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     Whatever event or circumstance that an individual recognizes and experiences ultimately sets a precedent. A “precedent” is an act or instance capable of being used as a guide or standard in evaluating and determining future actions. Once a precedent has been set, we cannot ignore it and expect the truth within that instance to go away. It is up to us to use the knowledge derived from that precedent in a positive manner. If we are truly recognizing reality, then we must face the significance and relevance of every precedent, as well as what it means to have that precedent set. Once something exists, truthfulness demands that we recognize it and it is our responsibility to gain something positive from the fact that it exists. I believe that everything that exists is here for us to gain knowledge and benefit from. This is done by experiencing everything we are faced with in a positive way during the course of our daily actions. The success of having corporations give financial support to communities has precedents, and can therefore be right(eous)ly applied within our social system in a positive way. The success of nationalization has precedents, and can therefore be right(eous)ly applied within our social system in a positive way. The success of legalized vice has precedents as well, and can therefore be right(eous)ly applied within our social system in a positive way.

     The principles upon which our United States were built are based upon the right to individual liberty. While not producing harm, an individual should be able to spend their hard-earned money any way they desire. As well, if an individual is not in complete control of his or her own body, then that person has no true liberty. If a system of government dictates how its citizens spend their own money or use their own bodies, by definition, that system of government is not a true democracy. It is, at least in part, a dictatorship. A dictatorship is a system of government that exercises overbearing control over its citizenry. To legalize the most prevalent vices of our society requires maturity and responsibility from our adult population. To do so is to recognize that true liberty means each of us has the right to indulge ourselves as we see fit, as long as we are not harming or imposing our will upon another. If we are to truly create a more perfect union while protecting individual liberty, consenting adults must be allowed to do anything that is peaceful in nature within their private places.  

     To say that we have individual liberty while our social system dictates any of our peaceful actions is hypocritical. While our social system is structured around high moral and ethical standards, as a collective we are practicing hypocrites. It is hypocrisy to make things like gambling, prostitution and marijuana use illegal. Bingo is a form of gambling that has been indulged in by social groups and some churches for more years than can be imagined. This is hypocrisy in action. To allow prostitution to be legal in some States of the Union, while making it illegal elsewhere is hypocrisy. For the United States government to grow marijuana (which it has done) for use by individuals it has decided need the drug, while making it illegal for others in the same circumstance is hypocrisy. To be aware of all the opium dens within the “Chinatowns” of some of the cities in America, as some police departments are (ex. San Francisco), and not shut down every single one of them, is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is a lie. It is a denial of reality. We must truly recognize the realities that occur around us and deal with them in a truly positive manner in the hope of achieving a balanced, harmonious living condition. To do this we must exercise discipline, compromise, and tolerance. The harm with most anything that exists is not the use of it, but rather the abuse of it. The problem within our society is not indulgence itself. The problem is the behavior that results from the abuse and excess of indulgence. To correct this wrong, individuals must make a conscious choice to do what is right(eous). It has been proven time and again that cannot make this choice for any individual.

     The legalization of vices would give order to the systems of our lives and put an end to many of the hypocrisies we have created. Vice legalization would broaden our society’s economic base. As well, it would replace some of the entrepreneurial opportunities lost through nationalization. The profiting from and/or taxing of various vices would supplement, if not completely supply the revenue needed to facilitate the reformation of our nation’s education, recreation, and healthcare systems. We must act responsibly so that we can use everything available to us in a positive way. While we use the elements within our world we must not abuse them. As each of us moves through our lives, we should explore the positive uses of every element available to us. We must derive from these elements the benefit to be realized from their use or movement. Our society must evolve in consciousness, not regress. It is time for us to face the realities before us maturely. Vices are not going to go away. We are not lowering our moral standards by legalizing the most prevalent vices that exist within our society. Something that is legal according to civil law can still be morally wrong. We cannot legislate our behavior into the realm of morality. Each of us must responsibly choose the moral path for ourselves. So let us incorporate the outlet of vice into our social systems such that it has a positive impact upon our collective existence. In this way, we will create for ourselves a more perfect living condition.

THE PRECEDENT FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF VICES

copyrighted 2002

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