Corners of the Cranium

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Rant contest entry

Rules Regulations Restrictions
What kind of Nazi came off with this idea?
“Hey guys I think if we create restrictions on people it will make the world a better place!”
“That is a great idea, lets ban stuff!”
“We will ban all the bad things!”
That was the day the world died. Rules restrict options, rules restrict creativity. How can you possible help people by denying them options! That is much of the world these days, a list of things you can’t do. Turns me cold to realize all how society is killing itself with rules. When I am at home I have rules, not many but some. When I go to school, we have a book dedicated to things people aren’t allowed to do. This is like a stubbed toe on a Monday. Not how I want to start my week. Rules naturally cause conflict as people are bound to break them. Some people are just naturally creative free spirit people, yet they get punished for being awesome. I want to kick a hipster when I think about. Our rules make us all serious because if you breathe some one else’s air, you go to jail. Oh ya, jails got even more rules. Break one rule and you’re unfit for freedom. A risk to society they say. It’s like society deserves to be protected or something. Once you are identified as a rules breaker they add more rules, just so you can break those. Typically your punishment is more rules which you break and spiral into oblivion. Those that avoid breaking rules are squelched or creativity. Like it like pisses me off, like a valley girl does.  Detention doesn’t teach you how to behave, detention scares people into following rules and regulations. I like my Photoshop class a lot, I don’t have to follow rules when I am working. I follow my imagination, an imagination unbounded by rules. Imagination is one of the things that make humans better than animals. We can look at a problem and fix it. Well I can’t fix my problems if rules are allow dividing me.
There is a little voice inside of you saying “Rules keep the bad stuff away, rules protect us” On the surface this seems legitimate however it’s got problems. Buckets of problems, running over, spilling over like a river. Bad is extremely subjective to what the maker of the rule views as bad.  I think microwave radiation from cell phones is bad, and I happen to be a powerful political leader, so I get to ban cell phones. Cell phones obviously aren’t bad; I just believe they are bad. Let’s take a more serious example. I think black people are dumb so I ban their ability to vote in election, own land, or use the same restrooms. Why would spend government resources on people unable to use it properly. Education is a waste of precious government money. Oh! It is true, my study proves black folk are naturally dumb!
We all can see the problem with this thinking.
“BUT it’s backed up by a scientific study!!!”. 
Scientific studies are incredibly easy to skew.
Rules justified some of the horrible events in history. “rules are rules” How many times have you heard that? I hear it again I might just vomit in my mouth. And then shallow it again. Bad things are extremely objective, so banning all bad things is unreasonable and allows oppression. 
Rules don’t protect anyone, banning murder has never stopped anyone determined enough to kill someone. If I’m going to kill someone I’m either going to plan it out in such a way to that I don’t get caught, or it’s going to be a rage crime. In both cases, rules didn’t save a life.
                All these rules make everyone so serious. “Oh don’t say that, it against the rules. You might hurt someone’s feelings.” “Oh don’t do that it’s not safe!!” No one knows how to chill and live free. The more rules we add the more stressed were going to be. “Walk on this line, not that one, you can’t eat that, it’s not healthy, you have to eat your anchovies!”. If I followed all the rules all the time and think I would die. So now I forced to break rules for my health. That’s not a good situation to be in. You just gotta let the seriousness go away! Be chill do what you want to do, pursue happiness.
Finally I would like to conclude with:
Rules are like kanye west, they would be the low point of my presidency too…

1 comment:

  1. I'd like to make several points about this article, just for a negative viewpoint.

    First, it seems to me that societies that have effectively enforced rules function better those without. Lawless societies do not exist.

    Secondly, rules are of utmost importance for those who do not realize the consequences of their actions. Children take time to learn why stealing is wrong, so we have rules for that time before they understand, and a consequence for breaking them.

    The last point I would like to address is that rules cause conflict. Perhaps senseless rules do, but they also protect individual rights. A rule against being disruptive in class causes conflict, but protects the rights of an education for the other students.

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