Whether it is a crucifix in a jar of urine, condoms, or endorsing with a state marriage license a brideless or groomless pairing, Leftists, especially Democrats, portray a refusal to fund these things with tax money or not having a government program that provides these things as banning these things.
So as a public service, I'm providing this Handy-Dandy Basic Civics Lesson that you can read over and over again, as slowly as you need to.
1. There is a document called the Constitution of the United States of America. This document is the highest governing law of the land. It assigns some functions and powers of government to the President, some to Congress, and some to the Supreme Court. It tells these branches of federal government what they can do, and everything else is left up to the states and to the people. It can, and has, been changed through Amendments.
2. There are fifty states (also some territories and a district), each with its own government. These state governments are not divisions of the federal government. Each state has its own constitution, and the states have local divisions that are county (or equivalents) governments, and within those counties there are city governments. States also can create special districts with some government powers, such as school districts.
3. Individual humans have some inherent rights. Individuals have the freedom to form voluntary associations and engage in voluntary transactions. There are marriages; friendships; businesses, including corporations; clubs and associations; religious congregations, charities and other nonprofits; etc.
4. Things can be accomplished through individual choices and effort, through voluntary associations, through state or local government, or through federal government.
5. Government funds come from us.
Keeping all of the above in mind, let's look at how there are not simply two options - a federal program or a ban - for any given thing. There can be:
A. Federal involvement (federal command/requirement to do something, federal operation, full or partial funding/subsidy, federal endorsement)
B. State involvement (state command/requirement to do something, state operation, full or partial funding/subsidy, state endorsement)
C. Local government involvement (local command/requirement to do something, local government operation, full or partial funding/subsidy, local government endorsement)
D. No federal law against, but state law against (can be done in another state through voluntary efforts, or even state funding and/or endorsement)
E. No federal law against, nor state law against, but local law against (can be done in another city or county through voluntary efforts, or even local or state funding, endorsement).
F. No federal, state, or local law against, which means it can be done through voluntary efforts.
G. Federal law against (there may simply be a law against, or the federal government may have an active enforcement program against it, or provide funding to state or local law enforcement for the purpose of enforcing law against it)
"G" would be a federal ban. "E" would be a local government ban. "D" would be a state ban.
"B" would not be banning something. "C" would not be banning something. "F" would not be banning something.
A person can be personally against something and support E, but not D or G.
A person can be personally against something and support E and D, but not G.
A person can be personally against something, and not support E, D, nor G (and thus not be for banning it).
A person can personally support something and support C and B, but oppose A.
A person can personally support something and support C, but oppose B and A.
A person can personally support something, but oppose C, B, and A.
Now that you are informed, you can no longer claim ignorance. You would be lying and bearing false witness, for example, if you said a politician's personal rejection of birth control or opposition to a federal requirement that one person be forced to pay for another's birth control is the same thing as banning or denying contraception.
If you think "A" is the only way to get anything done, you have a very narrow and limiting view of yourself, your friends, and Americans in general.
Previously:
Not All Freedoms are Rights
So as a public service, I'm providing this Handy-Dandy Basic Civics Lesson that you can read over and over again, as slowly as you need to.
1. There is a document called the Constitution of the United States of America. This document is the highest governing law of the land. It assigns some functions and powers of government to the President, some to Congress, and some to the Supreme Court. It tells these branches of federal government what they can do, and everything else is left up to the states and to the people. It can, and has, been changed through Amendments.
2. There are fifty states (also some territories and a district), each with its own government. These state governments are not divisions of the federal government. Each state has its own constitution, and the states have local divisions that are county (or equivalents) governments, and within those counties there are city governments. States also can create special districts with some government powers, such as school districts.
3. Individual humans have some inherent rights. Individuals have the freedom to form voluntary associations and engage in voluntary transactions. There are marriages; friendships; businesses, including corporations; clubs and associations; religious congregations, charities and other nonprofits; etc.
4. Things can be accomplished through individual choices and effort, through voluntary associations, through state or local government, or through federal government.
5. Government funds come from us.
Keeping all of the above in mind, let's look at how there are not simply two options - a federal program or a ban - for any given thing. There can be:
A. Federal involvement (federal command/requirement to do something, federal operation, full or partial funding/subsidy, federal endorsement)
B. State involvement (state command/requirement to do something, state operation, full or partial funding/subsidy, state endorsement)
C. Local government involvement (local command/requirement to do something, local government operation, full or partial funding/subsidy, local government endorsement)
D. No federal law against, but state law against (can be done in another state through voluntary efforts, or even state funding and/or endorsement)
E. No federal law against, nor state law against, but local law against (can be done in another city or county through voluntary efforts, or even local or state funding, endorsement).
F. No federal, state, or local law against, which means it can be done through voluntary efforts.
G. Federal law against (there may simply be a law against, or the federal government may have an active enforcement program against it, or provide funding to state or local law enforcement for the purpose of enforcing law against it)
"G" would be a federal ban. "E" would be a local government ban. "D" would be a state ban.
"B" would not be banning something. "C" would not be banning something. "F" would not be banning something.
A person can be personally against something and support E, but not D or G.
A person can be personally against something and support E and D, but not G.
A person can be personally against something, and not support E, D, nor G (and thus not be for banning it).
A person can personally support something and support C and B, but oppose A.
A person can personally support something and support C, but oppose B and A.
A person can personally support something, but oppose C, B, and A.
Now that you are informed, you can no longer claim ignorance. You would be lying and bearing false witness, for example, if you said a politician's personal rejection of birth control or opposition to a federal requirement that one person be forced to pay for another's birth control is the same thing as banning or denying contraception.
If you think "A" is the only way to get anything done, you have a very narrow and limiting view of yourself, your friends, and Americans in general.
Previously:
Not All Freedoms are Rights
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