[PLUG-TALK] Porn on the Net...
Paul Heinlein
heinlein at madboa.com
Tue Oct 27 22:41:46 UTC 2009
On Tue, 27 Oct 2009, Michael Robinson wrote:
> I take objection to the consenting adult part. An alcoholic does
> not consent to the abuse of alcohol. A pot head doesn't consent to
> the abuse of marijuana. Addiction is not consent.
American-style freedom tries to protect us from coercion, not lack of
consent.
An alcoholic may not consent (in the broadest sense of that term) to
the abuse of alcohol, but the important legal point is that no one is
coercing him to drink. Enticing him to drink? Sure. Excluding him from
a former friendship circle when he doesn't drink? Yep. The law doesn't
prohibit such enticements or exclusions, even though in this guy's
case they are dangerous, because no one is coercing him.
The situation is different with minors or those with demonstrable
handicaps; they get (and deserve) certain protections most adults
don't.
Otherwise, America is a land where you can fail. Sometimes horribly. I
honestly think it's a price of freedom.
--
Paul Heinlein <> heinlein at madboa.com <> http://www.madboa.com/
More information about the PLUG-talk
mailing list