(no subject)

[desperance]

grrm has a post about freedom (with specific reference to the US, but general principles apply all over) and you can read it here. I think you should.

Thing is, though, in the middle there he has a paragraph that reads:

"I want the right to do stupid, hazardous, self-destructive stuff as well; to drink absinthe, smoke pot, smoke tobacco, drive my car without the seatbelt, bungee jump off bridges, watch porn, order my eggs sunny-side up and my hamburgers rare, have unprotected sex, drink unpasteurized milk. I have only done a few of those things, actually (I will leave it to you to figure out which ones), and most I would never consider -- but I SHOULD have the right to do all of them."

And while I entirely applaud the sentiment, I have troubles with the list, because it all seems so innocuous. Most of those he would never consider? George, there's only one item on that list I haven't done, and I'm far from the most adventurous or outlandish of men. I'm not bragging about my raffishness here, far from it - just wondering if there's a different mindset across the sea there, if Americans are perhaps inherently more cautious, even without the impositions of their government?

Comments

[fastfwd.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm pretty certain that George would never consider bungee-jumping off a bridge or driving his car without his seatbelt. After that, I'm not sure.

There was a time when I personally would never have considered bungee-jumping off a bridge. Now...I don't know. I might someday.

But driving a car without a seatbelt? Never. Not even riding in one. Having been through a serious accident with my seatbelt on, I was happy to be able to walk away from it mostly undented. Of course, I don't drive any more but I won't ride a block without putting the seatbelt on. I'm just a big baby that way.

I miss ordering my hamburgers rare, though.:)