Rou

Dr. Kevorkian will be released soon. That's right, Dr. Death is getting parole. HE said he's not going to aid in the suicide of any more patients, but will continue to speak out on the issue. His impending release has brought the issue of assisted suicide back into the light a little. Maybe not mainstream, but there is casual discussion about the topic.

I don't really understand the debate. Or at least, I don't understand one side of it. If someone wants to off themselves, what does it have to do with me? So long as they do it in a manner that doesn't risk anyone else's health or property, sayonara.

The key part there is that it not affect others. Jumping off a building stops traffic, and damages people/things that get hit by the falling body. Taking a lethal dose of a drug, not so much. But the culture of life folks think we should enforce societal norms on people that don't believe in them. Some group of people things that suicide is wrong, and if it's a big enough group, it gets to force that opinion on the minority. Democracy in action.

Of course, it's not just suicide. It's any number of things. Seat belts gets me. I understand forcing Gm to put them in, but I don't get why cops should enforce their use. IT messes with natural selection. The argument is that if someone is hurt or killed, the damages are high for the other driver. Simple fix: claims for injuries are not granted when the injured party isn't wearing seat belts. Same effect, but no nanny state BS. Choose to be safe, or choose not to. Let evolution weed out those dumb enough to forgo it's usage.

Or smoking. They're trying real hard to ban smoking. I get it in public buildings. Second hand smoke affects others. But, smoking outside doesn't. Setting up designated smoking areas doesn't. But they're pushing to expand smoking bans everywhere. There is an area of California that tried to ban smoking on the highway. Yes, even in your own car. Trying to protect you from yourself. Because heaven fucking forbid a person make their own choices in life.

Same concept as weed. You can't have pot. Why? Because. It's... umm... bad for you and stuff. Why not go drink a fifth of Jack Daniels instead? See how stupid that sounds? But hey, it must make sense to someone because we sure do lock up a lot of pot smoking people. More limits on the choices people have. All about controlling the population. Even though legalization would bring in untold millions of dollars in tax revenue and remove hundreds of millions of dollars spent in corrections and enforcement.

Nanny states hide behind platitudes. "For your own good" or "think of the {fill in the blank}." Sometimes it's just "improving our society". It's all the same. They want to make YOUR choices with THEIR rule book. That way, they're never forced to confront the fact that not everyone thinks the same way they do. And sometimes, they might even be wrong.