Pubdate: Thu, 02 Dec 2004 Source: Anchorage Daily News (AK) Copyright: 2004 The Anchorage Daily News Contact: http://www.adn.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/18 Author: Robbie Cowan Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/marijuana+initiative Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion) PERSONAL LIBERTIES MUST BE RETURNED TO CITIZENS Oppression Needs to End Exit polls from the recent election tell us that people voted the way they did because of "moral issues." The whole foundation of our American government, though, is based on the idea that the government shouldn't, under any circumstances, be involved with dictating our morals. This is what is meant in the Declaration of Independence by a "right to liberty." The government wants to tell us who can be married to whom, yet the government has no right to dictate the direction of an institution which is so clearly religious. The government should not be sanctioning any type of marriage, regardless of the gender of participants. The government tells us what substances are "right" to put into our bodies. Sadly, Alaskans failed to acknowledge this simple personal liberty on Nov. 2 in not affirming the basic rights embodied in the marijuana legalization bill. The government doesn't stop with these violations, though. Our government dictates what is "right" or "wrong" for its citizens. This is not freedom, this is not liberty, this is not even constitutional. Let's end government oppression and return personal liberties back to the individuals that comprise this great nation. Robbie Cowan Anchorage