Peter on Social Issues

[Peter]

Peter on Social Issues

*Cambridge, Massachusetts*

It will come as no surprise to anyone that as a leading member of both the Independent Liberal Party and the Progressive Caucus, my credentials on social issues are decidely liberal. In my time in the Governor's mansion of the Mideast, I championed a socially liberal agenda that among other things made pornography available to 16 year olds and I supported the deregulation of cannabis at the federal level.

The social issues that face us today such as euthanasia and recreational drug use should not be dealt with at the federal level in my opinion. I do not seek to enforce my views of any issue of personal choice upon anybody - I believe that as many decisions as possible should be taken at the lowest possible levels. This means that the federal government should relinquish its regulation of issues such as euthanasia: In real-life, the US government is using the Controlled Substances Act of the 1970s to challenge the choice of Oregon residents to allow their citizens to seek an assisted suicide. I feel that this is not for the federal government to decide - I will call upon the Senate to amend the CSA so that it is clear that the Regions may legalise euthanasia if they so wish.

I hope to bring the same reforming agenda to any other issue of personal choice: It should not be regulated by the federal government and decisions should be taken at the Regional level.

I have been a strong advocate of gay marriage during my time in Atlasia - defending both its continuing practice and federal control over the matter. I believe that federal control should be retained in this matter because marriage is not just a personal choice of those involved - it is a recognition by the state, and I believe that this recognition should not be demeaned or changed by crossing an arbitrary frontier. A marriage in one Region of Atlasia is to me a marriage everywhere in Atlasia, and it demeans some people's marriages if their marriage is less valued than others in some Regions of our nation.

To allow 5 different definitions of marriage with the Southeast likely rejecting gay marriage and other Regions likely retaining it means that our nation will ultimately be allowing the demeaning of an entire class of citizens in one Region - We should not stand for this un-Atlasian treatment of our citizens and I will fight against it.

[Joe Republic]

In my time in the Governor's mansion of the Mideast, I ... made pornography.

I know Peter, I found the videos.

[Peter]

However, I just don't understand the justification for lowering the age limit for pornography.

Its quite simple really - I have no desire to criminalise the natural, human desires of 16 year old teenagers.

These are all people who can legally consent to having sex anyway in the Mideast, and across most of Atlasia. One of the main arguments for regulating pornography for teenagers is that they need protection from its corrupting influence - It occurs to me that there's little point in protecting them from this, if they can legally get it on with other teenagers anyway. The concept that you can have sex at 16 but you can't look at pictures of it seems counter-intuitive to me.

Also, it is perfectly natural for teenagers of that age to want to explore their sexuality and even though pornography laws are seldom enforced, I would prefer to keep their natural desires within the law as far as possible.