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When their decisions aren’t hurting anybody or encroaching other people’s rights, should consenting adults be allowed to make decisions for themselves?
For example:
1. Taking drugs / selling drugs
2. Making bad financial decisions such as getting payday loans
3. Eating excessively
4. Drinking
5. Smoking
6. Gambling
7. Prostitution
8. Marry whomever they want
9. Decide when to end their life
10. Etc., etc., etc.
When their decisions aren’t hurting anybody or encroaching other people’s rights, should consenting adults be allowed to make decisions for themselves?
For example:
1. Taking drugs / selling drugs
2. Making bad financial decisions such as getting payday loans
3. Eating excessively
4. Drinking
5. Smoking
6. Gambling
7. Prostitution
8. Marry whomever they want
9. Etc., etc., etc.
I'll play.
With all of these choices, if a person and only that person is affected, then by all means. However, no man is an island and most of these choices will ultimately affect someone else, be it family, taxpayers, the public, etc. If you sit in your house by yourself and take drugs and smoke, drink and eat yourself to death, then go for it.
I find that "marry whomever you want" makes it into the list of otherwise unhealthy or possible deadly choices. Why is that even in there? Of course you should marry who you want.
To expand on what the trobesmom said, when you show up at the hospital, 500 lbs and cancer-ridden because you smoked a pack a day and ate McDonald's for every meal, they should let you die. The taxpayer should not pick up the tab for your treatment if you don't have insurance and have a lifelong history of making poor health choices.
Same with the payday loan scenario. The government should not bail you, or the financial institution that made the risky loan out. No more too big to fail. You made your bed, lie in it.
You mean people like Ted Bundy and Charles Manson?
or Samuel little, who probably dwarfs bundy and manson by at least a hundred murdered victims. the press doesn't talk about Little's serial killings, however.
Too many issues of "personal decisions" are not exactly just with the person. For instance drug and alcohol use. Tobacco whether vape or traditional cigarettes have second hand smoke. Driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated moves into effecting others. Cell phone use while driving can and will cause accidents.
The problem is when exactly does individual rights effect others.
For example, DUI and second hand smoking.
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