Unfortunately, we live in a society that has a hard time dealing with moderation. Everything, whether it be large or small (world issue or social policy, etc) tends to have groups of people gather at the extremes. While not entirely along the same vein, take an issue like smoking. (Wow am I going to offend here I fear.) I've always felt that public smoking should be outlawed. You're annoyed already, I know, but tough it out with me. If I were to say, gather twelve of my friends, and we were to go to a restaurant, bar, club, store, movie, in this group together. Then we proceeded to perpetually (if it were humanly possible) pass gas, fart, flatulate on, near, or around other people it would be considered rude, offensive, inappropriate, and disrespectful. Without question, we would be asked to leave where ever we happened to be at some point, and if we refused the other people present (whether directly 'affected' or not would be agitated and quite vocal in their displeasure.) This to me, is no different then smoking in a public place. The major difference would be that the flatulence is currently not (and never in the future will be) found to have any cancer causing side effects. Sure, it may burn a few nose hairs if we all ate spicy tacos in advance, but that is the extent of its damage. Smoking on the other hand is well documented as a cause of lung, throat, etc. etc. ad nausea, types of cancer.
So I find myself torn. Part of me feels quite vehemently that smoking should be banned in public places nationwide. And before I get all the breathy anger filled retorts, full of haughty outrage, let me just say what the other side to my feelings are. The other side of that is that I find in saying 'ban' X, Y, or Z that I am, in fact, supporting some form of censorship (if it can be called that). Typically, I'm against nearly all forms of censorship. Which raises the questions, do some freedoms go too far? Are people so afraid of having something banned that they value as 'good', that they blindly support all 'freedoms', even ones that at times are clearly a detriment to society. (Like, for example, the Virgin Mary covered in feces. Which for all of you who said you are only for the censorship of hateful or harmful acts or words that encourage harm on others, would in this case constitute a hateful, harmful, and if taken in the abstract - (encouragement of hatred towards those who, in the practice of their faith (religion), find the Virgin Mary to be sacred or holy) act towards others.)
Hypocrites, I fear, we all are. Let the finger pointing begin.
The Seeker Of Truth
"It is only through stupidity, that we can ever truly grasp the idea of infinity."
This message last edited by the seeker of truth on 1/22/2003 at 2:49:05 PM.
*NM*