Why?

Why do I need to buy a gun that can shoot multiple rounds as quickly as I can pull the trigger?  Why do I need to buy a sports car that has upwards of 400 hp and can reach speeds of 180 mph?  Why do I need to drink more booze than I can handle and still have the ability to drive a car and not be responsible for the care and well being of my family?  Why can I have sex and not worry about the consequences because it is legal to have an abortion?  The apparent answer is because I can.  The problem is that there doesn't seem to be a happy medium.  It is just as easy to sponsor to many restrictions in the name of safety and security.  For example the so called health school lunch menu and the ban on 32 ounce soft drinks.

Thousands of people are killed every year by guns.  Substantially less than that are children. Tens of thousands of people are killed annually by cars and thousands are children. Thousands of people are killed by the affects of booze and millions of people have their lives adversely affected by the influence of alcohol.  And literally 3000 plus babies are murdered every day in this country by abortionists. Tens of thousands of people die because of poor health exacerbated by bad food choices and inactive life styles.

What a joke.  A few loud mouths with misplaced values, a group of pandering politicians, and complicit journalists is all that it takes to ruin a good country.  As is the proverbial apple barrel which is ruined by the one bad apple.  Without due diligence and a willingness to review the circumstances, set firm standards and discard the bad apples the content of the barrel is assured of being ruined.

Who gets to decide the standards and which barrels are inspected, and how are the bad apples taken care of.  Unlike apples we humans, I think, can actually think for ourselves.  So what is the problem? Why are so many barrels going bad?  Is it intellectual immaturity?  The inability to comprehend the circumstances and critical think the situation through to an appropriate solution?  The inherent difference of opinion about everything and the inability to rationalize the outcome of one idea over the other? An unwillingness to compromise or even sacrifice one's position, for the good the group, because it is demonstrably the poorer choice?

The problem is us.  Just because we can should not mean that we do. Just because we are does not mean that we should.  Just because it is our preference does not mean that it is right.  We need to grow up and act like responsible adults.  I think it is possible for almost every preference to exist as long as it is tempered by responsibility and accountability.  That is where the crux of the problem exists.  Our disagreement on what is responsible and who should be accountable.