Perhaps this is news to you.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t always tell my son what to do.\u00a0 I can\u2019t.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sure, sometimes I tell him, and perhaps, yeah, maybe, he means well.\u00a0 He might even say \u201cyes, madre,\u201d but then he doesn\u2019t follow through.\u00a0 He has a mind of his own.\u00a0 He has choices to make.\u00a0 And perhaps this is even more news to the waiting, watching world:\u00a0 sometimes he makes bad choices.<\/p>\n
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I\u2019m sorry, but that\u2019s the reality.\u00a0 Sometimes my son \u2014 sometimes you and me \u2014 sometimes we<\/em> make bad choices.\u00a0 But thank God we\u2019re allowed<\/em> to make bad choices!\u00a0 It\u2019s my past bad choices that instrumentally influence my decisions now.\u00a0 In wisdom we weigh outcomes, discerning cost, benefit, prudence, etc.\u00a0 Bad choices are God\u2019s way of allowing us to figure life out.\u00a0 Thank God for bad choices.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But there are times we are undoubtedly uncomfortable with the bad choices of another…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Can we then force<\/em> people to do what we want them to do?<\/p>\n Is it even appropriate<\/em> to force people to do so?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of things I\u2019d like to force…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n … people to act maturely…<\/p>\n … partisans to get along…<\/p>\n … the Senate to finally pass a budget…\u00a0 (geepers…\u00a0 why in the world does our federal government not pass a budget these past 4 years?\u00a0 … why is there this obvious, discouraging evasion of accountability?)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n But yet, we continually attempt to mandate behavior…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n … mandating drivers and passengers to each don their seat belt…<\/p>\n … mandating our teenage boys commit to what\u2019s nothing less than basic, moral hygiene…<\/p>\n … but also mandating Americans buy medical insurance…<\/p>\n … and mandating New Yorkers don\u2019t buy too big a soft drink…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Geepers.\u00a0 What is ok to force people to do?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It seems to this semi-humble, casual observer that forced behavior must initially pass through the following conditions:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hence, the Intramuralist is comfortable with the example of mandated car seats for infants, as the infant does not possess the ability to make a rational decision.\u00a0 Equally true, the Intramuralist advocates the additional example of prosecuting drunk drivers; drunk driving puts other people on the road at risk.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But if the mandated behavior fits neither condition above, what is the logic behind the restriction?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n … that we are incapable of making rational choices?<\/p>\n … that we wish to be a more socialist society?\u00a0 (egad)<\/em><\/p>\n … or that government is both arrogant and naive \u2014 thinking they know best, that people are incapable, and forgetting the great teacher of negative consequences?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As said multiple times previously, \u201cgeepers.\u201d\u00a0 Let me add an affirmative \u201cegad.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Respectfully,<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n Perhaps this is news to you. I can\u2019t always tell my son what to do.\u00a0 I can\u2019t. Sure, sometimes I tell him, and perhaps, yeah, maybe, he means well.\u00a0 He might even say \u201cyes, madre,\u201d but then he doesn\u2019t follow through.\u00a0 He has a mind of his own.\u00a0 He has choices to make.\u00a0 … <\/p>\n\n