Bob,
I agree with much of what you said; however, I come from a culture that values good government.
What's your opinion on legalizing all drugs? I think a lot of the current stormtrooper-mentality (or at least the perception of such attitudes) stems from the Reagan Administration's "War on Drugs".
If a man is alleged to have raped a woman and the "government" labs verify semen samples, should that man have the right to demand samples be tested at a laboratory of his own choosing? Who would have to pay for this? In the end, it would be naive to believe that money can't buy a better defence.
People get to keep their "rights" because the government enforces those rights. Ideally, in the U.S., the majority of people are supposed to be able to dictate to the government what is to be enforced and how to do it. Just because you "own" land according to the laws of the land, it is fundamentally subject to the laws of the land and the government that enforces those laws. Pragmatically, you only have as many rights as can be defended either by yourself or the society (government) of which you are a part. That's why I believe in good government. Anyone who believes otherwise should do well to remember the fate of the American Indians.
A very, very cynical view of juries is that they are mainly comprised of those not smart enough to get out of jury duty.
Greg |
