Starchild:
Yes, that's exactly how I feel.
-Derek
Derek,
Presumably you think *some* people can take a high-risk job
like
leading a bomb-detonation squad, or increase their chances of
contacting an STD (by having sex, for example) responsibly. Unless
I
misunderstand you, you're not asserting that it's *impossible* to
do
these things responsibly, only that it would be irresponsible for
*you*
to do them. As long as it's possible for some people to do
something
responsibly, the activity itself should not be illegal, wouldn't
you
agree?
To some degree I do agree that it depends how one defines
"responsible." In other contexts, I might argue that it's OK for a
person to spend his or her money "irresponsibly," for example. But
it's
clear to me that this survey is a public referendum of sorts on the
issues of bathhouses and speed use, so I'm OK with voting on the
side
that will be taken as supporting the legal right to engage in these
activities, even if the questions are not worded with as much
attention
to distinctions like those being drawn here as I might prefer.
If it goes too much against the grain for you to respond to
the survey
in this spirit of practicality, I encourage you, instead of
responding
to the questions directly, to comment in one of the spaces for
additional comments provided in the survey to the effect that you
may
not think speed use, or unsafe sex is responsible, but that it
should
be legal, and that bathhouses should be allowed to open in SF, if
that's how you feel.
Love & liberty,
<<< starchild >>>
> Starchild:
>
> Since I have 4 children, it would be irresponsible for me to take
an
> extremely high-risk job like leader of a bomb-detonation squad.
But
> obviously there shoudl not be a law against this.
>
> If taking certain actions greatly raised the risk of catching or
> passing an STD, then I would say that too would be irresponsible.
> But I would not support a law against whatever it is, unless there
> were clear and present negative externalities, like driving drunk
for
> instance.
>
> I suppose all this hinges on one's definition of "responsible"
>
> -Derek
>
> >
> > If it's impossible to do something responsibly, that would
> imply that
> > a law against it is OK. People should be responsible for their
own
> > actions; when they aren't or can't, that's when it's appropriate
> for an
> > external force to step in.
> >
> > Love & liberty,
> > <<< starchild >>>
> >
> >
> >
> > > Starchild:
> > >
> > > Why is the Libertarian answer obviously "yes" to whether one
can
> > > responsibly use speed and have sex? What does that have to do
with
> > > Libertarianism?
> > >
> > > --- In lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.com, Starchild <sfdreamer@>
wrote:
> > > >
> > > > The "2007 Men's Minds Survey" online includes some questions
> > > asking
> > > > about bathhouses, including whether they should reopen
(Question
> > > #50).
> > > > Public bathhouses were prohibited by law in the 1980s
during a
> time
> > > > when many people were dying of AIDS. Prior to that, there
had
> been
> > > > numerous such facilities catering to gay men in San
Francisco.
> > > These
> > > > small businesses should be allowed to exist.
> > > >
> > > > Please add your voice to this survey to let them know you
> > > think
> > > > bathhouses should be allowed to reopen:
> > > >
> > > > http://www.isparksf.com (click on "survey" on the top right
side
> > > of
> > > > the page)
> > > >
> > > > The questions about bathhouses are on page 8 of the 10-page
> > > survey,
> > > > but you can continue through without answering any questions
> until
> > > you
> > > > get to that page, if you don't wish to take the whole
survey.
> > > >
> > > > There are also questions about speed use on page 9.
> > > Unfortunately
> > > > there are no questions asking whether people should have the
> choice
> > > to
> > > > use speed, which I assume is deliberate. But there are a
couple
> > > > questions (#s 58 and 60) asking whether it's possible to use
> speed
> > > > responsibly, and whether one can responsibly use speed and
have
> > > sex.
> > > > Clearly the libertarian answer to both questions would be
yes.