@McGentrix,
18 to smoke — research discovers link to cancer and danger of addiction, wait until you're more mature
21 to drink — experience demonstrates bad consequence, wait until you're old enough
18 to get a tattoo — wait until you're old enough to make this kind of decision
no smoking in public bldgs — danger of second-hand smoke, littering concerns
drugs are illegal — some drugs are dangerous, no nodding out at work please
prostitution is illegal — subjects women to danger and degradation
cannot tell a woman her butt looks big in those pants — why in hell would anyone do this?
Some extreme examples:
limits on large soda drinks — this one really floors me — buy two of them then!
Must bring pregnancy to term...
None of the other laws interfere with the intimate lives of people. Some of them recognize the rights of adults that don't apply to children, some are concerned with public health and workplace safety. I think the prohibition of abortion is significantly more intrusive than say, mandatory seat belt laws. It's significantly more intrusive than a hypothetical decree that men must sit down to urinate.
Think of it — your birth control failed, your partner lied about getting a vasectomy, your fetus is not viable, delivery is likely to injure or kill you, you're mentally unstable and realize you're just not cut out for 18 years of child-rearing — if find yourself in any of these unfortunate circumstances and
you must bring the pregnancy to term...well, it kind of makes having to smoke on the sidewalk look rather trivial.
