(06-25-2021, 07:06 PM)Jags Wrote:

(06-25-2021, 07:01 PM)flsprtsgod Wrote: If I pull out a gun and put it to my head is it a crime? Am I victim or perpetrator? If I shoot myself in the foot is it battery? If I say I'm going to shoot myself is it assault? If I shoot myself in the head and die is it murder?

It was a matter of time before this got brought up.  I was going to chime in but had so much fun watching people debate Dimsom.  

I can see, or not see on the news, “we’ve got a jumper!”  But no one cares.  There’s no victim.  Unless he does jump.  But he didn’t jump at the time, so we let it go, oh [BLEEP]; he jumped. Let’s save the victim or the murderer?

Clearly in this case, and the one I brought up, there is no crime. Someone who is going to jump off a building needs mental health care not to be imprisoned, and that's the same with anyone who chooses self harm. But you also can't save everyone because many people of sound mind simply want out of life. It's the same with assisted suicide, if the person chooses to die who are we to stop them, but we should draw the line when it isn't really that person's choice. But it seems some of these people would be locking up Stage 4 cancer patients if they failed to end their lives. I think the clearest similar situation is gambling. I don't think anyone here thinks we should arrest people for playing poker, but it's against the law in many places even while the State endorses gambling on sports, animal racing, intra- and interstate lotteries, and casinos. And deity forbid you should sell beer or whisky off your porch without a license. Heck in NYC we had a race riot over a guy getting killed by the cops for "selling loose cigarettes", because that's really something that the State should criminalize, right? Nah, why be free when it's better to have a Police State where the government gets to tell everyone what they can and can't do with their own bodies because some of them might do things with which others disagree. Stealing for drugs should be no different that stealing for rent or stealing for a vacation or stealing for pocket money. Stealing is stealing no matter the reason why. Forcing people in to prostitution should be a crime the same as forcing people to be a nanny, a seamstress, or a gardener. Forced labor is forced labor no matter the labor. Neglecting your kids should be crime no matter the reason why you did it. But doing drugs or being a prostitute in and of themselves are only crimes because somebody somewhere thought they had the right to tell other people that they do not have the right to their own bodies, and that, well, that is just not right.

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