Either a man has a right to himself or he does not. If he has such a right, how can it be argued that he does not have a right to also harm himself or, as in this case, commit an act which the government happens to define as harmful?
Category: Columns
Posted inColumns, Opinion
Find your niche in the scheme of green
Anyone with a successful career has at some point taken an inventory of their skills and interests and funneled them into a position that pays. Turn what you are merely good at into a career you love by finding a way integrate sustainability into your area of expertise.
Posted inColumns, Opinion
Respect talent: don’t steal your entertainment
During the past decade, online piracy has become rampant and a blatant disregard for artistic copyright socially acceptable. Online piracy isn’t just theft, it’s theft of the very artistic talent we claim to value the most.
Posted inColumns, Opinion
The road less traveled: Broading horizons from home
You don’t have to actually see the world to have a desire to know about it, explore its cultures or understand its people. Studying abroad may be an outlet to these things, but it is by no means a necessity.
Posted inColumns, Opinion
If you thought wiretapping was shady, think about a national ID
The real objective of the national ID system is to make tracking of individuals easier for domestic surveillance purposes. If you thought the domestic wiretapping program was shady, you can justifiably fear a national ID.
Posted inColumns, Opinion
Republican camp dwindling as moderates walk to Dems
The emerging Republican Party is all or nothing, and as a result we should expect more moderate Republican politicians and free thinkers to begin changing the letter after their names too.
Posted inColumns, Opinion
Why I’m a scientist and a skeptic
I am a scientist because I care about finding what is true, and not what makes me feel happy or comfortable. I am an engineer to design sustainable solutions so that the intelligence which began here may continue as long as possible. I am a skeptic to protect myself and fellow humans from bad people.
Posted inColumns, Opinion
Corporate lobbyist transparency needed for the green age
See, a huge number of companies make modest improvements in practices, but lobby all-out, in a variety of ways, to stall the adoption of higher standards, better land-use practices, green taxes or even health and safety regulations. And the impacts of those lobbying efforts usually far, far outweigh the good they claim to be doing with their pilot green efforts.
Posted inColumns, Opinion
The Second Amendment matters again in California
The little-known case of Nordyke v. King is a huge and much-needed milestone for protecting Second Amendment rights at the state level, and has opened the door for other gun rights cases which previously had no standing to commence.
Posted inColumns, Opinion
Torture memo raises question of legal proceedings
Some believe that advocating against harsh interrogation techniques like waterboarding is irresponsible, possibly putting innocent Americans in harm’s way. Others believe that torturing people is unethical and contrary to American ideals.
Posted inColumns, Opinion
Dictatorships or democracies: all governments rule by force
We do well to fear the potential dangers inherent in any government, whether such government is of a tyrant or the fictitious “will of the people.” Government, even democratically elected government, is always the same. It is force, a force which can be used for good or bad, right or wrong.