Personal freedom to me means that we need to get rid of the nanny laws.

However, it also means that we still don't have the right to yell "FIRE!" in a theater unless there actually IS one.

That is, I believe that people of consenting age should have the right to use marijuana, if they so desire, without the fear of being arrested for doing so.

However, I believe that it would go outside the lines of personal freedom to blow marijuana smoke in another person's face--or to drive, if recent use of marijuana impairs driving abilities.

In short, we need to strike laws from our books that turn people into criminals for committing victimless crimes.

If somebody is serving time for committing a victimless crime, he/she needs to have the so-called crime removed from his/her record and needs to be released from prison a.s.a.p.

Let's save our prison space for people who really need to be there because they're actually victimizing other people.

100% connection!!!

Although I fall short of the mark, I try to make decisions as closely as I can to the best answer to:

W.W.J.D.? (What would Jesus do?)

When I screw up, I'm only human.

When I succeed, to God be the glory!!!

When I read this question, a story came to mind that I read as a child in one of my Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories volumes.

It was called The Man Who Couldn't Move, and it told about this man who was paralyzed from the shoulders down and was as helpless as a baby.

Sounds like a poster child for doctor-assisted suicide--Right?

Wrong--and he would be the first one to tell you so!

It's been awhile since I've read this story, but I don't believe than any explanation was given re: how this man became this way.

He might have never been a really physically-healthy person.

On the other hand, he might have been a star athlete at one time who was reduced to this state by a sports injury, car wreck, or being in the final stages of ALS.

He might have been somebody who could have--had this taken place in this day and age--taken home the prize on Dancing With The Stars or Survivor before he got into this condition.

Even if he weren't the best dancer, survivor, or athlete, I'm guessing that he probably lived a pretty full life at one time before ending up depending on others for everything.

There were ordinary things that most of us take for granted--and, likely, he did, too, before they were taken from him--that he probably missed, such as being able to wake up in the morning, get himself dressed, eat unassisted, and walk out of his house to drive to whatever job he had.

I know that I personally think back on those times of walking through the different parts of Mammoth Cave and how much fun it was.  Even after all this time, I can still visualize the entire Historical Tour in my head and take it from beginning to end.

He probably had similar memories that he relived from time to time.

But this wasn't talked about in the story I read about him.

Instead, what was talked about was how he had been able to get access to a special, voice-activated telephone.

By using this phone, he had been able to continue to participate in the everyday goings on at the office where he had once worked--but this wasn't the only thing for which he used this phone.

Even more of the time, he used his phone to call and talk to people who needed someone to listen to them and cheer them up--people who were lonely for somebody with whom to carry on a conversation just to shoot the breeze, share their lives, and joke around.  There were people who needed prayer, and he had all the time in the world to pray with them.

Although it would be an understatement to describe this man as being in very poor health, when it came to spirituality, this man really had it going on!

This story just goes to show that you don't have to be one of those people receiving a clean bill of health from your doctor in order to be a spiritual person.

However, I believe that being a spiritual person helped this man to better cope with the hand that he had been dealt.

I would like to celebrate the birthday of a friend today!  Happy Birthday, Jim!!!

Also, I would like to celebrate Youth Outreach Day "officially" when it comes around next year, and you can help me with that by signing the following petition:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/enact-youth-outreach-day

It would be nice to celebrate a time when no more taunting and bullying take place in schools...

http://www.operationrespect.org/

when our young people no longer fall through society's cracks...

http://invisibleyouthnetwork.net

and when our criminal justice system finds better ways of dealing with crime...

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/752601/the_restorative_justice_model.html?cat=17

There is so much that I would love to celebrate.  Even if we can't celebrate in a perfect way here in this mortal realm, since we're only human, that shouldn't mean that we shouldn't set our sites high...