Wednesday, December 30, 2009

LawsThat Suck

      I wonder if a lot of atheists have lost their faith in their government as well. I find that since I started to question the notion of religion and the ludicrous powers it holds over the people of the world, I also find myself questioning what freedom really is. It upsets me to no end that even though I have no religion, I am still subject to the “laws of the religious” If all of the laws were there to protect our rights to our minds and bodies and our rights to own property legally acquired using our minds and or bodies. Then I would say that these are good laws. Laws that protect us from killing, cheating, lying and stealing. Of course cheating and lying are usually done in the name of stealing but, I digress.

      The laws that bother me are the laws based on popular opinion or laws that prohibit something because it is thought to be crude, immoral “bad for you “or distasteful. Laws like these have no place in a free society! You have no rights to my body, the government has no rights to my body, only I have rights to my own body. No one including the government should be able to tell me what I can or cannot do with my person. They may regulate some of the circumstances involving the choices I make that may put others in physical danger, but they should not be able to say that I am prohibited from doing something to myself, that physically harms no other.

      Let's talk about sex! Lots of people like sex! Sex has been around for as long as anybody can remember, and folks have been buying and selling it for just as long! Why can't I buy some sex? Well let's take a look at it from the freedom angle shall we?

The first questions we ask are :

Q: Would I be causing anyone any physical harm?
A: Nope, never have when it was free sex, so I'm guessing that there will be no casualties.

Q: Will the prostitute be causing any harm?
A: Only if I pay extra! ...but she may be spreading diseases! ...but I know the risks and she has a valid up to date sex workers STD health voucher, Issued by the county health department.

     No harm no fowl! No laws prohibiting the free exchange of sex for money should be passed. Laws that protect our children and the general public while preserving the rights of a citizen to do what they damn well please with their own bodies for whatever reason they wish would be justifiable. For instance youth protection laws that require proof of age and up to date heath STD health vouchers for anyone wishing to work in the sex industry.

What about taking drugs like marijuana, LSD, cocaine and opium.

The first questions we ask are :

Q: Would I be causing anyone any physical harm?
A: No, as long as I obey the laws against operating dangerous equipment while under the influence of a mind altering substance.

A: No, as long as I obey the laws that prohibit me from being the sole care giver to a minor child while under the influence of a specific class of mind altering substances.

      I could go on but it would get redundant The point is that anything that someone wants to do with their own bodies should be legal. If a situation comes up wherein “the public” (anyone not engage in the activity) is put in danger by a specific action then, laws should be passed, not to prohibit people from said activity but to insure public safety while accommodating the right to do what you wish with your own body.

      The laws that really piss me off are the ones that don't even try to hide the fact that they were created from religious belief or hysteria. The religious belief laws are like when you can't buy beer on Sunday or you can't open your store before noon on the Sunday. There is no reason for this law other than to discourage drinking and working on the Sabbath day of rest and worship! hysterical laws are just plain stupid! Let's just say that you are a security agent in an airport and you ask to look inside a persons carry-on. She smiles and says "yeah sure just put the bombs back where you found them", followed by a wink of her eye. Would you laugh and tell her that you never heard that one before and roll your eyes or would you call for backup and have her whisked away for interrogation? If you answered yes to the second part then you will make a fine TSA employee! It is against the law to make a joke about having a bomb in an airport, even if it is an obvious joke and the meaning cannot possibly be misconstrued as an actual threat. Your sense of humor is not appreciated and you will be arrested!