The right to bear arms, or the right to arm bears.
Friday, 30 July 2010 17:08![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
a_bit_of_wit_2Told you my bed would be extraordinarily clingy today. I didn't get out of bed until about half an hour after my alarm went off.
One of the disadvantages, as it were, of working for the State--especially here in the Capital region--is that I get to hear all the governmental, bureaucratic diarrhea that spews forth from the mouths of our Legislature and our Governor. So I posit some thoughts that have been circling my brain in recent days. I've already had intelligent discussion on one or two of these thoughts on Facebook, and maybe I could stir some intelligent debate here. This is a LONG post, my longest in a very long while, so it's been broken down. I'd REALLY love some feedback on this.
For those of you not in the know, there is a planned mosque that's going to be built right near the former World Trade Center. Regardless of the questions surrounding the issue, I'm seeing that this notion (which already has been approved and ok'd by New York City) is bringing out the bigots in everyone.
Say what you want about anyone who may be running the mosque and holding services there, the fact of the matter is this: since 9/11, we, as a society, especially here in New York, have become a bit intolerant of anyone Muslim. Since that horrible day, we now equate the words "Muslim" and "Islam" with "terrorist."
It's reached the point where the two major Republican candidates for Governor are using this planned mosque as a major campaign issue, screaming out against it. Way to go, guys, tapping into the raw nerves of emotion while successfully dodging other important things like, how do we keep New York from going bankrupt.
My feelings on the matter are thus: the mosque should be built. We have that thing called the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution--you know, the thing that grants every single one of us freedom of religion. We have the right to practice any religion we want, or not practice at all. Yet, for some reason, we have decided that we'll have freedom of religion--until we don't agree with someone else's faith. Then bring on the xenophobia and the racism and the method for which someone will try to get elected.
We also have freedom of speech. Whether the imam of this mosque is spewing hateful crap about us or not--if he's a citizen of this country, then he has every single constitutional right as you or I. As long as he's not doing any physical harm, he has every right to spout out whatever he wants.
It's no different than Fred Phelps and his ilk of the Westboro Baptist Church. This group of crazy Christians go around and picket funerals of soldiers and stage protests in cities and towns everywhere, spewing absolute vitriol against gays and anyone who doesn't conform to their logic. Do I agree with them? Absolutely not. Do they have a right to say that garbage? Yes, they do. As much as I'd like to punch every single one of them, they are protected under the 1st Amendment, just like this mosque.
Funny--we never seem to say the same things about fundamentalist, militant Christians. If we do, kindly point them out, because I never see anyone on the news sites I see cry foul. Not every Muslim is a terrorist, and the same goes for Christians. There are many kind, loving Muslims as there are Christians and Catholics.
Personally, if this mosque is built, I will feel bad for every good-natured person who goes to services, because I fear they'll have to deal with our bigotry, which may become violent. Some people just go absolutely ballistic when you don't agree with them--just ask George Tiller and Scott Roeder, Matthew Shepard and the two guys who killed him.
Next issue: I always thought that laws that were clearly designed to protect us from ourselves were stupid, and as such, I tend to ignore them if the situation applies. Law enforcement has enough on their plate to deal with--things like murders, rapists, child molesters. Why spend so much time and effort with people smoking a little pot? Have you ever seen a person overdose on marijuana? If you have, then you'll know that THEY FALL ASLEEP. Have you ever seen someone in a murderous rage from having one joint too many? If so, point me in that direction. Reefer Madness does not count.
With our economy in tatters, and with so many states scrambling for revenue, why not legalize the stuff? After all, it's largely illegal because the government has yet to figure out how they can make money on it. It's why many things are illegal--if the government can't make money on it, then you can't have it. I'll take this notion one step further--make any and all drugs legal--cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy, etc. It's been just about proven that the federal government's war on drugs has been nothing but an abysmal failure. Billions and billions of dollars spent, and I don't think we're any better for it.
I suggest that if people are already doing those drugs anyway, and knowingly destroying their bodies in the process, why not get the government in on it and raise revenue? Human nature dictates that, really, we're going to do whatever the hell we want, regardless of authority. It also suggests that the reasons why we do things that are considered "illegal" is because there's a curiosity factor involved--the user wants to know why the government tells him he or she can't take a drug or drink before age 21, and so experiments.
Why not make the drugs legal? Think of how much our prison system will be freed up! Regulate the drugs like you do cigarettes! Tobacco and alcohol are taxed, why not every other drug? You may even reduce the amount of people doing those drugs because they no longer have that "illegal" mystique about them.
And one more revenue raiser: legalize prostitution. As long as there are human beings, there will be sex. End of story. Yes, there's a huge, heavy stigma (and a double standard or two) associated with it, not to mention our own moral hangups about it. Yet, it exists, and despite its illegality in most places, there's a horrible inequality--why is it women who are caught soliciting get punished, while the men who use them do not? Look at Eliot Spitzer, for instance. I mean, he resigned as Governor in the process, but he wasn't slapped with any real criminal punishment.
Nevada is the only state in which some of its counties have legalized (and regulated--taxed and all) prostitution, so it CAN be done. However, contrary to popular belief, prostitution is ILLEGAL in Vegas. In those counties, those brothels are heavily regulated, and prostitutes are required to be tested weekly. So, it can be done. They have to report income from their work like everyone else. Nevada has no state income tax, but they do have to report their earnings to the Feds.
And now we have a wave of laws of making illegal "texting while (insert action here)." Listen, if you're dumb enough to be texting while driving, or riding a bike, or walking, and you're not paying attention and you injure and/or kill yourself (and possibly hurt or kill others in the process), then you deserve everything that's coming to you. It's your own damn fault--especially if there are others who are victim to your stupidity. There is one positive, though--you may qualify for a Darwin Award.
So there you go. My brain is spent. I await your replies.
One of the disadvantages, as it were, of working for the State--especially here in the Capital region--is that I get to hear all the governmental, bureaucratic diarrhea that spews forth from the mouths of our Legislature and our Governor. So I posit some thoughts that have been circling my brain in recent days. I've already had intelligent discussion on one or two of these thoughts on Facebook, and maybe I could stir some intelligent debate here. This is a LONG post, my longest in a very long while, so it's been broken down. I'd REALLY love some feedback on this.
For those of you not in the know, there is a planned mosque that's going to be built right near the former World Trade Center. Regardless of the questions surrounding the issue, I'm seeing that this notion (which already has been approved and ok'd by New York City) is bringing out the bigots in everyone.
Say what you want about anyone who may be running the mosque and holding services there, the fact of the matter is this: since 9/11, we, as a society, especially here in New York, have become a bit intolerant of anyone Muslim. Since that horrible day, we now equate the words "Muslim" and "Islam" with "terrorist."
It's reached the point where the two major Republican candidates for Governor are using this planned mosque as a major campaign issue, screaming out against it. Way to go, guys, tapping into the raw nerves of emotion while successfully dodging other important things like, how do we keep New York from going bankrupt.
My feelings on the matter are thus: the mosque should be built. We have that thing called the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution--you know, the thing that grants every single one of us freedom of religion. We have the right to practice any religion we want, or not practice at all. Yet, for some reason, we have decided that we'll have freedom of religion--until we don't agree with someone else's faith. Then bring on the xenophobia and the racism and the method for which someone will try to get elected.
We also have freedom of speech. Whether the imam of this mosque is spewing hateful crap about us or not--if he's a citizen of this country, then he has every single constitutional right as you or I. As long as he's not doing any physical harm, he has every right to spout out whatever he wants.
It's no different than Fred Phelps and his ilk of the Westboro Baptist Church. This group of crazy Christians go around and picket funerals of soldiers and stage protests in cities and towns everywhere, spewing absolute vitriol against gays and anyone who doesn't conform to their logic. Do I agree with them? Absolutely not. Do they have a right to say that garbage? Yes, they do. As much as I'd like to punch every single one of them, they are protected under the 1st Amendment, just like this mosque.
Funny--we never seem to say the same things about fundamentalist, militant Christians. If we do, kindly point them out, because I never see anyone on the news sites I see cry foul. Not every Muslim is a terrorist, and the same goes for Christians. There are many kind, loving Muslims as there are Christians and Catholics.
Personally, if this mosque is built, I will feel bad for every good-natured person who goes to services, because I fear they'll have to deal with our bigotry, which may become violent. Some people just go absolutely ballistic when you don't agree with them--just ask George Tiller and Scott Roeder, Matthew Shepard and the two guys who killed him.
Next issue: I always thought that laws that were clearly designed to protect us from ourselves were stupid, and as such, I tend to ignore them if the situation applies. Law enforcement has enough on their plate to deal with--things like murders, rapists, child molesters. Why spend so much time and effort with people smoking a little pot? Have you ever seen a person overdose on marijuana? If you have, then you'll know that THEY FALL ASLEEP. Have you ever seen someone in a murderous rage from having one joint too many? If so, point me in that direction. Reefer Madness does not count.
With our economy in tatters, and with so many states scrambling for revenue, why not legalize the stuff? After all, it's largely illegal because the government has yet to figure out how they can make money on it. It's why many things are illegal--if the government can't make money on it, then you can't have it. I'll take this notion one step further--make any and all drugs legal--cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy, etc. It's been just about proven that the federal government's war on drugs has been nothing but an abysmal failure. Billions and billions of dollars spent, and I don't think we're any better for it.
I suggest that if people are already doing those drugs anyway, and knowingly destroying their bodies in the process, why not get the government in on it and raise revenue? Human nature dictates that, really, we're going to do whatever the hell we want, regardless of authority. It also suggests that the reasons why we do things that are considered "illegal" is because there's a curiosity factor involved--the user wants to know why the government tells him he or she can't take a drug or drink before age 21, and so experiments.
Why not make the drugs legal? Think of how much our prison system will be freed up! Regulate the drugs like you do cigarettes! Tobacco and alcohol are taxed, why not every other drug? You may even reduce the amount of people doing those drugs because they no longer have that "illegal" mystique about them.
And one more revenue raiser: legalize prostitution. As long as there are human beings, there will be sex. End of story. Yes, there's a huge, heavy stigma (and a double standard or two) associated with it, not to mention our own moral hangups about it. Yet, it exists, and despite its illegality in most places, there's a horrible inequality--why is it women who are caught soliciting get punished, while the men who use them do not? Look at Eliot Spitzer, for instance. I mean, he resigned as Governor in the process, but he wasn't slapped with any real criminal punishment.
Nevada is the only state in which some of its counties have legalized (and regulated--taxed and all) prostitution, so it CAN be done. However, contrary to popular belief, prostitution is ILLEGAL in Vegas. In those counties, those brothels are heavily regulated, and prostitutes are required to be tested weekly. So, it can be done. They have to report income from their work like everyone else. Nevada has no state income tax, but they do have to report their earnings to the Feds.
And now we have a wave of laws of making illegal "texting while (insert action here)." Listen, if you're dumb enough to be texting while driving, or riding a bike, or walking, and you're not paying attention and you injure and/or kill yourself (and possibly hurt or kill others in the process), then you deserve everything that's coming to you. It's your own damn fault--especially if there are others who are victim to your stupidity. There is one positive, though--you may qualify for a Darwin Award.
So there you go. My brain is spent. I await your replies.
