"LAW" & "FREE WILL" ?

[williamlayton]

This is NOT a religous discussion.
We banter back and forth with thoughts  and solutions on this subject. I suspect, from reading my own posts and thinking about my conclusions that I may be as disillusioned and some of you.
What are we attempting to do with laws? I will say that we have strayed from the first and original attempts of laws and free will.
We are spending a lot of money, these days, at doing what laws were originally designed to do. We seem to want to keep folks folks from doing what they wish in the attempt to save them from theirownselves. We spend a lot of money doing this.
I say that laws only perscribe a punishment for violating the law and---it seems to me--that laws these days--in a lot of respects--are for prevention--or--is it maybe--that we expect prevention.
On the subject of drugs and alcohol (sp) ! Speeding, and most other things that this society has deemed not worthy to be allowed. We have failed and my arguement is that it failed not from those to who we give the authority to prevent but to ourownselves--because we want to prevent others and not us.
Your thoughts?
Blessings

[Cuts Crooked]

Donno Bill

Since the dawn of time/creation by god/evolvement/whatever you wish to call it we have had rules/laws. Originally these were "for the good of the pack". Essentially they still are.

But........we don't always think about the "unintended consequences" that come with some of the rules/laws that we invent to keep the pack safe.
This conversation could go on forever I suspect, so I will only comment that each of us needs to mull over that "unintended consequences" part and how it has affected our society/pack.

[BUGEYE]

in the last few years, there has been several people caught trying to arrange for a "hit" on there spouse.
some think that the "moral high ground" would be to let the "hit" go on and THEN punish the bad-guy.

the moral high ground then is,  go ahead and let people drink, smoke, snort, get in a car and kill an innocent person and after that person is DEAD AND BURIED, then punish the drunk/doper.

a few years ago, some aquaintences (sp) had their teen-age son killed by a drunk driver.  I've never seen anyone so devastated as the parents.
in a neighboring town, parents came home and found their teen-age son dead, with his pipe and synthetic marajuana by his side.
I'll back the DEA and anyone who wants to eliminate that poison.

[mechanic]

I agree Wm.  We by and large however, have raised a generation or so of folk who think the world revolves around them, and have no respect for authority.  And sadly too often, we have authorities that think they are also above the law.  I think we may be headed toward a bad time...worse than now.  JMO
 
Ben

[Cuts Crooked]

  And sadly too often, we have authorities that think they are also above the law.
 
Ben

Indeed! Witness our current crop of politicians!

[Shu]

Simply put we as a world have forgotten what is simple and best. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I don't drink and don't care if someone else does. When getting behind the wheel of a car intoxicated the other person has disregarded the simple law. They don't care about me and are proving it. They could kill or maim someone and don't give a damn about it.
Following the simplest of rules we wouldn't need all the others. Simply put you would have to stop and think would my actions cause harm to someone else. If the answer is yes then you need to re-evaluate what you are doing.
 
Legalizing marijuana, I don't know. We could say it is a plant and should be fine. Opium comes from a plant also and we know it's never ruined a life. Just a thought would my partaking cause any harm to my family?

[magooch]

There's nothing wrong with a lot of rules and laws; it's just that too many people embrace the concept that "rules and laws are made to be broken."

[LONGTOM]

No respect for true authority, themselves or anyone else is mostly a product of poor upbringing.
The parents or lack of have not really done their job of teaching the child at an early age what it means to have respect in any form.
I also blame the fact that as a society we have left the teachings of GOD.
Now I don't pretend to be a saint nor do I partake in the readings of the good book but I do try to live my live and raise my family in the ways taught to me by my GOD fearing Grand Parents as taught to my Parents.
It may not be to the letter of the Bible but it doesn't stray to far from it either.
 
As to the vices of today's world I would say that mostly it is a social thing.
There are those that will jump all over someone who smokes but have no problem with a drinker.
We have strict laws on protecting others from second hand smoke but few laws for drunks.
I am not saying that second hand smoke is not bad for people, some more than others.
Just that as a smoker that grew up in a house with two smoking parents and a brother that smoked along with my smoking if second hand smoke was so deadly I should have been gone from this world a long time ago.

Now as for alcohol, that can and is a much more instant thing.
Not so much to the one doing the consumption but to those around them.
Smoking may take a lifetime to show it's effects but drinking can raise it's ugly head in a split second.
How many times have you ever heard of some one getting killed in a car accident because a driver dropped his cigarette.
I am sure it has happened but very seldom.
Compair that to being killed by a drunk driver.
What I am trying to say is we have a bunch of hypocrisy as far as what is allowable in our society.
The same can be said about our laws.
Most have been enacted for good reason but some are just a feel good idea that really serves no purpose at all.
Until we learn to respect ourselves and others we will never be free from the burden of self destruction.
It starts at home at an early age and goes all the way to the top of our society.
Just look at our government leaders.
They are the worst at setting an example.
Have to cut this short.
I have a trailer customer.
May get back to this latter.
 
 
 
LONGTOM
 

[williamlayton]

The point is that bad things do happen---will happen.
We spend a lot of money--uselessly, IMO--trying to stop things from happening.
Simple laws that perscribe some order to things, seem to be not what folks want anymore. They seem to want a guarentee that things don't go bump in the night.
So far all we do is tighten the noose on folks who are orderly and the others are still out there and will be, forever.
Blessings 

[mechanic]

Well said Wm.
 
Ben

[LONGTOM]

Good news I SOLD A TRAILER!!!
That makes 9 for the year so far.
A long ways from the over 400 a year I used to sell but better than it has been lately.
 
William has it about right.
The few follow the rules while the rest seem to be able to do as they please.
Something just doesn't seem right about that.
I guess the only thing the few have going for them is they can hold their head up and know in their heart and mind that they are doing the right thing.
 
 
LONGTOM

[FPH]

One reason people loved Clinton.  Heck if the President of the US can lie and cheat on his wife, then why not me.