To Each Thier Own...

I remember a while ago when somebody wanted to open a place in Box Elder that was going to have naked women. The townsfolk cried fowl because the elementary school was close by and they didn't think it was appropriate to have that type of activity happening so close to where children might be. Not only that... but some people were "Offended" by what was going to transpire at this " Den 'O Sin".

Now I can understand the first reason above for the city to deny the opening of this establishment. Sure, we need to protect the young from the filth that so many of us adults like so much. But the second reason... Offended? I didn't see the argument in a person being "offended". How would the naked body offend somebody? Everytime you take a shower you stand naked before you jump in... Offended?

The only type of "Offended" I can understatnd is that when you ridicule another person such in a way that they have no control over, ie: color of skin, name sake, physical attribute. I don't believe you can offend somebody over an act of some sort, meaning that if you were to get drunk, have sex and agree to have somebody tape the act. For the most part that would be called shame or embarassment. It would be offending to me if I had to see your hail damaged ass in a video having sex. Big difference.

The video moniker can't be describe as offending. What I'm writing here now really and truly can't be offending. You are given a choice whether or not you want to continue reading on. The fact that you have made it this far into this post tells me that you are interested in what I'm writing. If I wrote a short story about a priest and his undying love for a sheep along with the unspeakable acts that poor farm animal endures.... maybe offensive... most likely funny but a bad taste sort of funny.

Let's talk "Free Will". "Free Will" is a thingy that us higher up mammals have. Believe it or not. For those of you that have a problem with the definition of "Free Will", let me continue to indulge. Free Will is the power of making free choices that are unconstrained by external circumstances or by an agency such as fate or divine will. Simple enough. Some folks just can't understand that. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't make them less of people for it but it can be looked upon as weak and misguided.

All people do have "Free Will" when it come to the things they do and think are just. Take buying an automobile. Ford or Chevy? Toyota or Nissan? You have the choice on whether you want any of those vehicles correct? Sure you do. BUT.... let's say that I think that Americans not buying American manufactured automobiles is offensive... You would say to me... "If you don't like foreign then don't buy foreign." You know why you would tell me that. Because it's none of my fucking business to tell you what you can and can't do.

Okay... let's combine those two sayings together and discuss. "Offended" and "Free Will". Most South Dakotans were offended that Commissar Rounds took the free will away from women regarding the usage of thier private uteruses, myself included. Now that was something we had no control over and could be said that it is a bad example. Try this, you pick up a writing, look it over, read it and come to the conclusion that it offended you for what ever reason. You had free will to stop reading but continued to come to your ultimate conclusion of "offensive". Is it the fault of the writer or the reader? In this country we call "the land of the free" well it's YOUR fault. You wouldn't read "Mein Kampf" in it's entirety to know that it's going to be offensive to you... would you?

So in conclusion, The land we live in is a democracy, not a theocracy, not a socialistic or communistitic style of government. Some agree that we are no longer a democracy but more of a socialistic style government. But until that term is written in stone, I believe we have free will to do the things we choose to do.


Eric