What Should we Legislate?

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

Seeing as how America is supposedly the "Land of the Free", the question I pose to all of you is "What should we legislate?"

Frankly, I think the government should not do much more then regulate the army and the police force, support certain programs, and regulate the highways.

From what I can see, government should:

Fund the military
Fund the police force
Fund the highways and roads
Fund the schools, and make sure that all schools are funded equally
Fund the medical system
Set down basic laws (anti-theft, anti-murder, etc. etc.)

Pretty much everything else I don't think the government has any business in. The issue of marriage? Give a Civil Union to consenting adults that want it. The issue of abortion? So long as the concept exists there will be abortions, be it legally or illegally. Stay out.

We live in a free country. While I may intensely dislike abortion, for example, I am pragmatic enough to realize that it will happen anyways and I have no right to push what seems to be my particular moral attitude on another. I may see it as murder, but many do not and so long as such a view-point is common, it will always be there. Thus, I say, don't bother legislating. I don't believe the government should really have much of a say in most of if not all of these matters.

What do you think?

[The Captain]

America is a strange exception to many rules as I've heard it argued that we're both a Democracy and a Republic, which to me would leaves a very interesting situation:

Democracy - Rule of the majority
Republic- Rights of the minority

I think, first and foremost, America HAS to get Religion out of politics. All Churches who told their people to vote for a certain Candidate, in either case, should get some form of punishment to prevent this from happening again.

Ironically, when JFK was running for office, a big issue was raised about how much the Pope would influence him and now, 40+ years later another Catholic runs and this time has the Vatican turn against him.

America also needs to reform the healthcare system. Something closer to what Canada, England and most of Europe has would be a good direction.

Finally, I thought Bush was against nation-building and I agreed with him on that count because that puts way too much on the shoulders of one country. If America wants to help a nation get on its feet along with the help and support of other nations, besides Poland, that's fine, but this go it alone tactic is not going to benefit the country.

Take care all.

[CloudSquallandZidane]

I think government should legislate Bussiness rules, military, government civil projects, and the states it controls.

I probably left something out but thats it for now.

[Dr Unne]

Property rights and contracts should be enforced by the government. Marriage should be enforced as an extension of those two, nothing more than that.

[qq=Behold the Void]So long as the concept exists there will be abortions, be it legally or illegally. Stay out. [/qq]

Same with murder, rape, theft, etc.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

Frankly, if I had my way, abortion would not exist, but I do recongize that many regard it as a right that they should have. I don't personally have a uterus, so I don't think I should be getting involved. The way I see it, the government should not outlaw it, but should not fund it either.

[DeBlayde]

funny thing. I haven't a uterus either, but I seem to remember hearing someplace that a guy also plays a pivotal role in pregnancies. seems more like abortion gets a guy off the hook for irresponsibility. but that's really neither here nor there.

the US government has no business whatsoever regulating better than half the things it regulates. why, do you ask? because it's a buncha greedy mostly rich business people sitting in nice comfy chairs in DC, not somebody who is actually acquainted with and qualified to make opinions and decisions in the field.

case in point: Federal regulation of Alaska's fish and game. I'll bet a gajillion-bamillion-fajibillion-shmillion-shabba dabba dillion- dollars (and win) that not a single Alaskan would be consulted about how to run our own state. it'd be a buncha environmentalists in DC telling a buncha paper pushers how best we should go about our lives, placing restrictions upon us to the point that people cannot bring in the income to feed their families.

to sum up, Big Government = Big Brother = bad. (big brother is from the book 1984. weird book. read it if you want a headache)

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

funny thing. I haven't a uterus either, but I seem to remember hearing someplace that a guy also plays a pivotal role in pregnancies. seems more like abortion gets a guy off the hook for irresponsibility. but that's really neither here nor there.

Oh trust me if I ever got someone pregnant I'd fight tooth-and-nail to prevent abortion. I'm just saying government shouldn't be outlawing or funding it.

[Doomgaze]

funny thing. I haven't a uterus either, but I seem to remember hearing someplace that a guy also plays a pivotal role in pregnancies. seems more like abortion gets a guy off the hook for irresponsibility. but that's really neither here nor there.

the US government has no business whatsoever regulating better than half the things it regulates. why, do you ask? because it's a buncha greedy mostly rich business people sitting in nice comfy chairs in DC, not somebody who is actually acquainted with and qualified to make opinions and decisions in the field.

case in point: Federal regulation of Alaska's fish and game. I'll bet a gajillion-bamillion-fajibillion-shmillion-shabba dabba dillion- dollars (and win) that not a single Alaskan would be consulted about how to run our own state. it'd be a buncha environmentalists in DC telling a buncha paper pushers how best we should go about our lives, placing restrictions upon us to the point that people cannot bring in the income to feed their families.

to sum up, Big Government = Big Brother = bad. (big brother is from the book 1984. weird book. read it if you want a headache)

Hah. You think companies will just decide on their own to protect the environment? Look at Mexico, where US companies openly dump toxic waste into water supplies because the laws against it aren't enforced.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

However, I tend to not trust a white, rich, middle-aged man who's inhereted everything he owns including his political position to know how to run, for example, a school.

[Dragonfire]

i too believe the government should stay out abortion completely, dont outlaw it, but don't support it either. It's the woman's right to control her own body. I also beleive that drugs should not be illegal partially for the same reason. Basically I believe that our government should be using the Constitution as a road map to running the country not the Bible. I want full freedom, but we need a much better army and police force if that were to ever happen, because true freedom + lack of protection and order = anarchy

[Garland]

No matter how enfeebled we make the government, there will always be people crying oppression. If the government relinquishes control over one issue, we'll just find some other line to draw. Frankly, some people won't be content untill there's no authority at all. We need a powerful government because many people are idiots individually, and all people are idiots in large angry mobs. If we didn't have a government to enforce the morals of the people, and that's all laws are, then we'd have large angry lynch mobs doing it. And what differentiates a "basic law" that governments should enforce, from a moral issue they should stay away from? Is it just a majority oppinion? Is abortion not a basic law just because of the number of people on both sides? How many people would have to support for example, murder, before it stopped being a basic law, and became a moral issue?

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

The thing with abortion (which for the record I despise) is that it will happen no matter what and enough people think it a right that we cannot justify outlawing it. Murder is obviously less of a gray area for some people (again, I do find it difficult to believe that abortion is considered to be a gray area for anyone, but that is just my personal opinion) and thus would be prevented, as would theft, assault, etc.. There are things we should all (or almost all) be able to agree are unacceptable, and legislate against. Basic rule of thumb is it should be acceptable so long as it does not infringe upon the rights of another in any way. I think going under that basic line of thought a government should be able to operate and grant optimal freedom but still have enough laws in place to keep order.

[Auronhart]

does not infringe upon the rights of another in any way

The problem is, that a lot of people (including myself) think that abortion does infringe upon the rights of another, (namely the child) that is where we get into disagreements with "pro-choice" people.

[The Captain]

Thing with abortion is, what defines life? Is it the instant the sperm and egg join? Or does it take time for the life to develop? How you answer this question probably helps explain your views on the issue.

Take care all.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

Personally, I feel that life DOES begin at the moment of conception, i.e. when the sperm and the egg join, but the fact that so many people seem to disagree is why I believe the government should stay out of the issue, since its such a contested one. As I said earlier, neither forbid it nor fund it.