From: Jim Choate <ravage@EINSTEIN.ssz.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Aug 1996 12:59:07 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: A Libertine Question (fwd)
Message-ID: <199608030142.UAA11326@einstein>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



Forwarded message:

> Date: Fri, 2 Aug 1996 16:50:01 -0500 (CDT)
> From: snow <snow@smoke.suba.com>
> Subject: Re: A Libertine Question
> 
>      As long as you are enforcing it on everyone, I don't think you'd have a 
> problem, but to force some one from cooking food for homeless people, and 
> allow a family barbeque, is IMO wrong.

Not at all. Businesses have no rights, individuals do. Businesses have a
responsibility to protect their patrons (if you don't think so ask all the
folks in Japan or the people here in Austin sick from Strawberries and
Blueberries they bought at the local HEB). Individuals have a right to
privacy, that includes cooking themselves food without harrassment. Business
on the other hand are selling products of potentialy questionable quality. A
reasonable person recognizes that such a business has two ways of fulfilling
its responsiblities. They can either submit to regulation and quality control
from the local municipality or else they can hang signs about their place of
business declaring "Caveat Emptor: Our food may be tainted, eat at your own
risk". Which do you think is the more reasonable?

> If it is unsafe/unsanitary to cook 
> food in a certain way, it is unsafe/unsanitary. Selective enforcement is 
> wrong. 

Not at all. I have a right to kill myself with bad cooking if I choose. I do
not have the right to kill another, especialy a stranger, without their
prior consent. I guess it would be ok if a food vendor were to ask you if
you minded being killed by their product, but I doubt many of them would be
in business next week, let alone sell many hot dogs.

People and businesses are not the same.


                                                        Jim Choate