that's because laws aren't created to help people. Justice isn't some natural thing. It serves to protect the interests of those who write the laws and keep order as they see fit. At the risk of sounding pro-anarchy, the legal system is rather shitty at actually protecting the vulnerable and the weak and rather good at protecting those who would hurt them.

I'm pretty much an anarchist myself for this very reason. It's all about making bloated idiots feeling safe while systematically stripping those that actually need protection of their right to defend themselves.

Well, as long as the majority feels safe, the rest of us can burn for all they care.

What's wrong with anarchism? Would that not be just a respect for the non-aggression principal, and private ownership rights?

Honestly, that most people who would call themselves anarchists would die before the initial chaos ended and true, anarchic order began. While I believe we function without laws, government or regulations, I'm also aware of how many people would take this as an opportunity for petty murder of anyone they didn't like or had disagreements with. If you think trans and gay people are persecuted in the States (or anywhere else) then imagine what would happen if those who hated them suddenly could just murder them without fear of consequence. And not only that, people crave order. It's why we build things, why we clean things, it's all a strive for order. So removing governments and laws would, for a lot of people, be scary. So they'd follow a leader, someone strong, and would submit to their will.

Anarchy is a nice idea but it would never work. People are too petty, violent and weak. Even when given true freedom, most of them would blindly follow someone else for the illusion of stability it creates. There will always be leaders and their will always be followers. And the
only difference between a man and a slave is how he feels about the bars of his cage.

Tl;dr

It's more of a healthy disrespect for human nature

No no, the state is far beyond that of organized governments.. You cite several examples in how it cannot work, but you are simply citing other examples of states themselves. Warlords, and priests still count. Equivocations of the state are not examples of how a stateless society would exist.

150 years ago people made similar arguments about the problem of living in a slave free society. 60 years ago we where talking about how to live in a society with polio related costs.. So, you have not made an argument against a stateless society.

You're missing my point. It's not being stateless that I'm against, it's human beings. States formed naturally, you can model it like the evolution of any living organism. But states aren't necessary overall. We could easily live without borders. What we couldn't live without is control. Because people are fundamentally cruel. Look at children, for example. They must be taught how to act and behave because they seem to enjoy breaking things or hurting others. It's actually a psychological period in their development. Humanity is hideously flawed. It wouldn't be long before they reverted to raping, murdering and enslaving each other.

I'm just going to say now that if this little conversation turns nasty I'm going to nuke the shit out of it, mkay? That applies to both of you, as well as anybody else that joins in. I don't want hostile politicrap stinking the place up.

Reios: Your concerns about total anarchy are perfectly valid, but most political anarchists simply want less big government and more self-regulated communities. True, there are lots of assholes who would abuse the situation, but with less overbearing governmental intervention we'd actually be able to defend ourselves more readily against them--humanity as a whole is extremely social and tends toward peaceable cooperation, as in the establishment of settlements and mutual defense agreements. On top of that, I still firmly believe that the majority of people in the world are good people who, while they generally don't understand anything about certain topics and often unintentionally cause offense or pain, would be willing to learn how to understand or at least coexist with those who are different. Troublemakers and criminally violent types are universally shunned for this very reason. The main issue is that lots of things that are perfectly natural or understandable are seen as crimes, which diverts attention from the real, heinous ones.

I guess what I'm saying is, human beings are too destructive and cruel to live in a true anarchy. It would quickly destabilize and fall into disorder.

Blue, Pink and white, the flags of the Trans-Flag. While I was uneasy favoring any vague political sentiment as they usually are drawn up to support some inane policy, it was the colours of the flag that made me go "I know what this is about." I was meant to attend the vigil in the City, but have been housebound by illness.

I'm not one to support political bullshit of any kind, no worries. I made this because I'm transsexual and I and my friends have lost loved ones to those fucking wastes of oxygen that made the day necessary.

What liberty & justice? 'Tis only applies to the groups who have the most power & influence.

And unless those on top are willing to change it, either the underrepresented slip in & alter it little-by-little or rebuild it all from scratch...

Meh... Wonderful piece. It's unfortunate that these individuals lost their lives, though.

My heart goes out to the Trans community.

I appreciate your condolences, thank you. And I agree with you, it's all about whoever's on top. Political inclination doesn't matter, we just have too many shitty people in the world and almost all of them find their ways into positions of power.

There is an inherent contradiction in equal protection under law. The very existence of law establishes a state, a state establishes enforcement, enforcement establishes that force can be used legally, and in one class being able to use force legally, and the other illegally.. ipso facto.. you cannot have equal protection if there is a law...

Hence my strong support for the idea of self-defense and the tools to facilitate that concept.

I am currently praying for those who have died not just this year, but in previous years. Though I am not transgender, I am gay as well as Christian. I agree that self defense is very important.

I'm not going to pretend that gay guys don't have it easier than trans* people do, but all the same, it's important we stick together and try to share resources. It's also important for people to realize that religion and being something other than straight and cis aren't mutually incompatible, although I doubt that's going to happen any time soon. Thank you for your prayers. Even if they don't have a noticeable, physical effect, the thought still means more than can readily be described.

I agree. I was asked by my previous pastor to leave "his" church when he learned I was gay. Thing is I was brought up to be and still am Lutheran. I just have to find the right synod.

Wonderfully vivid and abstract, and pretty powerful!
Well done!