I can think of good reasons that the state should be involved (to a limited degree) in all of these.


How about how we choose to discipline our children?

Certainly you don't belive there should be no holds barred with regards to discipline. Some obvious example of criminal behavior while disciplining is to make a child eat its fecis after not making it to the toilet. Another is the where a child was locked in a closet and never let out. Both are real instances where parents were prosecuted and sent to jail.

How about how we choose to use private property?

I'm all for personal property rights, but there needs to be limits to how one uses the property. Dumping toxic waste in the ground is an obvious no-no. Some less obvious ones would be building unsafe structures where the visitors are put at undue risk.

Some ways in which the government goes to far IMO is requiring an exhorbitant amount of landscape screening while at the same time requiring a 6' solid fence. This is a battle I'm currently losing with my county. A rational jurusdiction would expect the fence to be enough screening, so the landscape is superflous.


How about letting people choose whether or not to enter an establishment that allows smoking.

This was discussed earlier this month in a seperate thread. I believe (like Larry) that all public buildings should be smoke free. I would probably extend the ban to most workplaces as well, but never to residences. That is my personal wish, but can accept arguments against it.

How about allowing people to use their public lands for long established mechanized enjoyment?


This is not unlike your question above. I think most people are sane and rational about what is safe, but accept laws to deal with the few insane and irrational folks who put others at risk by their stupidity. There's a reason why I can't lawfully do target practice with a 22 in my own backyard.

Really, I'm not for bigger government, but I like most of the laws we have now to keep our citizens safe. Some that have nothing to do with safety (like the exhorbitant landscape requirements), I would gladly see scrapped.

-Steve G.