"Wait, there's a debate over ______?": medical marijuana

Seriously? Why?

If there's a naturally abundant plant that's very safe and very affective at treating ailments, why ban it?

Typically, drugs are approved by the FDA based on safety and effectiveness.

Even with cures that aren't FDA-approved, it's the doctor that gets in trouble, not the patient that's jailed.

Now, I understand that normal citizens aren't allowed to smoke it (they should be, but that's another issue), but the same is true of all prescribed medications.

Just... just explain this debate to me, will ya?

"Wait, there's a debate over ______?": circumcision

This is probably one of the only places where a debate is entirely unnecessary. Whether or not there are certain advantages and drawbacks is certainly important, but the decision must ultimately be left up to the person who's penis would be affected. It doesn't matter if your religion mandates it for the same reason we disallow human sacrifice and stoning; you have no right to force your religion upon others.

To end on a lighter note (and pad this post's length), I'd like to end with a joke.

~~~

Two 10-year-old boys are using consecutive urinals - one looks over at the penis of the other and says, "Oh no! What's wrong with your penis?"

The little boy replies, "I've been circumcised.".

His friend says, "You poor guy - when did that happen?".

"When I was born", came the reply.

"Yuck, it looks aweful - what did they do to it?" askes the first boy.

"They cut off my foreskin.".

The first little boy was shuddering as he imagined the pain his freind must have gone through. "I bet it hurt?", he said.

"HURT!!", exclaimed the boy, "Hurt - I couldn't walk for a year!"

I'm all for embettering humanity, but remember that thing called "liberty"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME4p0sKvl54

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJvryLhfQzE

1: No STD short of zombism will lead to the "downfall of society".
2: This is creepy, but not in a "that's not natural" way; it's creepy in a "Big Brother can now genetically brainwash your children and literally manufacture consent of the governed" kind of way.
3: Anyone who wants to change the human race has the sticky problem of free will; you may see childbirth as "violent", but that characterization would offend a lot of people.
4: These all seem like radical solutions for minor problems (STDs solved with banning sex and encroaching on personal liberty, gender inequality solved by forcing androgyny upon our offspring, etc.).
5: You already have the right to refuse to have sex until your partner gets tested.
6: Did I mention it's creepy?

Sue America

All of these anti-youth laws violate equal protection. Anyone interested in taking it to the SCotUSA?

Censorship 4/2

So, I was watching an add for Dish TV the other day, touting its parental censorshi- er, "control" technology.

Even the language they used ("control what your kids watch", "decide what material is right for your family", "you can block programs based on ______ or even entire channels") makes it sound creepily Orwellian.

"Wait, there's a debate over ______?": flag burning

Really? As long as the flag is your own and the fumes don't, like, poison people somehow, is this really something some people oppose? Who's rights are being violated?

The flag is just a symbol; what's really important are the ideas America was founded on. Ones like freedom of expression.

"Wait, there's a debate over ______?": gay rights

Really? There are some people who honestly think sexual orientation is a qualifier for rights? Some people think that there should be "separate but equal" marriage laws depending on your gender?

How exactly are anybody's rights threatened by gays? At all?

Hero(es)

I just watched the Season 4 premier of MSNBC's Heroes.

So, do I have a point to this?

Of course I do; this is a political blog!

Peter saves the wife of a pregnant woman and her twin girls. She gives birth after arrival at the hospital and it is pointed out that he "single-handedly saved three lives".

So what about this situation makes me angry, you ask? Nothing.

Except they were born right after the accident. Had Peter done the exact same thing a few months ago, the lives of the twins wouldn't've counted. The exact same people, all three slightly younger, and suddenly only one life is seen as being saved. What's more, somebody could've been paid to kill the twins, and face no punishment whatsoever.

But maybe I'm reading too far into it.

You are a person iff you are a human.

McDonald's and Nike are persons, but an unborn child is not? What? Are you kidding me?

And why was the due process cited in Roe? "No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law." That seems like the last thing you'd want to call attention to when defending homicide.

Double-standard

Why is it that the anti-abortion movement instantaneously scolds and distances themselves from anti-abortion terrorists (yet they are still blamed for some reason), but pro-abortion violence receives barely any attention?

Oh, yeah.

I almost forgot to tell you guys about this.

Ahoy, maties!

As ye well know (an' if ye know not, shame on ye landlubber!) today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day (the funnest holiday ever to sail the seven seas!). If ye be one of me hearties that read this here blog regularly, ye know I frown upon the bilge rats that change their captain's log's topic just because it be some holiday. But ITLaPD be not like the lesser holidays.

So today on this here blessed day, enjoy a captain's (b)log entry 'bout copyright law!

...

Yarr, me hearties, me conscience tells me I cannot discuss that topic fer the reason that I be a pirate, and so I cannot distinguish between downloadin' songs an' theivery, bein' that I see no problem with pillaging an' plundering towns meself.

Join me in a round o' the official ITLaPD song an' I'll add to me (b)log when I think of a subject worthy o' this blessed day!

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Yarr, the landlubbers at Google suck at programming, so the formatting be worse 'n a shipwrecked canoe! Enjoy the song at the link.