Now before my comment let me give you a little background on me. For most of my life I would call myself a neo-conservative. Gun-ho shoot before you think, screw the weirdo's, gays should be shot kinda of a guy. Then I watched Ron Paul debate at the CNN debates in November. I became fascinated. I read several books and spend literally hundreds of hours reading about such subjects as freedom and economics. Now I would say I am quite a different person and I would describe myself as libertarian.
Now onto the topic of the thread. California votes on gay-marriage. And this reminds of the follow quotes by John Stuart Mill:
"The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. . . ."
"The only part of the conduct of any one, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign."
People tend to see government as a way of controlling others the way they see fit. I believed this myself up until recently, so I understand how it is so. However I hope people can learn that an individual should be free to do as they wish, or as Thomas Jefferson said:
"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others."
Now onto the topic of the thread. California votes on gay-marriage. And this reminds of the follow quotes by John Stuart Mill:
"The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. . . ."
"The only part of the conduct of any one, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign."
People tend to see government as a way of controlling others the way they see fit. I believed this myself up until recently, so I understand how it is so. However I hope people can learn that an individual should be free to do as they wish, or as Thomas Jefferson said:
"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others."