Asuka says no to pot

[CJD]

I simply find it hilarious that someone is using NGE characters of all things to make an anti-drug message when they're the kind of people who need it most.

Unfortunately drugs aren't gonna help any of the three pilot's, at least not pot.

[Jomei]

Unfortunately drugs aren't gonna help any of the three pilot's, at least not pot.

Gendo, however, could really use a good toke.

[Kendrix]

Well, at least underage drinking is a taboo in Japan even nowadays.

Yeah, but you know how teenagers are... Telling them to stay away from stuff is a good start, but there will always be some who don't listen.

I think that out of the underaged cast, Asuka would probably be the first to declare that she's an adult and mature enough and yadda yadda.
I could imagine that she could make herself pass for 16 with high heels, makeup and skimpy clothing, and walz right into a discotheque to get herself some beer.

Shinji wouldn't do such a thing on his own, he's reasonable enough under normal circumstances and also fairly obedient, but Asuka would probably need about five minutes to provoke him into downing unhealthy quantities of mindaltering substances of any kind. Episode fifteen comes to mind.
The whole thing would probably very end badly, but I can totally see it happening...
Rei? No. She listens to orders. And would probably be concerned about the wellbeing of whoever offered the stuff to her, if she were involved in the above adventure, she would end up calling the next adult on them before they kill each other. Or themselves.

I don't think Misato would actually notice if they snuck some out of her fridge, but young people to stupid things to prove themselves in a social context/impress their peers, doing it in their own four walls doesn't have the same appeal...

Poor her, no more such fun after she moved to Japan, passing for 16 is one thing, passing for 20 another... /silly

[Jomei]

I've lived in Japan for brief periods twice before and was never carded for drinks. I was 20 the first time, but they had no way of knowing that. One of my Japanese friends (who ALWAYS got carded in the US when she was here) mentioned being asked (merely asked, not carded) if she was old enough to order a drink once, and she thought that was totally strange.

Alcohol is also sold 24/7 in Japan. I'm not saying I disagree with that, but you have to understand that alcohol is VERY prevalent over there, making this pot phobia all the sillier.

[Kendrix]

Then I recant the last line.
If they did that kiss thing, they'll do all sort of other things that you hope your own children never to, but seem irresistible to many teenagers...
This is, sadly, the harsh reality...
...and those two are not the sheltered ones who have what it takes to say no, much less to do stuff in moderation, or those who have one crazy experience, learn from it and laugh at it the rest of their lives.....

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good gulp of alcohol (in moderation) just about as much as everyone else, preferably Bloody Marys or Absinthe.
But I get the feeling that Shinji, Asuka and alcohol would be a very, very bad combination.
Asuka-might-throw-herself-on-an-older-guy-who's-too-drunk-to-tell-how-young-she-is-and-Shinji-might-actually-bring-himself-to-jump-off-somewhere-high-or-lose-balance-as-he-contemplates-it kind of bad.

[Jomei]

Oh no doubt, alcohol poses some very real risks, particularly for people already struggling with depression.

[CJD]

I think that out of the underaged cast, Asuka would probably be the first to declare that she's an adult and mature enough and yadda yadda.

Like I said in the beginning of the thread, I think Asuka's either the least likely or the most likely to do drugs (and let's just add drink alcohol onto that). She's either going to see it as something juvenile and beneath her, or something mature and just up her ally because "I'm mature!"

[amitakartok]

Oh no doubt, alcohol poses some very real risks, particularly for people already struggling with depression.

Even in that case, it's not the alcohol's fault but the one who drinks it. Insisting otherwise would be like blaming the car for a hit-and-run.

[NemZ]

It's for their sake these laws exist, not yours.

Then it's too bad for them and the state because my life belongs to me. By that logic you could outlaw ANYTHING that is viewed as somehow risky and that's completely unacceptable.

The same goes for other "nanny state" laws; as a general rule we want people to live, and we want their quality of life to be good. So we pass laws to make that happen.

And that's bullshit. It's up to each individual to decide for themselves what they want out of life and what risks they're willing to take to make it happen. We're all guaranteed the pursuit of happiness remember, and as long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others it's not the state's business to tell me I'm having the wrong kind of fun or to save me from making what it feels is a mistake.

First, even idiots get to live.

I'm not advocating wholesale purging of the stupid, but if they make choices for themselves that bring about their early deaths that's just how it is. Everyone has to die sometime. The only caveat I see to this is if a person is declared legally incapable of making reasoned choices for themselves, but that's also another potentially slippery slope waiting to happen.

[Bagheera]

Like I said in the beginning of the thread, I think Asuka's either the least likely or the most likely to do drugs (and let's just add drink alcohol onto that). She's either going to see it as something juvenile and beneath her, or something mature and just up her ally because "I'm mature!"

I agree with the last, but I think her refusal would be more because of her sheltered and provincial attitudes than anything else. She might easily rationalize her refusal on those grounds by claiming the activity is juvenile, silly, etc, though.

But I'm glad someone caught the nuances of her character here; it's not just that she's "I'm an adult, see!", it's that that attitude is coupled with a sort of naiveté she can't even begin to acknowledge. Either one alone would be fine, but it's the combination that leads to all of her problems and her unreasonable expectations toward others.

Then it's too bad for them and the state because my life belongs to me. By that logic you could outlaw ANYTHING that is viewed as somehow risky and that's completely unacceptable.

Sorry dude, but the majority don't seem to be with you on that. Not saying I necessarily agree, but if society's standards for good differ from your own you're gonna have a hard time convincing them they're wrong using arguments based on your own first principles.

[CJD]

But I'm glad someone caught the nuances of her character here; it's not just that she's "I'm an adult, see!", it's that that attitude is coupled with a sort of naiveté she can't even begin to acknowledge. Either one alone would be fine, but it's the combination that leads to all of her problems and her unreasonable expectations toward others.

T-t-thanks.

(Edit: I stuttered and blushed because the praise was unexpected, not because I didn't catch it.)

[NemZ]

Sorry dude, but the majority don't seem to be with you on that.

Yep, it's a tyranny of the majority, something the founding fathers strongly intended to avoid.

Libertarianism is suffering.

[Bagheera]

Yep, it's a tyranny of the majority, something the founding fathers strongly intended to avoid.

Libertarianism is suffering.

Problem is you can't avoid that when you're aiming for a democracy. The two are kinda at odds. You can certainly avoid mob rule, of course (which is not what's at work here), and IMO that's what they really wanted to avoid. But that's a separate matter.

[Jomei]

Even in that case, it's not the alcohol's fault but the one who drinks it. Insisting otherwise would be like blaming the car for a hit-and-run.

Hold on, I'm not saying it's all the alcohol's fault or vice versa. I'm just saying we should be accurate about the relative risks involved in various substances. I'm not in favor of prohibition in either case. But it's important that we point out the discrepancy between the actual respective dangers of these two substances and the level of hysteria Japan (and the US, to a much lesser extent) approaches marijuana compared to alcohol.

[Alaska Slim]

Sorry dude, but the majority don't seem to be with you on that.

What "majority"? Most policy is dictated by well-organized pluralities. Further, since what's being enforced varies on the State, name a policy, you likely don't have a majority for it if you look nationally. Or even if you do, it's rather slim.

Here in Colorado, we passed a vote to Legalize pot and it's not the only state like that. What majority, pray tell, is keeping Federal enforcement where it is? Or is that just Gov't coasting on 40 years of legacy?

Really, what we have are policies upheld by very vocal lobbies in Washington. The Founding Fathers knew that this could happen, Government entities held captive by narrow interests, hence why they originally envisioned a construct of Government where the Federal level was left out of most affairs. States and lower entities handled most domestic responsibilities, and were vetted by the Federal Gov't to ensure they did not violate any of the rights of individuals stipulated in the Constitution.

That all changed in the Progressive era, the product of decades of States abusing their power. Out of it, the Federal Government was empowered to handle domestic responsibilities it hadn't before. Now we see that same abuse occur at the Federal level because (16th amendment) no one can vet the vetter, and relying on the Federal Gov't to vet itself is a play of diminishing returns.


Anyway, comedian; how long exactly can she coast on cosplaying as a 14 year old girl? She's turning 30 this year... then again, I suppose she could just claim the "Shikinami" defense.

[NemZ]

What "majority"?

That would be the majority coalition within the legislative branch formed by the combination of people who actively support these laws, those who don't but will say they do if their constituents seem to like the idea or if they can get some other favor in return, and those who would rather avoid the subject for whatever reason, perhaps to spend their time pushing for other terrible reactionary policies instead.

[slothen]

@Bagheera, you're my new favorite person on these forums.

Then it's too bad for them and the state because my life belongs to me. By that logic you could outlaw ANYTHING that is viewed as somehow risky and that's completely unacceptable.

Only through the lens of radical absolutism. Compromising individual rights to serve the common good is a balancing act, and a subjective one at that. To maintain this compromise, those exceptions to individual rights that have been identified are defined through carefully-worded legal tests. This has been the foundation of our legal system for 200 years, and is not a controversial idea.

The seatbelt issue is a good illustrative example. First, the benefit to society of requiring seatbelts is significant and not subject to debate, while the infringement of individual liberty and burden of compliance is almost nonexistent. Second, the right to not wear a seatbelt is at best an implied right, something that by default shouldn't be messed with, but not explicitly enumerated in the bill of rights. However, as a general rule, the government is allowed to tell you what to do with your property when in a public place, such as a road. There is no "reasonable expectation of privacy" inside your car on a public road.

I'm not advocating wholesale purging of the stupid, but if they make choices for themselves that bring about their early deaths that's just how it is. Everyone has to die sometime. The only caveat I see to this is if a person is declared legally incapable of making reasoned choices for themselves, but that's also another potentially slippery slope waiting to happen.

I believe this as well, in general. However, I would have you consider that we live in a world where forces, sometimes but not always malicious ones, bombard us daily to make bad decisions, only some of which may result in our early death, while others would merely result in bodily injury, illness, or financial ruin. Not everyone dies a clean death, you know.

[moonwolf2024]

Puff puff give everybody.......

[Dream]

There is no "reasonable expectation of privacy" inside your car on a public road.

lol.

[MAGI_01]

I have a few friends that use Marijuana often and I have never tried it myself and I don't have any interest in doing so. I have no issues with them choosing to use it. It's ultimately their choice in my opinion, just like it's my choice not to use it and it's ultimately my choice that I choose to drink alcohol.

Now I did not vote for legalization in my state (I live in Washington) because I disagreed with some aspects of the law but that does not mean I am totally against it.