Dildos illegal in Texas???

November 22, 2002 6:04 AM

Dildo's illegal in Texas?Apparently so. Let me get this straight... in a state where you can carry loaded firearms on your hip, if you get caught with more than 6 dildos or other "pleasure devices", it's a FELONY? Absolutely amazing. Texas is like a whole other country. It also helps explain a lot. (via obscurestore)
posted by Ynoxas (78 comments total)

Sorry for the errant ' in the title, I didn't use it in the post.

Actually, I'm not sure of the proper plural of dildo anyway. Dildos? Dildoes? Dildi?

So now that I have smacked my own hand for my punctuation error, I'm curious to see if anyone defends this practice.
posted by Ynoxas at 6:07 AM on November 22, 2002

No, I won't defend the practice of smacking one's own hand for apostrophic abuse.
posted by yesster at 6:14 AM on November 22, 2002

Who would anyone need six dildos?

Anyway, this is just typical of America. Best Buy will ban a video game that shows a pair of boobs yet promote games that show people getting splattered by bullets.

Boobs are way better than guns.
posted by bondcliff at 6:15 AM on November 22, 2002

They'd better arrest any toy store owners who stock the vibrating broomstick.
posted by yesster at 6:16 AM on November 22, 2002

So these dildos . . . naw, I can't do it.
posted by vraxoin at 6:20 AM on November 22, 2002

Being a Texan, I can only shake my head, but I'm not surprised at all. I noticed that the article said "wholesale promotion" which is interesting because a number of RETAILERS in Dallas sell personal massagers which are quite obviously intended for different purposes.

Still - I've a hunch that the prosectutors are probably as embarrassed as the officers who stopped the car, and they're likely to just slap her on the wrist. There are a lot of double-standards in this state with regard to "morality" issues, and as soon as Texas would figure out a way to make the sex toy business generate revenue AND look acceptable to constituents, you can bet your Xandria account they will.
posted by Team_Billy at 6:21 AM on November 22, 2002

So much for the "everything is bigger in Texas" line.
posted by tommasz at 6:27 AM on November 22, 2002

From the link - [Texas] State law appears a little less forgiving: It's illegal to "wholesale promote" obscene materials or devices. Texas statute says an obscene device is a simulated sexual organ or an item designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs. The law allows investigators to assume that anyone with six or more of the items is intending to promote them.

I don't think that sounds too unreasonable.

Seems like she could have a case against Slumber Parties Inc. for not warning her that it was a felony to get caught peddling her wares in Texas.
posted by blogRot at 6:30 AM on November 22, 2002

i actually don't this is odd... as far as i know, lots of states have the same law... just like many states outlaw sodomy (which includes oral sex) like Texas, Georgia, and many others. (i dont feel like research right now).

Even if they are illegal, at least they are sold. I'm from Houston, and there is no code word...walk in a store and they are obviously dildos and vibrators of all sorts.

in oklahoma, tattoos are illegal (not to have) and there are NO tattoo parlors in the entire state. how is that for america?
posted by prescribed life at 6:30 AM on November 22, 2002

Shit, it was only last year that they banned driving with open containers of alcohol.
posted by adampsyche at 6:30 AM on November 22, 2002

shoot...that reads wrong.. imeant, you can legally have a tattoo, you just wont be able to get it in oklahoma.
posted by prescribed life at 6:31 AM on November 22, 2002

Potential jail term for her is two years. I'd get less for beating up a granny on a street corner.

Bondcliff, you are exactly correct about the hypocrisy in this nation. Blood, guts, murder, and mayhem are A-OK, will even get you a PG rating on a movie, but show some boobs or some people making love, and that's BAD BAD BAD! Minimum R rating, oftentimes NC17.
posted by eas98 at 6:33 AM on November 22, 2002

Two years? Hell, I've heard of rapists getting 3-6. Good old justice.
posted by kayjay at 6:40 AM on November 22, 2002

I've found it fitting to insert this quote whenever appropriate. Excuse me if you've been subject to it before:

It's airline policy not to imply ownership in the event of a dildo. We gotta use the indefinite article: *A* dildo. Never *Your* dildo -- Fight Club
posted by thanotopsis at 6:42 AM on November 22, 2002

I'm not sure that having 6 of something qualifies you as a wholesaler. For instance, I would say many hunters have 6 rifles. That does not mean they run a gun business.

It also said "useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs" which I would assume then means a 12 pack of the Trojans with the tactile ridges on them will send you to prison too.

Oh, that's right, a Texan already wants rid of condoms. [intended as humorous happenstance, not a thread derail]
posted by Ynoxas at 6:43 AM on November 22, 2002

obscene device is a simulated sexual organ or an item designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs.

Some of these lawmakers could probably use some genital stimulation.
posted by bondcliff at 6:44 AM on November 22, 2002

Oh. I misread the title as "dido's illegal" etc etc. That "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIwaanttothaaaankyouu" chick.
What I'd like to know is:
-what happens if you're caught in Texas carrying six firearms?
What I'm afraid to ask is:
-what would happen to an illegal immigrant caught carrying six vibrators in Texas?
posted by 111 at 6:52 AM on November 22, 2002

I don't see the difference between this lady and her company and the Condoms to Go's and Condom Sense's that are pasted all over dallas (including two within walking distance of my apartment). I'm guessing this is more of a small-town thing.
posted by Ufez Jones at 6:59 AM on November 22, 2002

Here is some more info about Georgia and Alabama's bans on sex toys, with more links in the article (note the appropriate use of an apostrophe to denote a possesive).

Here in Georgia, they sell sex toys with the very visible disclaimer that they are sold as novelties only and are not intended for actual use.

Its not a Texas thing so much as a bible belt thing.

As for tattoos, they are illegal in South Carolina as well as Oklahoma. In fact, everyone's favorite special prosecutor was recently rebuffed by the Supreme Court in an attempt to get the SC law overturned.
posted by TedW at 7:03 AM on November 22, 2002

Call me a sheltered New Englander, but it's illegal to sell dildos in Texas?
posted by archimago at 7:07 AM on November 22, 2002

there are NO tattoo parlors in the entire state

I'm sure you just don't know about them. I got a tattoo in NYC back when they were illegal there and you just had to know where to go.
posted by archimago at 7:08 AM on November 22, 2002

Who would anyone need six dildos?

Would you play golf with only one golf club in your bag?
posted by BentPenguin at 7:15 AM on November 22, 2002

At least one adult store here in Austin sells them with the prominent disclaimer that they are "EDUCATIONAL MODELS ONLY". But there are others that don't even bother.

Of course, Austin is far more liberal than 99% of the rest of Texas.
posted by jammer at 7:23 AM on November 22, 2002

Would you play golf with only one golf club in your bag?

A golf course has 18 holes.
posted by bondcliff at 7:26 AM on November 22, 2002 [4 favorites]

Texas is like a whole other country.

That's how it's supposed to be. Read up on the U.S. Constitution sometime, and you'll probably come to the surprising conclusion that the "United States of America" was never intended to be a plain vanilla, homogeneous country. Texas is a "state" (a term often used to describe sovereign nations), and the "United States" is a union of those semi-sovereign states, not just a clever name for a big country divided into 50 provinces.
posted by oissubke at 7:36 AM on November 22, 2002

Hey tedw, I noted my typo in the first comment below the post. It was not an ignorant misuse, it was a typo, as you'll notice in the body of the post I did not use the apostrophe. But thanks for being extra snarky. Turd.

So funny how I went out of my way to note the error and someone still had to play elementary school grammar teacher.

On preview: oissubke, that line was a jab at their tourism slogan. If you try to turn this into some sort of conservative "states' rights!" thread I'll mark you off as a troll forever. It has nothing to do with the "right" of Texas to make their own laws. It is a discussion of what many would consider to be an absurd law. A felony for having vibrators? Please.

If you insist on derailing the thread then it will naturally progress into the hypocrisy of conservatives trying to keep the gov'ment out of their business... unless it involves other people and their bedrooms, then by all means legislate away.

We don't want to trot that old mule out again, do we?
posted by Ynoxas at 7:49 AM on November 22, 2002

Well then, oissubke, I guess no one in Texas has to pay taxes either, right?
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 7:52 AM on November 22, 2002

wow oissubke, go have some coffee.
posted by machaus at 7:54 AM on November 22, 2002

Supreme Court Obscenity Decisions

The Supremes apparently think that something is obscene if:

1) It is prurient in nature
2) It is completely devoid of scientific, political, educational, or social value
3) It violates the local community standards

The Supremes on Pornography, 2002


I'll mark you off as a troll forever
Haven't you already?
posted by matteo at 7:59 AM on November 22, 2002

A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.

Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
posted by four panels at 7:59 AM on November 22, 2002

Bottom of the article reads:

© 2002 Cox Newspapers, Inc.

snicker ... snort!
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:01 AM on November 22, 2002

Texas truly is a microcosm of america. It sums up our hypocritical fundamentalist society perfectly. Guns, ok. Boobs, no ok. Plus, the roads are all fucked up in Texas. Have you ever had to drive around Dallas?
posted by password at 8:20 AM on November 22, 2002

Because it's Friday:

Texas statute says an obscene device is a simulated sexual organ or an item designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs

"No officer, I swear, these are for my dog!"
posted by risenc at 8:24 AM on November 22, 2002

If you insist on derailing the thread then it will naturally progress into the hypocrisy of conservatives trying to keep the gov'ment out of their business...

I see belligerent smokescreens but no derails, and pile-ons rather than discussions. Why does that happen?

Where am I? I thought this was a dildo Texas thread. If a state decides to ban rubber chickens and legalize whiskey and pistols, then so be it. That is the beauty of the system in which we participate.

I am apparently a troll who believes in state rights, severely anorexic central government, limited taxation, and liberty to pursue personal goals.
posted by hama7 at 8:25 AM on November 22, 2002

Six dildos from Texas:

George W. Bush
Dick Armey
Phil Gramm
Tom DeLay
Dick Cheney (sort of)
Marvin Olasky

Smoke 'em out Texas Rangers!!
posted by nofundy at 8:27 AM on November 22, 2002

thanotopsis: re: the Fight Club quote.

I like the idea that a dildo can be an event.
posted by ODiV at 8:59 AM on November 22, 2002

AFAIK, it's illegal to own anything called a "dildo" in Texas at all. Personal massagers, people, please. Same thing as going into a head shop and asking for a "bong" instead of a "water pipe." Don't know what the hell the whole loaded firearm remark is about (aside from an obvious attempt to call all Texans stupid because one of their laws is out of step with the enlightened elite). Where you from, Ynoxas? I bet they have dumb laws there too.
posted by Gilbert at 9:05 AM on November 22, 2002

Yep, Gilbert, dumb laws seem to be for everyone. For instance, in New York state, you can't wear slippers after 10 p.m.; in California it is a misdemeanor to shoot at any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale.; and in Pennsylvania you are not allowed to sing in the bathtub. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a state that didn't have a few head scratchers on the books.

Or is it just that those states are as ass-backwards as some of you perceive Texas to be? I can verify the statement of an earlier Houstonian that there are plenty of places openly displaying and selling an impressive variety of dildos; Texans who find that sort of thing to "be their bag" are not deprived.
posted by John Smallberries at 9:43 AM on November 22, 2002

Hey, if the voters in Texas want to limit themselves to six or less dildoes, what do you care? If you're pro-dildo, pack up your (ahem) collection and move to a pro-dildo state. We're WAY pro-dildo here in Illinois - welcome, Texans!

I'm not sure this is a constitutional question here.
posted by UncleFes at 9:44 AM on November 22, 2002

> Boobs are way better than guns.

Can't we have guns and boobies?
posted by jfuller at 9:44 AM on November 22, 2002

Once again, jfuller cuts right to the heart of the debate. Sir or Ma'am, I salute you! Guns AND boobies for all!
posted by UncleFes at 9:46 AM on November 22, 2002

What if it's a six-shooter dildo? What then, wise guys? Hmm?
posted by octobersurprise at 9:53 AM on November 22, 2002

Gilbert: the gun remark was because I was comparing two things that are somewhat unique to Texas, liberal gun laws (with open carry and often concealed carry completely legal, to my understanding) and very conservative decency laws. I was legitimately surprised that Texas considers loaded guns in everyone's pocket to be "safe" and a couple of vibrators in a woman's car to be "dangerous".

I also keep wanting to stress that it is a *FELONY*. If it were a $20 misdemeanor it would still be ridiculous but not frightening.

I expected this out of Georgia, where apparently a blow job could theoretically send you to prison.

Of course there are dumb laws where I live. For instance, in my home town, you may only leave your horse stabled at the courthouse for a maximum of two hours. There has likely not been a horse stabled at that courthouse since the 20's.
posted by Ynoxas at 9:55 AM on November 22, 2002

Ahem. Sex toys are now legal in Alabama, to whoever said they weren't. Why? A federal judge ruled in October that denying the sale of said items was an violation of the right to privacy.
posted by raysmj at 9:58 AM on November 22, 2002

Longview is a very small city in east Texas and is as backwater a place as you're likely to find anywhere in the free world. To judge all of Texas by what they do in Longview would be akin to judging all music on the basis of what Billy Ray Cyrus sounds like. When my wife traveled as a trainer for the Childrens' Healthcare Plan, a social worker in Longview asked her if they had a different promotional video for the program, one that "only had white people" in it. This was because, according to the woman, white Longview residents would assume that "if black people could get this insurance, it must be some kind of welfare." And she was a social worker.
posted by vraxoin at 9:59 AM on November 22, 2002

Gilbert: Where you from, Ynoxas? I bet they have dumb laws there too.

John: Yep, Gilbert, dumb laws seem to be for everyone. For instance, in New York state, you can't wear slippers after 10 p.m.

Yes, every state has dumb laws, but the majority of those states are not actively attempting to enforce those laws. When was the last time you heard of someone facing a two-year prison sentence for wearing slippers after 10:00pm?
posted by Danelope at 10:04 AM on November 22, 2002

Shit, it was only last year that they banned driving with open containers of alcohol.

The way the law was previously written, a cop had to see you take an actual drink, thus then being an open container. Not now, and no more the Pasanger Rule, everyone but the driver could have could have a drink in hand.
posted by thomcatspike at 10:05 AM on November 22, 2002

I lived in Texas. It's as bad as you think.
I knew a co-worker that was arrested repeatedly on her former job for selling dildos.
She was a college student at the time working a crappy part-time job.
Other states might have wacky laws on the books, but can you point out where anyone has been arrested, prosecuted and fined for wearing slippers after 10 pm?

If that makes me an elitist, then fetch me a double-mocha decaf cappuccino and shut the fuck up.
posted by 2sheets at 10:09 AM on November 22, 2002

vraxoin: this is not a city statute, it is state law.

State law appears a little less forgiving: It's illegal to "wholesale promote" obscene materials or devices. Texas statute says an obscene device is a simulated sexual organ or an item designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs. The law allows investigators to assume that anyone with six or more of the items is intending to promote them.

So, though I do not doubt Longview is a hick town, you could get busted for this in Dallas just as easily.

On preview, what danelope said.
posted by Ynoxas at 10:10 AM on November 22, 2002

Not that I have any, uh, personal experience or anything, but not all dildos vibrate and not all vibrators are shaped like penises. I'm just saying, you know?
posted by eilatan at 10:31 AM on November 22, 2002

The best quote in the article:

"We'll see what they do with it," Smith said.

We can only imagine!
posted by valval22 at 10:37 AM on November 22, 2002

Ynoxas, sorry if I offended; I was not trying to get on to you. It is just that whenever I see anything about apostrophes, I have an uncontrollable urge to post a Frank Zappa link, as that is one of his best albums.
posted by TedW at 10:51 AM on November 22, 2002

"...what would happen to an illegal immigrant caught carrying six vibrators in Texas?"

Mandatory death penalty. That is to say:

Death by bunda!
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:10 AM on November 22, 2002

Watch out where the Texans go.
Don't you wholesale that dildo.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 11:15 AM on November 22, 2002

Best Buy will ban a video game that shows a pair of boobs yet promote games that show people getting splattered by bullets.

somewhat OT: let's not forget that WalMart sells guns but not Parental Advisory-stickered music. they're also the largest pharmacy provider in the US and they refuse to carry emergency contraception kits. 'cuz Jebus and Sam Walton don't approve, apparently.

on the anti-TX tip, ease up folks, most states have some nice archaic morality laws on the books. we here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts had an interesting case last year where two cops searching a warehouse for stolen steros came upon an underground S&M club, and arrested a woman for spanking another woman with a wooden spoon. also the "host" of the party was charged with possession of naughty materials, i.e. dildoes, vibrators, sex swings, etc. this took place in Attleboro, MA, thus the affair became "Paddleboro"! incidentally, the charges were reduced and dropped and there was massive outcry for the fuzz to leave consenting adults alone. hmmm, i guess that's not such a Texas-solidarity story after all...
posted by serafinapekkala at 11:17 AM on November 22, 2002

dildos CAN'T be illegal in texas, look how many years they had one running the state.
posted by quonsar at 11:25 AM on November 22, 2002

Watch out where the Texans go.
Don't you wholesale that dildo.

say, is that a real dildo, or is that a sears roebuck dildo?
posted by quonsar at 11:26 AM on November 22, 2002

TedW: Understood and accepted, and appreciated. As a good faith gesture I will check out said Zappa album. I don't know much about Zappa outside of "Titties and Beer" and "Baby Snakes".
posted by Ynoxas at 11:28 AM on November 22, 2002

dildos CAN'T be illegal in texas, look how many years they had one running the state.

Lets leave Democrat Governor Anne Richards out of the topic, please.
posted by blogRot at 11:36 AM on November 22, 2002

liberal gun laws (with open carry and often concealed carry completely legal, to my understanding) ...-Ynoxas

Not really, no.
posted by dejah420 at 11:41 AM on November 22, 2002

say, is that a real dildo, or is that a sears roebuck dildo?

"It looks just like a Telefunken U-47, you'll love it."

"With leather?"
posted by TedW at 11:51 AM on November 22, 2002

Dildos - they're about this big.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 12:05 PM on November 22, 2002

they're also the largest pharmacy provider in the US and they refuse to carry emergency contraception kits. 'cuz Jebus and Sam Walton don't approve, apparently

Maybe that's the way the majority of their customers want it. If the majority of their customers approved of and wanted those things, then they would sell it.
posted by jsonic at 12:08 PM on November 22, 2002

2Sheets: Was your friend prosecuted? It only takes one cop to arrest someone. If a DA brought the force of state law on her, that would be another thing, but I bet that never happened.

This woman was pulled over for a suspected DWI. She (presumably) refused the field sobriety test, so the cops found something in her car they could arrest her for. It could have been a seat belt violation, but it wasn't. It was the too many dildos law.

Of course it's a dumb law. But it doesn't get prosecuted. And it says absolutely nothing larger about the state in which it happened.
posted by Gilbert at 12:27 PM on November 22, 2002

From the article, regarding a previous case:

In April, Kilgore police raided the Adult Book Store/Video Store, seizing 12 large trash bags full of devices police said were being sold illegally.... The store owner, Robert Duggan III, was never arrested, but he agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor count of obscene display, a charge equivalent to a traffic ticket, and agreed to pay a fine and let police destroy the items.

SURE they destroyed the items, just like I'm sure the cops that pulled me over "destroyed" that full, unopened bottle of tequila they confiscated.
posted by trigfunctions at 1:41 PM on November 22, 2002

As a single person in Texas, I resent not being allowed to play the field, toy-wise.
posted by banjotwang at 2:02 PM on November 22, 2002

Gilbert-
She told me about it after the fact, and mentioned that her boss would pay the fines. I didn't get a lot of details, but she said that she had misdemeanors on her rap sheet because of it and didn't realize how serious that could be down the road.
I wish I could tell her name, because it was a great pun relevant to the situation, but of course I will respect what's left of her privacy.
She said the Austin paper had fun with it, though.
posted by 2sheets at 2:16 PM on November 22, 2002

In Michigan, the full force of state law was brought down on one man's head for cursing in public.

I wonder if it would have been ok if he had just brandished a dildo?

And 2Sheets, that double-mocha decaf cappuccino is available not only at three or four Starbucks within 7 miles of where I live, but three other mom and pop coffee houses equally nearby.

I won't deny that Texas has a heaping dose of far right wing, close-minded idiots - but we have a nice balancing share of marshmallow-headed, knee-jerk left wingers too. And lots and lots of folks peppered all over the spectrum between.
posted by John Smallberries at 2:38 PM on November 22, 2002

And lots and lots of folks peppered all over the spectrum between.

What!? Oh, pff, John, you big leg-puller :) Everyone knows those people don't exist.
posted by UncleFes at 3:04 PM on November 22, 2002

hama7: Where am I? I thought this was a dildo Texas thread. If a state decides to ban rubber chickens and legalize whiskey and pistols, then so be it. That is the beauty of the system in which we participate.

It's not a state's rights issue. A state cannot have rights. Only human beings have rights, endowed by their creator. And no human being can in good conscience take away the rights of others. People have fought and died over stupid laws like this.

It may be a relatively benign tyranny, but that is what Texas is. I don't personally own a dildo, but I would fight and die for your right to own as many as you want.
posted by son_of_minya at 5:53 PM on November 22, 2002

Only human beings have rights, endowed by their creator. And no human being can in good conscience take away the rights of others. People have fought and died over stupid laws like this.

Wrong, wrong and wrong. Human beings have no creator-given rights. There is no conclusive evidence that a creator even exists. That word is in the Consitution because Jefferson was a god-fearing man and liked to wax rhapsodic. But the reality is, rights are political creations and are extended to each other by each other, as part of a social contract. We give each other rights, in exchange for certain responsibilities. Which leads to your second wrong: humans can (and do every day) take away other humans' rights, primarily when the latter bunch abrogate their responsibilities (like, when they commit crimes). Lastly, people have never and will never fight and die over stupid laws like this. People will fight and die over women, money, the Flag, God, Country, honor, glory,cowardice, ad infinitum. But no one in their right mind who understands what the hell they are doing is going to voluntarily face death over the Texas Dildo Law. Even you. You know why? Because it's just too totally stupid to do so. You might say you would - you might even *believe* you would. But there is no one on this green earth that would actually forfeit their life to defend the "right" of Texans to own and/or sell more than six dildoes.
posted by UncleFes at 8:27 PM on November 22, 2002

what's texas's problem ?

she's a very good singer you know.
posted by sgt.serenity at 8:35 PM on November 22, 2002

bondcliff: Who would anyone need six dildos?
BentPenguin: Would you play golf with only one golf club in your bag?
bondcliff: A golf course has 18 holes.

I don't play golf, but aren't several different clubs often used on one hole? I'm just saying...
posted by madamjujujive at 10:36 PM on November 22, 2002

Human beings have no creator-given rights. There is no conclusive evidence that a creator even exists. That word is in the Consitution because Jefferson was a god-fearing man and liked to wax rhapsodic.

Actually, "that word" (by which I assume you mean "Creator") is not in the Constitution.
posted by kindall at 12:07 AM on November 23, 2002

An actual answer, as if anyone cares:

I spoke with the salesgirl at the local Condoms to Go here in Dallas a while back and here's the scoop, as it were. In order for it to be legal, every package has to have a warning. Something to the effect of "This is not for genital use." She doesn't sell dildos, she sells massagers.

And that's basically all there is to it. It's a sex toy shop. No doubt about it. But as long as the word is not spoken and the stickers are in place, it's not illegal.

Whoever likened it to a headshop where you buy a "water pipe" was dead on.
posted by amandaudoff at 12:10 AM on November 23, 2002

smallberries, I lived in Texas for 12 years, and knew a pretty wide spectrum of folks as you point out.
I'd say after that much time, and time spent living on
both coasts, I'm entitled to my opinion about Texas as a whole.
I'll tell you one thing, since I left, I've yet to hear a co-worker use the words "nigger" or "faggot" in casual conversation.
posted by 2sheets at 9:13 AM on November 23, 2002

I don't give a damn what's in the Constitution. I'm talking about moral principle here. And, yes, I would die fighting for the right to own six dildoes, even though you are not willing to fight for your own rights. I would have to be pushed against the wall -- I'm not saying "I will commit suicide if they don't stop outlawing dildo sales." I am saying "I am going to do whatever the hell myself and God think is okay, and if you try to stop me you'll have hell to pay."

Put another way -- if we were all forced to live under the same conditions as a kindergarten class, a benign sort of tyranny, some of us would eventually stage violent revolution. I would probably have slit the teacher's throat by now.

A man who "gives his rights away" is a slave. A man who has "responsibilities" to other men, other than simply leaving them alone, is a slave. A man who takes away the rights of others is a tyrant, and tyrants must be opposed for the good of all men who may be slaves.

This "social contract" business is slave talk. It is not a "privilege" to drive, vote, travel, or own property. Anything the government does to limit your freedom is an abridgement of your natural rights. We may swallow hard and learn to live with it, but at some point it can go too far.
posted by son_of_minya at 1:47 PM on November 23, 2002

Well, rather than fight and die for my right to own plastic sex toys, if the issue is that important, you might consider running for public orifice office on the "unveil the dildo" ticket. California has better weather, though, I hear.
posted by hama7 at 11:59 PM on November 25, 2002