Self-determination

The heart of America… the very CORE of what the founding fathers were attempting to do with both the declaration of independence and the Constitution was to establish a society based upon self-determination. As Thomas Jefferson said about other religions, "But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." The same goes for intoxicants. Or sex. It does you no injury for your neighbor to shoot smack. It doesn’t break your leg. Or if you neighbor chooses to be married to someone the same sex as they are. It doesn’t pick your pocket.

So at what point did we become comfortable letting others make our decisions for us?

And I’m not talking about stuff like the double-nickel speed limit imposed on the country in the seventies. My old dad raised HELL about this when it passed. Has kind of a lead foot. But if some half-asleep nutjob with one hand on his cell phone and the other hand holding a Whopper with cheese smacks into you at 120 MPH, it DOES pick your pocket… and maybe breaks your leg. Same with mandatory insurance.

But what about seat belt laws? Okay, I buy that you should be able to fine me for not having my child secured, but what about me? I’m mildly claustrophobic. I HATE seat belts. Why should I have to wear one? Or a motorcycle helmet? And let me be clear here that I won’t even SIT on a two-wheeler without a helmet on. That doesn’t mean that Gary Busey should be forced to.

I guess that what I’m trying to get at is this… I’ve talked a lot over the last couple of years about the Bush administration shredding our bill of rights… but our rights have been slowly eroded away over the course of the last couple of decades, and I, for one, am sick of it.

So let’s fight for our rights.

Even if you are not an imbiber, fight for the legalization of marijuana.

Even if you are not gay, fight for gay rights.

Two things to keep in mind…

“When they took the 4th Amendment, I was silent because I do not deal drugs. When they took the 6th Amendment, I kept quiet because I know I'm innocent. When they took the 2nd Amendment, I said nothing because I don't own a gun. Now they've come for the 1st Amendment, and I can't say anything at all.” - Anonymous

"He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." - Thomas Paine

Peace.

Randal