Democracy = slavery (appearantly)

My roommate and I had an interesting mini-conversation on the ride home yesterday pertaining to how much should the government interfere with our lives.

We brought up the topics of illegal drugs, immigration, as well as seat belt laws (coupled with basic traffic laws). Interestingly enough, the seat belt topic was the most interesting. Why should we have a govt where they (read: powers that be) are, for all intensive purposes, mandating that we wear their little car-harness? Of course, this isn't the best mootable topic, as it's plain to see why we should wear them. They do, in fact, save lives - arguing that is laughable at best, and pathetic, at worst.

The question still stands:

Why should our government tell us what is best for us? Who regulates them? Why do I need someone telling me what kind of soda-pop is 'bad' for me, so they take it off the market. Why do I need an entity that I can't stand up against telling me what substances are 'good' or 'bad' for me, or more easily put, what is 'right' or 'wrong'?

I'm not trying to digress back to natural selection (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection), or even 'survival of the fittest', but why not let people either advance how they choose, or destroy themselves, again, as they choose. Telling me that drinking alcohol is 'ok', because very wealthy people made it legal a long while ago, but smoking marijuana is against the law is just perposterous (not to mention growing Hemp (of which, you can't even get 'high' from)).

We need one of the Presidential canditates to step up and challenge this with full force. Some may say that Ron Paul is the answer, but I can't condone that attitude. No one-man-force is going to change the laws in this country, except for our current ruler (Patriot Act, et. al.). We need the people to step up and help make my vision a reality.

In short, I don't need the govt to tell me what is right and wrong when it comes to non-violent 'crimes' and what I want to do with my body. Isn't abortion legal in most states? If a woman can legally abort a baby, why can't she, in the same breath of "yes, shove that 'hanger up there", light up a doobie?

Sorry, that was a tad graphic.

Jots