Alotta Monkey Business

Common Sense (WC 433 Rated E)

Where should the line be for the common good on personal freedoms (yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, etc.) and who should draw it)?

The first thing that comes to mind when reading this prompt is freedom. How would you define freedom? Does anyone really have total freedom?

Freedom is not being able to do anything you want anytime you want, in fact, that would be anarchy. There is no total freedom, but there are a lot of freedoms people can enjoy. To define where the line should be drawn is actually not a matter of freedom, it's a matter of ethics. Will having this freedom cause harm or discomfort to another? Will my freedom restrict another's freedom?

But it's here where the line really gets fuzzy, blurred, and filled with a lot of nasty, gray, and stinky, sludge. If I say I like oysters and someone is offended by it because they can't stand oysters, should they be able to restrict my freedom to say that? But, they order a pizza with dead fish anchovies all over it. I do not like anchovies, so they shouldn't be able to order them. In the name of all that is sacred, what if I see (and smell) those terrible and disgusting things?

The problem is, nobody's being hurtful, or restricting another's freedom, we're just being selfish knuckleheads complaining just to make noise and get attention! The problem arises when people become hyper-sensitive jerks that get butt-hurt whenever anyone says or does something they don't approve of. And, this does cause hurt, and it does restrict others' freedoms.

This is why we need laws to decipher and protect freedoms and to clarify that line. Who should draw this line? We the people, through legitimate legislation and respectable politicians (can those two words be used in the same sentence?), that can make legitimate decisions about how this freedom, or lack of it, affects others. (Unfortunately finding this would be more difficult than locating Santa at the north pole)

In the end, however, personal freedoms come down to what was once known as common sense, and what I know refer to as uncommon sense.

Notice:
I hope and have tried to word this in a way that nobody will feel like a butt-hurt baboon after reading this. If however, you do get butt-hurt, please do not react like a molested monkey, just post your own thoughts and opinions in your own blog. I will respect yours if you respect mine.
Please and Thank You

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