Web Station #19,
I'm glad that you have provided a forum for Darkside and his views. Finally, a fellow spirit. I hope that you can forward the following essay to him. I would be interested to hear how he feels on the subject. Thanks.

We've all seen the public service advertisements that remind us that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. We've also heard the arguments in favor of doctor assisted suicide and for 'living wills' that allow a person to die with dignity when life is only being sustained by life support systems.
Our culture abhors the concept of suicide. Life is the thing most valued....or so we are told. Finally people are beginning to accept that progressive, fatal, and painful disease is NOT a temporary problem. Those that suffer these illnesses realize that there is no hope in their futures, no quality of life. The financial and emotional drain on the people that they love to give them more time of living in pain is not worth the struggle. Our court system and legislatures are finally willing to hear their pleas although the results are mixed.
But what of the rest of us. Are we to be told that we 'have' to live? Are there not more ways to suffer than physically? Is there always hope? Not all emotional conditions are temporary. Many people suffering from chronic emotional distress also realize that there is no hope in their futures, no quality of life. They, too, readies that the financial and emotional drain on the people they love is not worth the struggle to go on. Why should they be forced to continue a life that is obviously beyond their ability to live? Why do we as a society have such a strict taboo on self-administered, self-chosen death that we are afraid and ashamed to even broach the subject?
If we are to allow people to live as they choose, to be free to decide what they do with their own bodies, we ought to at least include the right to choose how and when we should die, regardless of our reasons. Being emotionally 'forced' to continue a life that no longer has value to the one living it does not lead to better emotional health but to self-destructive behaviors. Although it is probably true that most people have considered suicide at one point or another in their lives and are happy that they didn't go through with it, there are others who continue to live desperate, painful lives praying for whatever 'god' they are still capable of accepting to release them from the prison of this life.

Is it so terrible that someone who no longer wants to live should die and make room for the multitudes of people who do wish to live? Is this not part of the natural balance of life in nature? Lemmings commit suicide. Just because science cannot explain it doesn't mean that it defies nature, it merely means that science doesn't have the means to explain everything in nature. Live and let live....live and let die! anon

Anon,
Strangely enough, I agree with this assessment for the most part. Primarily because I believe the biggest problem this planet faces is too many humans. You say "our culture abhors the concept of suicide." Is this really so? Those who join the armed forces, often take on suicide missions and become heroes? Is this a contradiction? of course. I also think it's cruel the way Doctors and Lawyers have gotten together to pass laws that require you to do everything medically possible to keep someone alive, that is until you run out of money. By chance have you ever noticed that people are charged with attempted suicide, but never for accomplishing the act? Just do it right the first time!!! John
What say you Darkside ???

John,
Concerning your stances on gun control...Did you know Karate used to be outlawed in Asia? Why did karate originate in Asia in the first place? Because weapons such as swords were outlawed. The people in power have been trying to regulate weapons for hundreds of years. Whether it was your hands, feet, a stick, a sword, a bow, a single shot gun, a 10 shot gun, or 100 shot gun.

When I'm running the Libertarian Party booth at gun shows I have an almost impossible time trying to convince the gun owners that marijuana should be decriminalized. They claim people who smoke pot can't control their actions. I tell them it is just like guns. Guns are just an object. Marijuana is just an object. Both can be used for good or bad effects, but it takes responsibility to use either. The opposite applies when I'm running the booth at the Vermont Reggae Fest - trying to convince people that guns are just objects like pot. Both sides have their biases.

As for destroying a gun if it is used in a crime, we had an ex-state cop who is now in the Vermont House introduce a bill like that. A gun is an object. The courts shouldn't be charging an object with a crime. If you are speeding and hit someone should they destroy your car?

If you didn't grow up around guns I can understand you being afraid of them. I'm from Vermont the ONLY state in the Union that doesn't even require you to get a licenses to carry a concealed handgun. Vermont doesn't have the drug/gang problems that the bigger population centers have so we don't see the drive by shootings and other effects from the insane war on drugs. Vermont has 1-3 deaths a year from guns. We have almost two hundred deaths a year from auto accidents.
Good luck with your campaign. >>> Hardy

Hardy,
First off the guns issue is the primary reason I am not a Libertarian. I do have a few other issues as well. Yes I did know that martial arts had been banned in the far east. But that's a hard law to enforce... As for further clarification of my positions, as in the destruction of weapons. Being from Vermont, you don't see what some of the rest of us do (like the drive by shootings and such) I actually did grow up around guns, when I was 12 my mother actually took a shot gun from me, because I was going to shoot 2 rabid cops. One who was pistol whipping my dad in the back of the head and the second was kicking him in the side after he had already been handcuffed. This all happened because one of the cops, came into our home and started an argument with my dad and then coaxed him outside. The argument was because my dad called the State Police instead of the local pigs. I lost all respect for the law that day and all respect for the court system, when my dad was charged and found guilty of resisting arrest. (the only charge filed).
I myself am a crack shot, I have never missed shooting at exactly what I was aiming for, which is the reason I own no guns. I certainly would have killed someone by now if I did. I don't believe in killing, but I understand anger all too much.

Back to the guilt of guns, many times, actually most times the police recover a gun used in a violent crime, it is linked to several other violent crimes as well. Most of these guns are the saturday night specials you hear so much about. Even if a criminal passes the weapon on it usually goes into the hands of another criminal. ie: murder weapons, usually don't make it to a fancy gun rack or display cabinet. These guns are arguable unsafe to begin with and usually not well cared for either. So I see no harm in destroying them. On that note you need equal treatment, so alas all guns must be treated in the same way for the law to pass the constitutionality issues. On the Machine gun assault weapon issue, I believe that if you can't down your target with one or two shots, you have no business firing a weapon in the first place...


On cars don't get me started, because I would be in favor of ridding the planet of gasoline engines, and especially cars that are designed to travel 80, 120, even 200 mph? If we are going to have speed limits, why are the car manufacturers allowed to make these speed demon machines and why are people allowed to drive them on our streets? The reason we don't have the safer electric and solar vehicles on the highways is because is because they can't compete with the speed machines in speed or in a collision.

Anyways thanks for your good wishes, and I hope you will support me in my campaign. My following appears to be hippies, college students and disgruntled Libertarians, looking grasping for something better. I expect that soon someone will start a Libertarians for Galt home page, and I certainly will approve. On that note I have recently made a few changes and clarifications to my presidential candidate page stop by for another look. >>> John Galt jr for President

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