Hitch Your Wagon to a Star?

On March 26. 1997 39 members of the Heaven's Gate cult committed suicide in an attempt to catch a ride with a spaceship hiding in the wake of the Hale-Bopp comet.  Had authorities known of these plans would they have been justified in arresting the cult members to prevent their deaths?  After all, police officers forcibly prevent suicides all the time?  What about a Jehovah Witness who refuses a blood transfusion for a life saving operation?  Should the state force him or her to have the operation to save her or his life?  What about a mountain climber who wants to ascend a dangerous Himalayan mountain peak in the middle of winter?  Would authorities be justified in arresting her or him to prevent such a foolhardy ascent?  Or do individuals have a right to engage in harmful behavior that is meaningful to them?

Highways and Protests

In On Liberty, Mill vigorously defends the right of citizens to assemble and express their views.  Yet how far does that right extend?   A bill in Iowa proposes making protesting on a highway a felony subject to as much as five years in prison.   Its proponent cites safety concerns around the obstruction of police and fire vehicles.   However, civil liberties claim it and similar laws have a chilling affect of free speech and the right to protest.  What would Mill say about all this?  Which side of the debate is correct (or is there some third or middle position that is correct)?  Is there a right to protest even if it prevents me from getting work on time?

A Right to Hate?

A white supremacist wants to advocate his political views on a billboard in a majority African-American neighborhood.   A neo-Nazi group wants to march in a city with a large number of Holocaust survivors.  A conservative Christian passes out literature denouncing the legitimacy of gay marriage outside of a wedding chapel.  Are these actions examples of hate speech?  If so, should they be legally permitted according to Mill?  Is he correct?  What should the state do about speech that discriminates or preaches intolerance?