Quarantines may be justified

[Harmon Seaver]

On Thu, May 01, 2003 at 01:12:56PM -0500, Bill O'Hanlon wrote:
> On Thu, May 01, 2003 at 11:50:14AM -0500, Harmon Seaver wrote:
> >    Get over it -- public smoking is going to be banned everywhere, plenty of
> > cities have already banned it in restaurants, public buildings, etc. It's only a
> > matter of time before it's also banned on the street, and there are already
> > proposed laws being considered to do just that.
> 
> 
> And because the majority (or the state) is for it, it must be right?
> 
> Admit it: you're a statist when it suits you.  Why are you here?

   Bullshit -- it's about the basic right to having your own personal space and
to not be assaulted by others, something that some knee-jerk rightwingers don't
get. Everyone has a right to use whatever drug they want, they don't have a
right to force others to partake of it. 
   Nothing could be more simple. But because we have a number of people in this
society who don't get it, and who are too selfish and inconsiderate of others to
observe common courtesies, we get laws to spell it out for them. It's like drunk
driving laws, zoning laws, etc. Yes, you can drink all you want, but no, you
can't then drive. Yes, you have a right to private property, but no, you can't
allow the house to fall down or do something else with it that adversly affects
my property value. 
   There's always going to be at least a minimal state that lays out these sort
of restraints, it's the only way large numbers of people can live in close
proximity to one another. Which, BTW, is what the thread started with -- the
fact that the state has to have some powers to deal with seriously infectious
diseases. And likewise that it has to have some power to restrain those who
don't respect the rights of others.
    I think that some of the people here have some fantasy that the state will
totally wither away and there will be no restraints on anyone's behavior except
economic ones. Or else believe in some equally fantastized society where
everyone will just willingly respect others and all will live in peace and
harmony -- which is absurd, especially given the fact that for whatever reason,
young people are increasingly oblivious to the rights of others and very much
unconcerned with anything but thier own gratification. 


-- 
Harmon Seaver	
CyberShamanix
http://www.cybershamanix.com