Level Set - Part 2

Where'd I leave off... government. It's much more complicated than that small blurb, but as time goes on, you'll get a clearer picture.

Now for some "societal" positions.

Drugs - With the exception of caffeine, alcohol, a little nicotine from the occasional cigar, and the pharmaceuticals used to control a couple health problems here and there, I don't use them. Now obviously, I'm talking about what are currently positioned as "illicit drug"; pot, cocaine, heroin, meth, etc... But because I don't use them, that doesn't mean I don't want you to. If they thrill you, have at it. Just don't let your usage of them cross into my life. Theft to feed a habit, DUI, firearm possession under the influence, etc... that happens, sorry, your ass should be in jail because you took your life and placed others into it without their consent. So yes, legalize IT, whatever "it" you have. Just know that if you cross into my life with your shit, I will deal with you appropriately.

Sex - Yes, please. Next topic.
Anyways... Similar to drugs, whatever you do in your life is your business. As long as you don't pull me into it, then as George Carlin said, I don't care if you're "...consenting adults who like to dress up in leather boy scout uniforms and smash each other in the head with ballpeen hammers while they take turns blowing their cat" It doesn't pick my pocket or break my leg, so whatever. This applies to both homosexuality as well as prostitution.
I grew up around gays; it didn't bother me because it wasn't "who they were". They didn't define themselves by their sexuality. So what did I care? Now the bigger discussion here, at least right now, is homosexual marriage, but I'll handle that below.
Prostitution - And again quoting Carlin "Selling's legal, fucking's legal, why isn't selling fucking legal?!" The retort to that is often "It degrades women. It reduces them to nothing more than a product." We're all products, in a way. We all sell our services to others to provide for our lives. Some people's only skill is they have a hole. If they choose to rent it out, who are you to tell them they can't? Sexual slavery is a completely different topic and people know it, but they try to blend the two to establish a level of moral high ground. She chooses to sell it - stay out of her life. Someone forces her to sell it - find the fucker who's forcing her and put a hollow point through his head. Severe, I know, but you get the idea.

On the topic of marriage - A couple years back, on my old blog, I referred to marriage as having some level of government involvement, mainly because if you break it down based on modern positions, a marriage is simply a contract between two parties, establishing a baseline for what shape their relationship will take, how goods will be divided, and that both will be responsible for the other. Let me back track that a little.
I still think that contract is in place, but "marriage" itself isn't that. Marriage is a religious institution; formed there, prescribed there, rules for action there. As such, if the government were truly adherent to the Constitution, they would be forced to stay out of it, based on the First Amendment. If your religion allows for homosexual marriage, then so be it. If it doesn't, then you're not married. You simply have a contract with your partner defining the terms of your relationship. This also applies to the non-religious among us or those who don't practice a faith. There should be no government penalties or bonuses for marriage or other forms of co-habitation.

Rights & privileges - There's a lot of talk about this is a right, that's a right, etc... The main problem is that no one really has a clear understanding of what a right truly is. "Right to healthcare", "Right to food", "Right to decency", and so on. Our Declaration Of Independence says "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed" Rights are something natural/G-d given (depending on how you swing). They are yours because you exist; nothing else is needed. This is important, because if you were to say "Right to healthcare", you're automatically involved other parties and their goods and services. I'll get into the healthcare fight at some point, but I hope your seeing what I'm saying.
Take it this way - Remove yourself from everything. No society, no government, nothing. Now, yes, other people will be involved, but if you've read this far, you're at least a semi-rational person and can figure this out. So there you are: What can you do? Can you speak your mind? Can you worship your G-d or chose not to? Can you defend yourself from the threat of those who mean to do you harm? Can you stop those who want to enter your "home"? Get the point? Now, can you have "healthcare"? No. Why? Because someone else in the collection needs to provide it to you. If they chose not to, because they think you're a dick, then you can't force them, can you? Can you offer them something of worth to treat you? Ah... yes you could. Hence, you have a right to enter the market if you can provide for it, but they could still tell you to go fry ice because you're a dick.
"Then you don't have a right to guns!" I hear someone shouting. No, by the definition laid out, I would have a right to enter the market to purchase a firearm and, because I have a natural right to defend myself from those who wish to do me harm, I could use it if needed. I plan on doing a whole post, or a dozen or so, about guns, so I'll leave that one for now.

I could go on for a while here, laying out every topic possible, but that's a taste and here's the simplified version. I believe in freedom and liberty. But with these come great responsibility. Because you have the right to speak freely doesn't mean it's advisable to go into the center of Harlem with a van that says "Nigger's must die!" across the side. For a less harsh example: You have the right to eat a triple bacon cheeseburger with mayonnaise, but when you need a triple bypass to save your fat ass, that's your problem, don't come knocking on my door.

Cheers