Pamela Anderson, Tuesday, wrote a letter of recommendation to President Elect Obama asking him to legalize marijuana, take steps to "prevent" molestation, along with other things. You can read this article at the following web address:
http://www.pamelachannel.com/channel/2008/11/18/recommended-reading-to-mr-president-elect-obama-from-pamela-anderson/

I agree and disagree with the points in her letter and as such would like to comment on them.

1. Leonard Peltier was convicted by a jury of his peers. He exercised his right to an appeal as is proper when one believes they've been wrongly convicted; the conviction stood. Either a) he's guilty; or b) the system is broken and needs to be fixed. Either way, he is to stay in jail until one of those things change.

2. The jails are full due to constantly growing legislation in the realm of "malum prohibitam". Solution: stop prohibiting things that don't violate other peoples RIGHTS.

3. Preventing molestation by castrating potential molestors sounds outwardly like a great solution; but who get's to decide who the people are that get their jewels cut off because they're a "potential" molestor? That sounds like a direct violation of their right to chose if they will actually commit the crime! This one idea won't fill the jails up more, but the jails are full of people who haven't actually committed crimes "malum in se". Creating laws prohibiting certain acts to prevent actual crimes only fill up the jails with people who haven't yet actually violated anyone's rights.

4. Legalise marijuana and hemp. How does posessing or even using these herbs personally affect anyone but yourself? People argue that someone that is 'high' could drive wrecklessly and kill someone accidentally or damage property; I agree. There's already laws against vehicular manslaughter. If they cause damage to someone else or their property, they should be punished for that damage. Laws that attempt to prevent someone from having access to these herbs don't work and cause corruption and increased jail time for people that don't want to be ruled by an authoritative government. These plants can be used for so much more than recreational consumption, but there's nothing 'malum in se' (wrong) with even using them recreationally.

5. Bring the troops home safely. Yes, always. Make sure bad people know we're not afraid to shoot back, then put our guns away when "the coast is clear".

6. "Stop animal testing" she claims this is unproductive and mean. I posit that we should stop government involvement in scientific research and let people using unproductive research methods go bankrupt for their inability to adapt to a constantly changing scientific world. Punish researchers if they violate other PEOPLE's rights.

7. Get rid of private insurance and private medicine? Let the government handle it? WTF? Does she even listen to herself? (see her arguments 1-6) The government screws up everything it touches! We should only let the government control what can not be more fairly controlled by individuals or businesses that can be boycotted by market forces. The degree to which the government has become involved in any industry (especially medical) is the degree to which they fail!

8. Promote vegetarianism? This is an example of the unintended consequences in making the government responsible for our health (see 7). It's cheaper on everyone if we just live healthily, so it does hurt other people if we're not vegetarians, or exercise two hours a day, or sleep enough, etc. you get the point. Seeing healthy people living happily around us promotes a healthy lifestyle; if you want to promote it: be it!

9. Shut down Guantanamo Bay; I agree. All human beings have natural rights to their life and the productive result thereof (life liberty and the pursuit of happiness). ALL other roads lead to oppression, death and destruction. Government was instituted by men to protect these rights and should be dissolved when it becomes destructive to this end.

10. Immigration, taxation, and entitlement mentality are indisputably connected. Here's how you solve them: bring us your poor, your tired, or your huddled masses; we'll let them work and keep what they create. The work they produce here in our country creates wealth for all who participate. If you don't work, and don't create anything; the laws of the universe dictate that you will perish of exposure, thirst, or hunger. Create value for a church or charity or caring person and they'll help keep you alive even if this value is only feeling good about helping you. Create value somehow or die. So say the laws of the universe.

The one and only job of the government is to defend and preserve liberty. Anything more or less allows tyranny and will always, always, ALWAYS lead to death, hatred, and unhappiness.

Government is not the solution to our problem; Government is the problem - Ronald Reagan, first inaugural address, Tuesday, January 20, 1981.