I support marijuana legalization, but this argument doesn't work. The reality is that we all pay a price when people do certain things. It would be naive in the extreme to argue, for example, that opioids haven't had a very negative impact on society as a whole. Or think about smoking cigarettes. How much does society pay for all the health problems it causes? Drinking? How much do we all pay for the chaos alcohol can cause, the domestic issues it creates, the broken families, the people killed by drunk drivers? This ain't the wild west, you can't just live and let live anymore in a world of 8 billion people.
People need to be allowed to enjoy their lives even if it has a cost. I'm not advocating for driving while under the influence. I'm advocating for being able to make your own choices about your own health. I think it goes further than just drugs. We even make laws preventing people from swimming in public water because they could drown. Shit happens. We can't let cost and perfect safety ruin all the fun in the world. Just because some people can't handle it, doesn't mean it should be removed from life entirely.
Sure. We will have to be willing to pay the price as a society, and that's a hard sell for people who don't choose to do those things. Probably worth reiterating that we actually do restrict people from swimming in certain places. Why? Because it's too dangerous and also puts rescuers at risk. You might say, "well just let them drown", but that seems rather callous in my opinion. I suppose the boring answer like usual is finding a middle ground where most interested parties are unhappy with the compromise.
I imagine everyone has some slightly risky things they like to do with their free time. The way to sell it is to recognize that we're all paying for something else other people want to do in some way or another that we don't take advantage of ourselves. By collectively contributing to society, we can make this whole experience of life worth living for everyone. I, personally, don't want to be forced into a plastic bubble of safety for my entire life.
Agreed. I miss merry-go-rounds personally...
Imagine wanting to criminalize being overweight lol
Far worse externalities and is similarly silly to ban.
I support marijuana legalization, but this argument doesn't work. The reality is that we all pay a price when people do certain things. It would be naive in the extreme to argue, for example, that opioids haven't had a very negative impact on society as a whole. Or think about smoking cigarettes. How much does society pay for all the health problems it causes? Drinking? How much do we all pay for the chaos alcohol can cause, the domestic issues it creates, the broken families, the people killed by drunk drivers? This ain't the wild west, you can't just live and let live anymore in a world of 8 billion people.
People need to be allowed to enjoy their lives even if it has a cost. I'm not advocating for driving while under the influence. I'm advocating for being able to make your own choices about your own health. I think it goes further than just drugs. We even make laws preventing people from swimming in public water because they could drown. Shit happens. We can't let cost and perfect safety ruin all the fun in the world. Just because some people can't handle it, doesn't mean it should be removed from life entirely.
Sure. We will have to be willing to pay the price as a society, and that's a hard sell for people who don't choose to do those things. Probably worth reiterating that we actually do restrict people from swimming in certain places. Why? Because it's too dangerous and also puts rescuers at risk. You might say, "well just let them drown", but that seems rather callous in my opinion. I suppose the boring answer like usual is finding a middle ground where most interested parties are unhappy with the compromise.
I imagine everyone has some slightly risky things they like to do with their free time. The way to sell it is to recognize that we're all paying for something else other people want to do in some way or another that we don't take advantage of ourselves. By collectively contributing to society, we can make this whole experience of life worth living for everyone. I, personally, don't want to be forced into a plastic bubble of safety for my entire life.
Agreed. I miss merry-go-rounds personally...
Imagine wanting to criminalize being overweight lol
Far worse externalities and is similarly silly to ban.