We just did an activity with the students in my Advanced Spanish Conversation class where they had to offer suggestions to the President on how to improve life in this country. A group of male students suggested that "fat people" should pay a fine for each extra pound of weight they have. At first, I thought they were trying to be facetious but then, to my horror, I realized they were dead serious. So I told them that Hitler would have appreciated this kind of advice for sure.
A group of female students suggested that there should be a law forcing pregnant women to "take care of their unborn babies."
It's scary how many people are passionately invested into policing other people's bodies.
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In the same vein, I advocate making driving fast, at least on Interstate Highways, a privilege one pays for rather than a violation. Say it is free to drive 55; driving 60 costs five cents a mile; driving 65 costs 20 cents a mile, driving 70 costs 50 cents a mile, etc. If someone wants to drive 100 miles an hour, no problem. The toll will be maybe $2.50 per mile. This would free up police to do more important things and it would slow most people down. Those who have an egotistical need to drive fast would provide revenue for reducing the federal debt.
An uncle of mine believed that everyone should be weighed before being allowed to enter a restaurant. Seriously.
So many people seem to believe it is within their rights and even is a duty of sorts to police what others are doing with their bodies. This also explains the feminist objections to prostitution, for the most part -- though the Body Police are certainly more prevalent on the Right, they are by no means restricted to that tribe.
-Mike
The big objection to prostitution is that it all too often amounts to slavery. Someone who wants to have sex for money is completely different from someone who does not want to and is coerced into it for someone else's profit.
"The big objection to prostitution is that it all too often amounts to slavery."
Especially when it is made illegal and driven into the shadows, which is the de facto response at least in the US.
Studies show that prostitutes have better lives and health outcomes if they are not part of an illegal underclass.
The objections, at least in the US, to prostitution mostly stem from the puritanical mores of our culture, and no true desire to protect women.
-Mike
I would ask those male students why they thought they would stay thin forever. After all, numerous US citizens are overweight and most of them weren't so in their youth.
Did you ask what "take care of their unborn babies" means? I am honestly curious. Can't understand how women can be so stupid to think such laws would never be used against them.
Wait, I would ask whether they meant poor women getting free health insurance and more food stamps or some money from the government. Or that they should be forced to give children upon birth to "good" families?
It's even funny how all those students underwent Pavlovian training to associate Communism with evil, supposedly because of lack of freedom and government control, but themselves feel free to propose ideas which even Communists (in Ukraine and Russia, as far as I know) haven't thought of.
May be I am wrong, but have difficulty imagining Israeli university students proposing those 2. The concentration of the issues seems to be specific to USA.
"Did you ask what "take care of their unborn babies" means?"
-Eating healthy, not smoking, not drinking. The problem with legislating that is, of course, the possibility of any woman being in an early stage of pregnancy when nobody knows (often she doesn't know either) if she's pregnant. So, mandatory checkups every month should be legislated. And so on, ad absurdum.
"May be I am wrong, but have difficulty imagining Israeli university students proposing those 2. The concentration of the issues seems to be specific to USA."
-Absolutely. And it isn't just any part of the US where I teach. It's the Bible Belt. Many people live very limited lives. I had to explain to some of my freshmen who Jews are, for example. I don't know whether that's a good sign or not.
Anonymous said "Especially when it is made illegal and driven into the shadows, which is the de facto response at least in the US."
Except in Nevada, where bordellos are legal and taxed, and the women working there are treated more as everyday professionals, who can negotiate their salaries, etc.
The problem with legislating that is, of course, the possibility of any woman being in an early stage of pregnancy when nobody knows
Do you think it's the main problem? I would be against such legislation even with small, cheap technological device giving 100% true pregnancy check from the 1st hour after conception. Or is it the only argument your students will listen too?
Imo not knowing who Jews are is a bad sign since it shows they neither read books nor ever listen to the news. I am surprised how they missed after 11.9 the discussions of American involvement abroad, in particular Jewish-Arab conflict in the Middle East. They should know about Jews even from their Bible.
Besides, I don't think it prevents one from becoming anticemitic the moment one gets the info.
Colorado is voting on a "Personhood Amendment" which would make in utero concepti have all of the rights of post-birth individuals. To start with, this would make it impossible to treat ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, so many women would die of massive hemorrhage. See Nicaragua for details.
Ordinary miscarriage would be an event requiring investigation, and possible prosecution (presumably for manslaughter), of the woman. Some activities could be ruled "too dangerous" for potential concepti of reproductive age (10-55 years) women.
Of course, there would be tax and probate (inheritance) issues, and the question of necessary proof of date of conception. Save those home tests!
Every time you think that the American Christian religious nuts can't get any crazier - they prove you wrong.
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