It true that we in America love the idea of freedom. It's everything that we claim to want and stand for. I don't expect that to change anytime soon. I'm sorry to say however that we think that we need to protect ourselves from ourselves and our freedoms. The following rant comes because I'm trying channel some constructive energy into writing even though it isn't the 10 page paper I should be working on.
I'm a little jazzed after watching "Thank you for Smoking" and having a energy drink. It might have been a beer earlier but I'm guilty of misplacing my Driver's license. I'm pretty sure it's in my car in Elko only 7 hrs away from here. Anyway I was looking to dull the pain of this paper I have to write. because as you may not know I have problems when I'm made to do "busy" work. And all this paper is for is so that my gallery practices class can have something worth grading, because like real life there isn't much to grade about it. The work is either done or not done and all of it is subject to the whims of the viewers.
Anyhow I'm hating the paper and trying to get past the headache it gives me contemplating it. When I come across the not so bright idea of getting a drink and writing while my sense of self-righteousness is dull. But as I said there is a problem of no drivers licence.
So I think I've got a wallet full of things with my name on them and birthdate that ought to be enough. And I head to the grocery store in hopes of finding something that tastes better than swill to help the experience become enjoyable.
Apon arrival I'm immediately greeted by a man who tells me a sob story of how he's unable to get a perscription card and how he tried to kill himself. And could I give him 60-70 dollars or take him home for the night. Then he tells me he's a christian and that his christmas wish is for some money for an ID which just rubs me wrong since I'm without an ID myself and I'm doing ok. Besides ID's don't cost 60-70 dollars, at least I don't think they do... Anyhow the only thing he tells me in his abundance of lies that I like hearing is that I remind him of John Lennon. However Lennon was dead 4 years before I was born and maybe he needs to update his references a bit. I gave him 5 dollars to shut him up. Maybe that's the best money I have ever spent.
I then found the object of my designs and proceeded to try and use the checkout and presented my various methods of reasoning towards the cashier that I ought to be allowed to buy my desired beverage.
1. I'm 26 years old and I definately don't look like a 20 year old trying to illegally purchase something
2. Photo ID in the form of a student id card, along with credit cards, debit cards, health insurance cards, and a card showing membership in the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe.
3. It's the press of a button that requires no pain on his part.
However these methods failed to get me anything as the cashier said no and then suggested that I bring a birth certificate with me for this transaction. As I said before I know I'm in the wrong, however it wasn't any of that that swayed him it was that as he said
"There are no jobs" and "It only takes a small infraction before I'm out of mine."
His job sucks. He has to deal with people who can't run a self checkout stand. He has to restock items and it's minimum wage. And he's rightfully afraid that there aren't any jobs in Las Vegas.
But still the fact that it's a crime to sell me something that I should be allowed to purchase at any age, let alone 5 years after the official legal age without some sort of proof of who I am in the form of a plastic card irks me. That there are people who have nothing better to do than try and bust a guy for trying to make a profit irks me. That after all this time we know that smoking kills people and that we still get mad at the tobacco companies for lying to people about the dangers of tobacco, when for my entire life nobody has ever said it's good for you irks me.
Stop protecting people from themselves and allow them to act like adults. We make choices and live with the consequences. I didn't go into computer science and went into art when I know that I'll probably make less money at that. Give people information and then let them decide. But stop acting like everyone needs protection all the time.
I believe in freedom, and I want it even if it means I am wrong. It's the only way that freedom is meaningful.
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