could not agree with you more rachel best wishes bill On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 6:07 PM, M. Johnson <[email protected]> wrote:
> > *Libertarianism 101: > **Who owns you? > *November 4, 4:43 PM > [image: []] Seattle Libertarian Examiner > Rachel Hawkridge > > Our families often make claims on our time and resources . . . > > Our government makes claims on our time (we’re required to attend school; > we work in order to pay taxes; we’re required to take certain vaccinations; > jury duty is not optional, nor is the draft), our resources (taxes, property > restrictions, traffic regulation), our intellect (once again, we work to pay > taxes; we are also regulated in our professions, and certain activities > prohibited, even though we may be capable of them). > > *We have allowed our neighbors, friends and enemies to control us* to the > point that we are told that we can smoke this plant (because the government > subsidizes it and taxes it), and not smoke that plant unless we go to visit > the man who has the government issued license (medical license), who will > write us the government approved permission slip (medical marijuana > recommendation). While we’re there, we can get a permission slip > (prescriptions) to take the same drugs that we can buy without restrictions > for our pets. If we are chronic pain sufferers, we will *never *be able to > get enough permission slips to take care of the pain. > > Other people control who we can marry, and when. Even when marrying an > approved partner, at an approved age, if we want our spouse to have access > to all rights as our spouse, we still must receive a governmental permission > slip to marry (marriage license). Others, our gay and lesbian friends and > family, can get a permission slip to marry in some states, but not in > others. > > Once we *are *married, we can reproduce without government involvement, > but as soon as the child appears, it must have a government permission slip > (Social Security card). > > If we do not care for the child in the manner that society has deemed > appropriate, or if someone even alleges that we aren’t, the child can be > yanked from our care, without any proof, any notice, or even any regard for > the law. > > Every day we submit to someone else’s demands to do things that may not > make sense. > > The people of Spokane’s permission slip to buy certain types of dishwasher > detergent has been revoked, but 30 miles away in Coeur d’Alene, the citizens > can buy any dishwasher detergent that they desire. > > Our government must approve our food, drinks, vitamins, minerals and herbal > supplements. Effective, safe medicine is illegal, but huge pharmaceutical > companies unleash killer drugs in the market on a regular basis. > > We cannot get a governmental permission slip to buy fresh raw milk, because > some people have fears that it may be contaminated with bacteria. So > instead, our government has decided that we should cook and homogenize the > milk until it is actually much more harmful to our health. > > We cannot buy the most fabulous muffins you’ve ever tasted from Mary, who > doesn’t have a commercial kitchen, and therefore can’t get cannot a > governmental permission slip to sell food. > > We can’t buy wine from the guy down the street who makes the best wines > ever. He can’t get a permission slip to even make wine, much less sell it. > > Joey next door has a great car, likes to drive, and can’t get a permission > slip to drive people to where they need to go. It’s a shame, because Joey is > unlikely to get any other job. > > Another neighbor, Judy, has a spare room, and would like to rent it out, > but can’t get the permission slip to do that because it doesn’t have a full > kitchen. Judy would have a kitchen built for it, but she can’t get the > permission slip to build. > > The cost of regulations like this, both in actual money, and in lost > opportunity, is horrific.* It is essentially illegal to be poor in this > country.* As our economy continues to founder, these costs will become > more obvious. > > If the examples above lived during the great depression, they would have > gone into business for themselves, and may have been able to weather the > depression well. *These days, they do not have those options legally. > > My name is Rachel Hawkridge, and I own myself. > > I* am solely responsible for deciding what I put into my body, what I eat, > drink, smoke or inject. *Only I choose *what medications I use, what > vaccines I take. > > No individual, collective or government has *any *right to me, my body, > time, possessions or talents, at any time. > > *I reject any claims upon me,* and will resist with everything I have. > > *I own myself. You own you. > > *I make the decisions in my life, you decide in yours. That is > libertarianism, in a nutshell. > > Libertarians do not force other people to conform to our religious beliefs, > or any other superstitions about morality, health, safety, or anything else. > And we allow you the same freedom to choose. > > > http://www.examiner.com/x-11999-Seattle-Libertarian-Examiner~y2009m11d4-Libertarianism-101-Who-owns-you > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
