freedom, even in america, doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. there has to be some rules. the speed limit. laws about not killing people and/or taking their stuff. laws keeping the government from taking your property without just cause (and no, building a new condo or strip mall doesn’t count as a just cause). laws that make it wrong for you to be under the influence of any intoxicant when driving. these are sensible rules. there’s nothing intrusive about keeping people from following their innate self-destructive behavior.

smoking cigarettes and cigars is harmful and totally legal. crystal meth, marijuana, crank, etc, are also dangerous and damaging, but not legal. addiction to tobacco affects you differently than crystal meth. as far as i’m aware, crystal meth and the other illegal drugs affect you mentally, which ends up being more dangerous than the slow death caused by tobacco use.

peter jennings was admired for the way he handled his cancer. the death of peter jennings deeply affected a few media types, including msnbc’s keith olbermann, to plead with viewers to quit smoking. it’s a worthy goal, and those who smoke should stop as soon as possible.

there was another death recently –that of hunter s. thompson. i never knew the man, but i’ve read the glowing reviews of his life and career. it’s tragic that a man who was so talented and creative would kill himself. the gun directly killed him. his lifestyle shortened his life considerably. i find it amazing that anyone can glorify this kind of lifestyle, when we see how that life turns out in the end. there are many calling for us to quit smoking. i’m still waiting for the anti-drug speech from thompson’s admirers and colleagues.

is it possible that we don’t take drug use as seriously as smoking in this culture? i think so. i also think that this view is a mistake. drug users are parodied in comedy sketches and made fun of for the stupid things they do because of the drugs. maybe we would rather laugh at them than seriously consider what we can do to keep them from destroying themselves. it’s in everyone’s best interest to help drug users break the cycle.

in my view, there is no good reason to take drugs. none. there is also no good reason to remove restrictions from people who want to destroy themselves. so, libertarians, defend yourselves on this one. good luck with that defense.

Technorati : crystal meth, hunter s thompson, libertarians, peter jennings, smoking