For the "California Is a Nanny State" People: (purchase, live)

[zdg]

I've asked this twice before inside other threads and have yet to get an answer, but I'm really genuinely interested in hearing from someone who believes that California is a nanny state that is taking their freedoms.

The question is this: can you please provide me with a single on-going daily freedom that California has kept you from enjoying that you can enjoy freely in multiple other states in the union (so no one-off things, like some single weird state allows you to Facebook-friend goats but California won't let you)?

I'll start with the example I used the last time I asked this within another thread:
"I like to drink alcohol. I lived in Texas for 33 years and was unable, by state law, to purchase alcohol on a specific day of the week because the state allowed metaphysical nonsense that I did not agree with to supersede my personal freedom to purchase alcohol for half of the weekend. Thankfully, when I moved to out of Nanny State Texas to New York and then California, I was able to purchase alcohol all seven days of the week without state imposed restrictions based on someone else's belief that they knew better than I what was best for me."

This isn't a trap or a rhetorical question, I'm genuinely interested in hearing what daily freedoms California has stripped you of.

[JGC97]

Smoking banned from public parks and beaches. Not that it matters to me but wouldn't this be considered a personal freedom that's been taken away? After all, parks and beaches are in the open air, not a closed-in establishment.



And how about requiring everyone to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle. I can understand a motorcycle since those are taken out on the freeway and travel at speeds the same as automobiles but a two-wheel bicycle?

[DMenscha]

I've always thought that, If common sense was so common, why do we need to enact laws against behavior that any idiot should know not to do it?

[JGC97]

Oh wait. Here's another one.

Everyone MUST turn headlights on when operating windshield wipers.

[zdg]

Originally Posted by HereOnMars

Oh wait. Here's another one.

Everyone MUST turn headlights on when operating windshield wipers.

You have the freedom/right to be less visible to other cars in a rainstorm? That really irks you?

[JGC97]

Originally Posted by zdg

You have the freedom/right to be less visible to other cars in a rainstorm? That really irks you?

It doesn't irk me, at all. You asked for examples of personal freedoms that have been taken away by the state. I gave you examples. Simple as that.

[BlackShoe]

Originally Posted by zdg

The question is this: can you please provide me with a single on-going daily freedom that California has kept you from enjoying that you can enjoy freely in multiple other states in the union (so no one-off things, like some single weird state allows you to Facebook-friend goats but California won't let you)?

This isn't a trap or a rhetorical question, I'm genuinely interested in hearing what daily freedoms California has stripped you of.

There have been thousands of posts going back many years on CD addressing this issue, but this is a good place to start for some basic information.
www.freedominthe50states.org/overall/california

[zdg]

That is an interesting site, no doubt, but I'm really asking for specific daily freedoms from real people. Not saying there aren't some on that site, but I'm looking more for stuff like "I used to be able to eat cheese in March and now California won't let me."

[zdg]

Originally Posted by HereOnMars

It doesn't irk me, at all. You asked for examples of personal freedoms that have been taken away by the state. I gave you examples. Simple as that.

You're right, my apologies.

[JGC97]

Reading that site right now. This one is particularly interesting:

Despite a reputation for social liberalism, California scores badly on personal freedoms. It has the strictest gun control laws in the country, prohibiting open carry and making concealed carry almost impossible, banning several types of weapons, imposing waiting periods on all firearms purchases, and onerously regulating dealers and ammunition. After Alaska, it has the most relaxed marijuana laws, but it nevertheless has a high incarceration rate, and its drug enforcement rate is only average. It shares the maximum possible score on marriage freedom with several other states, because it allows civil unions equivalent to marriage. California was the first state to enact a smoking ban in restaurants and bars, but the ban is slightly less strict than those since adopted in other states. Travel freedom is low due to a primary seat belt law, motorcycle and bicycle helmet laws, a statewide primary-enforcement cell phone driving ban, an open-container law, and sobriety checkpoints. Little gambling is allowed.

I do agree with the "cell phone driving ban" as the number of fatalities because someone was talking/texting is on the rise, even with the restriction. Sobriety checkpoints may catch a few but most drunks (chronic ones) use back roads to get from point A to point B and can go years without getting caught.