Quote:As for private business I agree regulations on how they operate are needed but I advocate those regulations come from more local governments. Pollution is probably the exception but hours of operations, types of business and equal access are all local issues. Take the civil rights act for example. Personally I hate all discrimination as a first generation American with Hispanic heritage I've faced it first hand. But I don't support legislation that says from a federal level a private business has to serve everyone or no one. If some cake factory doesn't want to make gay themed cakes that's their choice. If a restaurant wants to serve only whites or blacks or Hispanics that's their choice. However local towns or even states are within their jurisdiction to say operating in our territory requires you serve x people under y circumstances.



As for substances I'm for decriminalizing all narcotics. Laws can still be established against public intoxication or using narcotics while operating a vehicle on public roads. But what I do in the privacy of my home is my business no matter how harmful to myself.


All this freedom also requires more responsibility an that's where you tend to lose people. Smoke all the dope you wants, call a hooker every night but your responsible for your own health care, income, housing and food. It's why freedom is tied directly to ending federal welfare. Really ideally ending all public funded welfare but ending it at the federal level is a good start.

 

You can't just go part way with some of what you advocate.  If you decriminalize all drugs, then you have people showing up at hospitals needing treatment.   And there is a law currently that says hospitals cannot turn people away.  Which means, the hospital has to take them, and pass the cost on to other people or go bankrupt.   So I wind up paying for their treatment either through higher hospital bills or higher taxes to pay for their health insurance.   Now, on the other hand, if you repeal the law that says hospitals cannot turn people away, and allow hospitals to reject patients who cannot afford their treatment, then you could have people lying on the sidewalk in front of hospitals or dying in the street.   This is one problem with legalizing addictive drugs.   Not pot, but meth, heroin, oxy.   Can I say, "if you become addicted, that's your problem, not mine"?   Unfortunately it will be my problem.  And at that point, one could reasonably say, no to legalizing sale and consumption of the more dangerous drugs.   I don't want people lying in the street untreated, and I don't want people begging me for help.   So it's not that easy to just say, let's legalize all drugs. 

 

Gotta go to the game.  Go Jags. 

---