Most people can’t comprehend this process beyond the first few steps. Unintended consequences are inevitable and mostly create a worse situation. You might not like the idea of certain guns -alcohol - marijuana - etc. being legal, but prohibition made the situation much worse overall for everyone who wasn’t profiting.
The only things that should be illegal are things for which you are willing to outright KILL those who peddle them.
Ask yourself (1) " do you own your own life"?
(2) " are you willing to grant others the right to own their own life?
If you don't own your own life, you are a slave!
If you don't want others to own their own life, you are advocating slavery.
To own something is to be responsible for it. In our society, we often are not taught that we are, and ought to be, responsible for our own life.
This flow doesn't take into account that customers become criminals. Outlawing anything for the purpose of protecting citizenry is dumb, I feel. The net result of this is not greater safety, but less freedom. Look at the mess the war on drugs has made. Huge Central American cartels exist and prosper because of it. Who knows how many addicts are in prison (customers now criminals).
It is a real conundrum. However, some things need to be banned or severely curtailed. The gun deaths and destruction clearly point that out. Cigarettes are another issue and the regulating of this item has had a positive effect.
Sometimes the availability of a product makes it more accessible. This accessibility makes it easier to get the items and addictions can go from there. I once read a report about how guns actually change the way people think (it was a German study so what do those people know - I'm being sarcastic)!
I’m ok banning people from having weapons of mass destruction, like bombs and missiles.
Now, where to stare the line? I think drawing it at automatic guns (like we did long ago) is good.
Drugs? Legalize it all. No company would sell the ones that mess you up, cuz, liability.
Hold people accountable for any stupid shit they do while under the influence.
Interestingly, when machineguns were legal, prior to 1934, few people bought them. They were expensive for one thing, and few people had any practical purpose for owning them. They were made illegal, because small-town police departments couldn't afford them. And the politicians were frightened of people being better-armed than the police. No doubt the Americans of the 1930's felt like kicking themselves, for not having stocked up!
You can't outlaw Human knowledge. Nor can you keep it secret. If you were whatever Homo Habilus who discovered fire, a million years ago, you could only keep it 'secret' a little while. You can outlaw guns, or drugs. But you can't outlaw the knowledge to manufacture them.
To be honest, I'm okay with severely restricting most narcotics and perhaps banning some. I don't necessarily think we should kill the dealers, but in cases where people add even more dangerous substance to illicit drugs, maybe it's warranted.
I'm not opposed to prohibitions on certain individuals owning guns, but I don't support banning guns either. I don't think convicted violent criminals domestic abusers, or suicidal individuals should be permitted to possess guns, but I also think that if our prison systems worked as they should, ex-cons would be less likely to commit a crime than the rest of his.
Unfortunately, we have a society where many things are prohibited to protect stupid people from themselves. This is detrimental to human evolution
Never ban anything that you aren't willing to kill someone over or lock them up for life for doing/having.
(BTW, your last sentence isn't a complete sentence...maybe edit it?)
@SkotlandSkye I accidentally submitted it before I was done.
@JimG makes sense now
@JimG Are you willing to lock up or shoot a suicidal person for the mere fact that they have a gun in their house? How about a felon who paid their debt to society and was released? Do they not have the right to protect themselves from home invaders who would wish them harm?
@SkotlandSkye That's what my comment on our justice system was about. I think if it served society, our prison system wouldn't release people who couldn't be trusted with a firearm. However as that's not the world we live in. I do agree with life in prison, at a minimum, for violent criminals who are caught with firearms. Note: I did say "violent." Of course, there would have to be further qualifiers, but they should be resolved through reason and not emotion.
Posted by SpikeTalonI kneel before no one. No gods, no masters, no control freaks. Screw the tyrants from both political extremes, and their agendas.
Posted by SpikeTalonNeither one of the extremes, and yet the best of both worlds...
Posted by SpikeTalonSubstitute the word liberals for progressives, and that would describe me as well. As for the conservative part, the socially/theocratic (aka, bible thumpers, mostly) ones in particular.
Posted by SpikeTalonIndividuality is a dirty word to the authoritarians (both left and right) in the world.
Posted by HLMenckenFanStatist bingo
Posted by HLMenckenFanA quote from famous American libertarian journalist H. L. Mencken on government.
Posted by HLMenckenFanDo any of you own this flag? I do.
Posted by BigMac10Just found this site and am delighted!! I gave up on the Republicans after Nixon and have never looked back.
Posted by jeshueyIt's all a matter of perspective!
Posted by SpikeTalonOne of my favorite Libertarians.
Posted by CommunityTomSaw this craziness as I was scrolling through my Facebook News Feed.
Posted by MagnetarRocksI don't know about you, but I've been doing Libertarian victory laps over the last few weeks.
Posted by LEPeffTonight might be a nice time to listen to 2112. I'll miss you Neil!
Posted by RoboGrahamSwanson is wise.
Posted by OldMetalHeadThis is heartwarming
Posted by LEPeffPeople will claim this is a hoax!