Just some general thoughts
on Gun Control.
I really don't think that taking Americans' right to own a firearm is a necessary solution. Not to say that I'm gungho about guns or anything; I just think that people aren't focusing on the correct issue. I think the real danger lies in giving guns to an ignorant public. In other words, don't take the freedom from the people, but rather educate them on it.
It's a bit like giving a kid a bike: You don't just give your child a bicycle and say "Here, figure out how to use it" and then promptly take it away when he or she learns, but uses it irresponsibly. No. You give your child the bicycle, teach him or her how to use it properly as well as responsibly and then trust that a) your teaching methods are effective and b) the child has the mind enough not to accidentally or purposefully harm anybody with it, including him or herself.
Likewise, if you give people a certain freedom, take the responsibility to educate them properly on the matter; don't just take that freedom away after 200+ years.
It's never the inanimate object that's the problem; it's the individual who lacks the knowledge and wisdom enough to use it responsibly.
on Driving.
There are so many people in the United States who own a driver's license and simply should not be behind the wheel. I really don't have the patience for elderly people who have difficulty seeing and drive 30 miles below the speed limit, inconsiderate wankers who talk on the phone while driving and then cut people off or dumbasses that think drag racing down public streets is cool.
I think that driver's education programs should actually educate people as well as include hands-on lessons for important topics such as 'how to change a flat tire' or 'how to check your oil' or 'how to use your rearview mirror'.
Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to require that individuals retake their driving test every time they have to get their license renewed. I know my mother, as a registered nurse, has to take annual exams to ensure that she still knows what she is doing and isn't putting other people's lives in danger. I believe the same thing should be considered for those of us with driver's licenses and registered vehicles because, let's face it, we are all in a way responsible for other people's lives when we get behind that wheel.
Oh, and for god's sake, make the driving tests harder!
on the legal drinking age.
Uhm, so if we can legally vote, get tattoos and body piercings as well buy cigarettes and lottery tickets at 18, I think we should definitely be able to legally drink alcohol at that age as well. It doesn't do anyone any good not to lower the drinking age, especially since most of us have been drinking since we were 15 anyhow. Besides, the drinking age is not the issue; it's a lack of education on the topic of alcohol. I personally think that if you introduce individuals to alcohol at an earlier age and actually show them how to drink responsibly, they'll feel less inclined to start binge drinking when they hit college. As a former teenager and college student, allow me to tell you on behalf of America's youth that the excitement with drinking alcohol really has nothing to do with alcohol itself; it has more to do with the fact that we were prohibited from drinking it for so long.
on Marijuana:
Fucking legalize that shit already!
'Nuff said.
on Premarital Sex:
Again, the real problem isn't premarital sex but rather a lack of education on the topic of sex in general. Regardless of what you raise your children to believe or how sheltered they are, if they want to do it enough, rest assured, they will most certainly find a way. Knowing this, what is so hard and so wrong in telling your kids, "Hey, I would rather you not do this but just in case you choose to anyhow, let me give you some stats on teen pregnancy and STDs. Please keep all of this information in mind the next time you are getting hot and heavy with your girlfriend or boyfriend and for your own sake, use some form of protection. Use a condom or birth control or, at the very least, pull the fuck out! And even if you do all of the above just keep in mind that you are still at risk because condoms are only 97% effective, birth control is only 98-99% effective and it doesn't protect you from STDs including HIV and AIDS, and pulling the fuck out really doesn't do anything, but at least you fucking tried!"?
In conclusion:
Just provide a means to educate the general population on certain issues rather than taking away their beloved freedoms. It's like Schoolhouse Rock always said: Knowledge is Power!