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| Rob's Soapbox | ||
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Congratulations!
You have finally landed on the one page on this entire site (and on the entire internet for that matter) that is purely without bullshit... my soapbox page. There are a lot of times during our show that, whether it's because of time constraints and other obligations, I don't always get to address some issues that I feel don't get the attention they deserve. There are even more times when I just don't feel like waiting until the show the next day to get some things off my chest. Thus, I have started the "Rob's Soapbox" page. If you have clicked on this page looking for someone to coddle your fragile sense of self-esteem, or tell you what you want to hear or to reinforce your outdated world view, then exit this page right now and go somewhere else. If you are in search of the last forum for reason and common sense left in the world, then sit back, relax, and enjoy. I make only one promise with this soapbox page... if you read long enough and often enough, you will eventually be offended. So here's my latest soapbox. Listen up, 'cause you just might learn something... |
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The Bill of No Rights Weeks ago I wrote one of the most popular (based on response) soapboxes to date, "The Nail in the Coffin to Free Speech." It was excellent, if I do say so myself. Along the way of discussing the column on the air, Arnie stumbled into an interesting idea, by asking me what I would have added to the Bill of Rights. My immediate response was a "Bill of No Rights." The founding fathers hoped that a free society would motivate all people to better themselves. It's a great sentiment, albeit a hypocritical one when held against the canvas of slave-owners who refused to also recognize women preaching about "freedom," but I digress. The Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution remain the two most brilliant single documents ever written. While I disagree that they are "living documents," meant to be constantly amended and updated at the current whim of cultural fads (think: gay marriage) I am willing to admit that they are not perfect documents. One of the mistakes made by the founders was that while they spelled out our freedoms by telling us that we had the right to free speech and property and gun ownership, etc. they forgot to make very clear some basic principles that we do not have the right to. Sadly, there are ignorant, misguided busy bodies amongst us who would like to destroy the very things we hold most dear by stripping away our rights. To that end, perhaps we do need a "Bill of No Rights," a list of things you have no right to do in America. Who better to write such a list than me?
#1 YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE OFFENDED I have beaten this horse to death and will continue to kick it until my dying days. All rights stop when you start infringing on the rights of others. In a nation founded on Free Speech, the right to be offended does not exist. If you don't like what is being said, don't listen, it's that simple. This applies to radio shows, newspaper articles, hate speech and other litmus tests.
#2 YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CIRCUMVENT OUR SYSTEM This applies to the judicial activism of the past 40 years. Again, think Gay marriage. As people try to change our laws and find out that the majority doesn't like their silly ideas, people are finding ways around our systems rather than accepting the fact that the majority is supposed to rule.
#3 YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM THEMSELVES If someone wants to harm themselves, they can. It's that simple. While this argument began decades ago with the right to die, it has disintegrated to what we have the right to eat. The minute we try to mitigate what is or isn't "harmful" we create a slippery slope that leads us to a nation that is supposed to be free, but tells grown adults what they can and can't put in their mouths, whether it be a cigarette, a big mac, or the genitals of another member of the same sex. Leave people the hell alone.
#4 YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO PARENT ANY CHILD OTHER THAN YOUR OWN It doesn't take a village to raise a child, it takes two good parents. In the absence of two good parents, kids fall through the cracks. Sad but true, deal with the facts of life and stop forcing your idea of good parenting onto others. One man's spanking is another man's "timeout." Let people raise their kids.
#5 YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO EXIST AS A BURDEN TO SOCIETY The idea that the greatest, most successful nation in the history of the world has any type of obligation to coddle its citizens via financial entitlements sickens me. Anyone can make it America if they try. We have created a welfare nation that wakes up everyday and puts its hand out asking "where's mine?"
Those 5 are a good start. Perhaps I'll fax them to Thomas Jefferson and see if he can find a way to work them into the original document
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