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Public v. Private — Why Now?
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Public v. Private

There have been a couple of major clashes between public and private space and for what it’s worth these are my thoughts.

I am a supporter of the Second Amendment right to own weapons, but there is a very big difference between having those weapons in private space and having them in public space. You have a right to have them on your own property, but you have to accommodate the wishes of society if you want have them on public property. It isn’t your decision to make on public property, it is the public’s decision. In addition to the discussion around what happened at Virginia Tech, the Florida legislature is playing with “take your gun to work” laws. As far as I’m concerned if the business owner doesn’t want guns on the property, the public has no right to overrule that decision.

It works the same with free speech – your right to be heard doesn’t override my right to be left alone. Your exercise of freedom of religion can’t trump my right to be free from your religion. Just because you’re free to print newspapers, doesn’t mean I have to buy one.

That brings me to another big story, the Supreme Court decision on a medical procedure. I don’t see why this is anyone’s business but those directly involved. I see people talking about “society’s interest,” but I don’t see what society’s interest is. If the claim is that society has an interest in “unborn children”, that’s a lie on it’s face. If society actually had such an interest, society would be providing pre-natal care for pregnant women, and contraceptives so that women who don’t want to have a child don’t get pregnant. Without those two minimum efforts, the whole concept is a lie. The US has a rotten infant mortality rate for a first world country, so obviously society has no interest in “unborn children.”

I’m getting really tired with these big deficit, big government Republans sticking the Federal nose into everyone’s private lives. They can’t do their job, but they want to tell you how to live your life.

Update: This is why businesses don’t want guns on their property.

6 comments

1 andante { 04.21.07 at 6:51 pm }

“Take your gun to work”? Business owners should consider the NASA gunman, who shot himself and a hostage after getting a poor job review.

2 Bryan { 04.21.07 at 7:08 pm }

Businesses are considering Florida’s own problems with workplace violence which why they implemented the bans in the first place, some in areas where hunting is common. Business is looking at liability issues and needs the policy to avoid being sued for not doing enough to prevent violence.

3 Anntichrist S. Coulter { 04.21.07 at 11:40 pm }

How republicunts (aka Haley Barbour, the worst thing to come out of Mississippi since slavery and casino billboards on I-10) REALLY feel about children:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/health/22infant.html?ex=1177819200&en=06d6c13d1e0ebd82&ei=5070&emc=eta1

4 Anntichrist S. Coulter { 04.21.07 at 11:41 pm }

(and prenatal care, btw) Rushed on that button-hitting thing again. Kinda how the Supreme Court votes, when Richard Allen Scaife is waving a check under their noses.

5 Bryan { 04.22.07 at 12:15 am }

The thing is checking a baby into a neo-natal unit never costs less than $100K, but pre-natal is in the $500 range. If they do it through a clinic and visiting nurses, it would get cheaper – a nickel’s worth of prevention is worth $10 of cure. Early detection is always cheaper than having them end up at an emergency room, the most expensive form of medicine that exists.

When my Mother is feeling poorly and acts like she’s going to ignore it, I threaten her with the emergency room. For the prices they charge you should get a doctor, maid, and personal chef come to your house.

If they want to save money, they should convince people to get medical attention before the problem gets desperate, but the routine office visits are the first thing they cut.

6 Mustang Bobby { 04.23.07 at 6:41 am }

Brilliant. I shamelessly posted this at BBWW and gave you kudos for it. Thanks.