Discussion: You can/cannot legislate morality.

[Paragon]

My rationale with my Republican "friends" is that voting Republican if you make less than $200,000 a year is against their interests -- as most, if not all, "morality" positions they carry (abortion, school prayer, gay marriage, etc. etc. etc.) have not moved in decades and will not move.

Attempts at reversing Roe v. Wade, legislating school prayer, amending the Constitution, etc...will be met by wide-ranging resistance and protest, even under a (God forbid) continuing Bush administration.

Agree/disagree?

[Tafiti]

1. Absolutely.

The amazing thing is that most people don't understand that. Consider the fact that in many conservative, midwestern states (I live in Indiana), people running for state and local offices run on these "morality" platforms too, yet what power do they weild over such issues. Less than zero. I see "vote pro-life" signs and I just shake my head...

[cheezus]

2. also note that in the fucking debate george said

that he WOULD NOT overturn roe v wade (no "litmus" test for judges)

[George_S]

8. He did not say that

In fact, in code he said he would. As a DUer found, a google search of abortion and Dred Scott reveals Bush's code for turning it over.

[cheezus]

9. that was the 2nd debate, and i agree about the dred codeword

but we've got to get the message out to the fundie base about bush's stated positions. he said he wouldn't appoint a judge to overturn roe. he also said that people should have the freedom to not believe.

[aden_nak]

3. You could never legistlate morality.

Take a look at the ONE time we really tried to do so in this country.

Prohibition. Think about that on your way to the bar after work.

Legislating morality will not improve the "morals" of this nation, it will only criminalize the natral behavior of the population. Morality can only be legislated in any formal fashion once it is accepted by ALL of the rational people within the citizenry. At which point there is no reason to bother legislating it.

Legislating alcohol prohibition simply caused people to brew it illegally (and often dangerously). Legislating gun control (and I'm talking about normal firearms here, not military-grade assault weapons) will cause people to own guns illegally. Legislating narcotics laws cause people to buy and sell drugs illegally. Legislating abortion laws does not decrease the number of abortions, just the number of SAFE ones.

In every instance, the situation grew WORSE when morality because a hard law. And in every example, the morality law directly benefitted the criminal element by opening up a new, lucrative market for them to exploit

In some cases, it is the typical problem of treating the symptom and not the disease. If alcoholism is the disease, for example, you must remove the DESIRE or the DRIVE to drink, not the drink itself. In other cases, it is simply a difference of opinion. But either way, BOTH SIDES lose when morality is legislated.

[serryjw]

4. NO.....BUT you can legislate........

behavior...which is what they are trying to do,

[Mandate My Ass]

6. Ummm, no

see post #3 if you haven't already.

[serryjw]

10. Read what I said.......

I didn't say it was a good idea but they are trying to legislate BEHAVIOR Not morality. If you listen closely to what the thugs say about gays, they don't discriminate against gay....WE ARE ALL GODS children....they just discriminate AGAINST their behavior!

[immoderate]

5. As long as the opposite of "morality" is "pleasure"....

...You will have problems.

--IMM

[northzax]

7. correct,, you can legislate ACTIONS but not morality

morality is something that comes from within and from the culture as a whole. It is not possible for it to be legislated, any more than you can legislate religion. Sure, you can mandate the people pray, and go to church and the like, but you cannot pass legislation that will make people believe that is a choice that comes from within. You can pass legislation that has repercussions for not following a certain moral code, but you can not force people to be moral

[WoodrowFan]

11. I voted yes

but only out of pity, it looked so LONELY there with no votes.

[Lone_Wolf_Moderate]

12. You can't legislate morality,

but that doesn't mean you can't have a moral direction in terms of laws. I believe a laws are based on fundmaental moral principles, one of those involving free will. We must protect life, liberty, property, etc., and defend the rights of all, but there are some things the government can't do. Honestly, I think abortion is a life issue, and we should try to keep abortion as rare as possible. As northzax said, we legislate actions, not thought or conscience.