PureX
Well-known member
Even if we could, I don't believe it would be wise. In a nation of 330 million people every public activity is going to offend someone. Every TV show is going to offend someone. Every joke, every clothing style, every life style, and on and on. And a child could conceivably be 'traumatized' by almost anything.Agree.
Disagree. I think we can comfortably eliminate behavior that harm or traumatize children from the public venue and remain a free society. I don't think it's reasonable to expect mothers (or whomever) to develop strategies to minimize the harm done.
Simply being offensive to someone can't be a reasonable criteria for banning a human activity. And in fact, the goal of the united States regarding illegality is based on maximizing individual freedom while maintaining individual security and equality. So it's inevitable that we are going to have to tolerate the right of other people to behave as they want, so long as their doing so does not endanger us, or infringe our right to do the same.
I understand the disgust people feel about this particular event. But it's taking place in a city that is known for embracing these alternative lifestyles, and in a part of the city where many of these people live. So as disgusting and idiotic as I think it is, it's not my neighborhood. And it's not my town. And those people aren't my friends. And I don't have the right to stop them from doing what they're doing unless they are endangering my safety, or infringing on my individual right to live as I wish. And they aren't doing that.
Now, if that mother lived in that neighborhood, or that city, she may have reasonable cause to object. But in the end, her objections will not stand unless it can be determined that this event does endanger her or her child, and/or does infringe on her rights. People are going to do lots of things we don't like, just as we will do things they don't like. None of this is cause for stopping them, or us, however. Not in a free society. And if we want to keep it a free society, we need to respect this fact. And we need to learn to tolerate the annoying eccentricities of others.