[Radar]

If your kid was molested by the heroin dealer on his way home from school while walking past the adult bookstore (I thought you were home-schooling them? Oh well.) I think you would feel your freedom to live peacefully had been infringed on just a skosh.

No, I'd feel like I was the victim of a crime just as I do now when the government illegally violates my rights. And I'd seek justice against that criminal. Selling heroin isn't a crime because it doesn't harm any non-consenting others. Selling adult books, movies, toys, etc. isn't a crime regardless of the location of the store because that too, doesn't harm any non-consenting others. Home schooling isn't a crime because again it doesn't harm any non-consenting others. Child molesting is a crime because it does harm non-consenting others and it's completely unrelated to drug or porn sales.

Of course, you wouldn't find out about it until you got back from giving head in restrooms to get money to pay off the mobster who gave you credit at the casino.

Giving head in restrooms is not a crime. Borrowing and lending money isn't a crime. The term "mobster" suggests criminals and criminals don't run casinos. At least not since the 70's. I grew up in Vegas and worked in Casinos. It's unfair to suggest that someone running a casino is a criminal or a "mobster".

What a sad world that would be.

It would be a much happier world to those who value freedom. It would be a happier world to the founding fathers. When people offend others they haven't committed a crime, but they may be ostracized in the community. Some might not want to do business with them. Some won't want to associate with them. That should be thier only punishment.

As I said we are each responsible for our own decisions and as long as those decisions don't physically harm or endanger a non-consenting other, their property, or their rights, a crime has not been committed. But we will still have to face the consequences of our actions even if they are not crimes. If someone makes a poor decision not to pay for their retirement, they will have to face the fact that they are starving when they get old or that they can never retire. If someone makes a poor decision to quit school they will have to live with the fact that they can't find work, or at least none that pays well. If someone chooses to use drugs, they will have to live with health problems (high doctor bills), addiction, and a stigma attached to them in the community. If someone decides to mow their lawn naked, sells heroin, prostitutes themselves, etc. they will learn quickly that they don't have many friends and have a hard time within the community. And all of these people will serve as examples to others of what not to do and suffer the consequences of their decisions without infringing on thier freedoms.

Oh well, thank goodness no one was tainted by some kind of narrow-minded, confining religious belief. THAT would be the real nightmare.

It certainly would. I'd rather deal with prostitutes, heroin dealers, etc. than have someone force their arbitrary morality down my throat with legislation. I find the religious right to be far more offensive than crack whores.