“Look around people. Two men or women getting married shouldn’t anger you. Abortion shouldn’t anger you. The fact that you have or are losing the right to make those choices is what should make you angry.”
From that statement, you sound like you are telling people what to believe and what to fight for. While it is your right to say so, it is also any of the people indicted above for their anger over the subject to do so also. I just find it funny that the fight over abortion can be quickly stated by you that it shouldn’t anger anyone.
I feel that if we are going to look at how important it is to not remove freedoms from people, it should be equally important that we look at why people would ever remove those freedoms in the first place. For you to say abortion shouldn’t bother anyone is akin to our representatives saying it shouldn’t bother anyone that they can’t burn one piece of material out of millions. Just some thoughts. Back to your regularly scheduled shark attack.
“Abortion shouldn’t anger you.”
Why not?
I think welfare & forced schooling have created an ignorant responsibility deprived community. I am as pissed off at anyone who decides to kill the life that they created by being irresponsible(if they are choosing to end it for no personal safty reason) as I am at the lazy welfare collecting fat asses.
IMO it should be a doctor who can recomend an abortion be done only if it affects the survival of the mother and the mother’s decision to do so.
If your going to give a mother the right to choose then you must also give the father the right to choose. After all he will be obligated by law to support his irresponsible act. Why should just 1 potential parent get the choice?
Funny thing… I found your site through the keyword “bitmask” and now I’m commenting on some of the politically charged posts! Ain’t that so funnay!?
1. “Remy also owns a bunch of guns. He thinks guns are cool. I’ve never had the need or desire to own a weapon. Again, we’re at odds, but I don’t argue with the fact that it’s totally his right to own as many guns as he wants.”
What? You’re comparing those two things as if they are on equal levels.
The right to bear arms was created so that private citizens could defend themselves and not have to rely on the government to do it for them. And not only that but it helps to keep the government at bay too.
So how is the right to defend one’s self related to the right to destroy one’s own property?
That is your argument in the case of the flag right? That it’s your property so therefore you should be able to burn it if you want?
Your argument is weak because those two subjects are too different to be compared in the way you have.
And besides, why would you want to make the burnign of the American flag legal? If it’s legal it has less significance.
Announcer: “Oh look over there. There are some people burning the… Hey check out that hot chick!”
If it continues to be illegal it can be used as a serious indicator that you very strongly disagree with what is happening in the government. If it’s legal it’ll just turn into a regular indicator and nothing special. (At first people will be outraged, but after a while it’ll be seen as normal.)
2. “If Democrats and Republicans get their way people will start losing their ability to make their own choices. It’s already illegal for adults to make lots of choices. Here are a few things that you no longer have a choice on how to act.
1. Wearing a seat belt
2. Consuming narcotics
3. Wearing a helmet
4. Marry people of the same sex
Here are four choices that you are no longer allowed to make.”
First of all, the ability to make our own choices has already made it’s way out the door. It’s now a matter of whether or not it can be prevented from leaving school grounds.
Second: Were two people of the same sex every allowed to marry in the first place?