[GCFL-discuss] Missing

[gcfl-discuss at gcfl.net]

Dave, it is funny that you should mention Jeff's age. I had thought of
referring to it after his comments on the value of criminal penalties for
abortion -- and I don't mind at all if he reads this. I don't often talk
about youth and inexperience. We were all young once, and I remember
taking just as much pride in my own thoughts at 16 as I do at 50. In one
year, he will be legally entitled to vote. But one thing I have learned
over the years is, everything I want to change or solve cannot be settled
by passing a law. There are all kinds of tangled considerations about
enforcement, public attitudes, feasibility, costs, and what Chief Justice
Rehnquist calls unintended consequences. There is a certain youthful
inexperience in thinking that because it is wrong, it should be illegal.
Consider the Prohibition of alcohol, intended as a positive reform, which
generated record disrespect for law enforcement and raised criminal
syndicates to the scale of big business.

However, Jeff has held his own in many discussions. He has not changed my
mind, I have not changed his. We have found some points of agreement. He
has a good grasp on what he believes and why, even when I don't see it
the same way.

Siarlys

On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 23:43:44 -0400 gcfl-discuss at gcfl.net writes:
>Jeff is only 17, I dough that in a real discussion he could keep up 
>with you. I'm not saying that he isn't smart, he just doesn't have
life's
>experience.
>
>Dave


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