Freedom to Ingest.

In his article, “Why Government Dictating What People Put in Their Bodies Is a Violation of Personal Liberty,” Stanton Peele shares his belief that everyone should have the right to decide what should and should not be put into their bodies.  Peele recalls how we were able to decide on our own what we chose to ingest until the Harrison Act back in the early 1900s.  He also discusses the era of Prohibition where America outlawed the consumption of alcohol, but how we eventually grew past that after thirteen long years.  Peele writes toward Americans, particularly those that may support his liberal views about the right to choose what one is able to consume.  Peele could also be pleading toward the more conservative readers, pushing them to awaken from their conservative slumber.  The author is listed at the top of the article as an Addiction Expert, which could mean an array of questionable credentials.  Despite the lack of credible evidence that would support Peele’s desire for freedom to consume, one can easily see that he has a point.  A young man or woman age eighteen can venture off to war and risk their lives but they can’t have a celebratory drink when they return safely?  How can one tell a man of seventy years that he can’t smoke because it is illegal?  Isn’t he old enough by now to make that decision on his own?  Another added positive would be the ability to tax substances that are considered currently “illegal”.  Not only would it add to our freedoms but it would bring in funding for many government programs, including our public school systems which are currently in a major budget crisis.  Peele makes a valid argument that we should be able to decide whether or not to consume a substance.  We are adults, aren’t we?

Censorship of the Internet.

One immense advantage of the Internet is that the user has access to an infinite amount of information, some biased, some not.  However, talk of the government taking over the Internet leads to a growing concern that information once readily available to all consumers will soon take a turn toward the “censored” side.  According to the article “Oh, the Hypocrisy: Congress Is Fine With a ‘Government Takeover of the Internet’” found at the Huffington Post, the United States Congress is seemingly unconcerned with the prospect of the government controlling what is available on the Internet.  This greatly concerns me and causes me to wonder, what about our right to freedom of speech?  Limiting ones words, whether on the Internet or in any other form, inhibits the voice of individuals to be heard. Just because the government deems information inappropriate for viewing does not mean the information is.  It is outrageous that Congress would promote censorship and everyone should be concerned.