# What are your most extreme, honestly held views? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649 "2012-01-16T01:43:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/221 "2012-01-17T22:23:14Z")
I think that the driving laws need to be redone. The cops shouldn’t be sitting out pulling people over for doing the same basic speed that the rest of us are going. This is mostly for highways and out of town. The other side is though that they should really be pulling people over for speeding in town where people try and cross the road and kids play. Cops should not be able to get away with speeding well above the limit, especially on the highways. If I can get in trouble for going 10 miles over then so should you. That really goes for in towns, I don’t need to see cops going 50+ in a 30mph zone. I think that getting a drivers license should be a lot harder. No more parallel parking for 10% of your driving class. Drunk driving should not be tolerated at all. There should be severe penalties for it. Everyone should learn to ride a motorcycle and be forced to ride them in traffic for at least one year. This way people can see how bad others drive and how to drive better. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/222 "2012-01-17T22:43:55Z")
How about instead of putting convicted criminals in jail, they have their crimes tattooed on their faces? The punishments would (theoretically) naturally follow, rather than hosting the criminal on the state’s dime for X number of months or years. ---
**Author:** ![Stelios](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Stelios](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stelios)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/223 "2012-01-17T23:11:43Z")
My extremist beliefs:[ul] [li] Presidential elections should be 100% taxpayer funded. Each candidate gets ten million dollars. That’s it. No political donations from anyone. Not Omnicorp, not your grandma, _not anyone_. If that means candidates can’t purchase as much airtime or billboards…_good!_ Everyone hates all this horserace bullshit anyway. Furthermore, Presidential campaigning of any sort shall be strictly forbidden until 3 months before the date of the election. The Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated and rigidly enforced throughout. Say whatever you want the rest of the time, but during those 3 months, every broadcaster and journalist should adhere to strict impartiality guidlines. The penalties for breaking them should be severe. PAC’s should be illegalised. [/li] Congresspersons and Senators _will_ be allowed to accept private donations. However, these donations should be capped at $1000.00. Congressional and Senatorial candidates must name _all_ donors, corporate or individual, regardless of the amount donated. Once in office, no politician should be allowed to accept any gifts of any kind at any price from anyone for any reason ever (excluding family members, obviously). The receipt of a $1.00 gift certificate should be enough to permanently disqualify any politician from office. Large scale political corruption should be punishable by life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. I’d like to say ‘by death’, but I’m anti-capital punishment, although I’m sorely tempted to make an exception for corrupt pols. Upon leaving office, congresspersons, senators, and Presidents should continue to receive their wages for five years. In return, they should be forbidden from seeking any gainful employment of any sort with anybody. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to run for office. [li] The cane is an excellent way to administer classroom discipline. And corporal punishment is an excellent alternative to prison for petty criminals. [/li] Drunk drivers should have their licenses revoked for life. If they kill anyone, they should be charged with murder. No second chances. [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/224 "2012-01-17T23:35:24Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I’m amused at the contradiction here. So abortion a-ok but you die for hurting dogs. There is no contradiction there. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/225 "2012-01-17T23:51:41Z")
This has been a very interesting thread so far. Honestly, if some of these ideas were implemented on a large scale I expect that we’d all be trying to slit each others throat. ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/226 "2012-01-17T23:55:47Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > considering that the same meat could have been obtained 100x more easily by going to the supermarket and buying it already prepared? It’s a lot easier for me to shoot elk/deer/bear and fill the freezer than it is to earn enough money to buy a comparable amount of beef from a retailer. Don’t get me wrong, it’s possible to spend a lot of money on hunting but it’s also possible to make a small investment for a much greater return. I love hunting but I feel anxious until my dad or I shoot something; it’s no fun to run out of meat in the summer and have no way to replace it until fall. That said, I love hunting and I deeply resent the attitude that something is wrong with me because I enjoy it. I don’t think non-hunters are wrong or pussies so I don’t appreciate the bullshit assertion that I’m violent or fucked in the head because I like killing things. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/227 "2012-01-17T23:57:22Z")
People who abuse animals should be treated in an identical manner. "You chopped off that dog’s leg? OK, now we chop off your leg. And guess what; he still has three. You’re down to one." mmm ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/228 "2012-01-17T23:59:41Z")
It’s ok to declaw a cat under anesthesia using the laser method. Anyone in power who suggests invading another country should be executed. From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs. George W. Bush was the (metaphorical) antichrist. ---
**Author:** ![murrmac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@murrmac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/murrmac)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/229 "2012-01-18T00:13:34Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Cops should not be able to get away with speeding well above the limit, especially on the highways. If I can get in trouble for going 10 miles over then so should you. That really goes for in towns, I don’t need to see cops going 50+ in a 30mph zone. I do sincerely hope that you don’t ever experience some deranged junkie knifing one of your family, with the cops arriving too late, apologizing because they had to wait for 10 minutes while some 90 year old crossed the road. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/230 "2012-01-18T00:48:36Z")
> [@murrmac](#): > > I do sincerely hope that you don’t ever experience some deranged junkie knifing one of your family, with the cops arriving too late, apologizing because they had to wait for 10 minutes while some 90 year old crossed the road. I would assume he means when it’s NOT an emergency. Cops speed all the time without their lights and sirens on. > [@Chopper9760](#): > > That said, I love hunting and I deeply resent the attitude that something is wrong with me because I enjoy it. I don’t think non-hunters are wrong or pussies so I don’t appreciate the bullshit assertion that I’m violent or fucked in the head because I like killing things. Yeah, it’s hard to imagine how liking to kill things could ever indicate a problem. If not liking to kill things doesn’t, then liking to can’t either. That’s how things work. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/231 "2012-01-18T00:54:09Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > How about instead of putting convicted criminals in jail, they have their crimes tattooed on their faces? The punishments would (theoretically) naturally follow, rather than hosting the criminal on the state’s dime for X number of months or years. I rather like this one. ---
**Author:** ![Cryptic\_C62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cryptic\_C62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cryptic_C62)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/232 "2012-01-18T01:58:03Z")
I believe that honesty really is the best policy, though not because of morality or any bullshit like that. If you don’t lie for a long period of time, you either learn to not make decisions that will embarrass you when brought up in conversation later, or you learn to just be confident in what you do and not really worry about what other people think. Both are great! Also, it’s fun to meet new people and see their reactions when you say “I don’t lie. Ever.” ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/233 "2012-01-18T02:19:26Z")
I don’t want to bring up abortion again but most people tend to leave out opinions like mine in the polls. Back when I was young and much more philosophical, I was anti-abortion because I thought the supporters were making just making arbitrary distinctions to support their own purposes without good philosophical ways to back it up. Then the book Freakonomics came out and I found out that the plummeting crime rate in America and other parts of the world is due, in large part, to likely felons never being born thanks to widespread abortions among the populations most likely to produce them. Practicality trumps philosophy every time in my book these days especially since I had children. Voluntary, selective eugenics is A-OK in my book and I am not just pro-choice but actively pro-abortion in most cases these days in a golf clap kind of way. End that socioeconomic and genetic line now so the rest of us won’t be dealing with the consequences for generations to come. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/234 "2012-01-18T04:05:10Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I don’t want to bring up abortion again but most people tend to leave out opinions like mine in the polls. Back when I was young and much more philosophical, I was anti-abortion because I thought the supporters were making just making arbitrary distinctions to support their own purposes without good philosophical ways to back it up. > > Then the book Freakonomics came out and I found out that the plummeting crime rate in America and other parts of the world is due, in large part, to likely felons never being born thanks to widespread abortions among the populations most likely to produce them. Practicality trumps philosophy every time in my book these days especially since I had children. Voluntary, selective eugenics is A-OK in my book and I am not just pro-choice but actively pro-abortion in most cases these days in a golf clap kind of way. End that socioeconomic and genetic line now so the rest of us won’t be dealing with the consequences for generations to come. That idea is bullshit as abortion have decline since the 80s yet crime rates continue to go down tremendously. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/235 "2012-01-18T05:39:52Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > That idea is bullshit as abortion have decline since the 80s yet crime rates continue to go down tremendously. I’m sure you have a study to back that up. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/236 "2012-01-18T06:47:55Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Why not fit young men with a chastity belt? Why not fit young women with a chastity belt? ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/237 "2012-01-18T07:01:37Z")
I believe it was precisely **even sven** ’s point to question why the burden should be placed exclusively on the female gender. ---
**Author:** ![what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/what_do_I_type_here)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/238 "2012-01-18T07:11:13Z")
I admire any man who can troll a ship full of people so hard that some of them die. Edit: Also Fox canceled Arrested Development at pretty much the right moment. The show was getting stale, and Lindsay jumping on Michael was kind of a shark jumping moment. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/239 "2012-01-18T11:32:38Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Maybe this is just hashing semantics, but doesn’t the very notion of hunting in modern society imply that it’s always _primarily_ for sport even if the meat is eaten, considering that the same meat could have been obtained 100x more easily by going to the supermarket and buying it already prepared? If people choose to hunt, its because they like all the sporting aspects of “connecting with the great outdoors”/their primal instincts, firing rifles, and all that hardcore DIYer-type stuff. It’s not like a person thinks “I need meat to eat” and their first logical thought is “go hunting” as the best/easiest way to obtain it. Ergo, it’s always for “sport” whether the meat is preserved and eaten or not. I’ve always considered hunting to be roughly the same as gardening. It’s simply challenging yourself to gather your own food (and like gardening, the result usually tastes better). ---
**Author:** ![scratch\_llll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@scratch\_llll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch_llll)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649/240 "2012-01-18T13:05:47Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > That such a thing as healthy, consentual child-adult sex is possible. About as rare as using heroin as a recreational drug without abusing it, but possible. I believe that anyone who has shown a propensity to act on this belief should be killed to save the future psyche of a child as they are a predatory animal incapable of understanding the need or pupose of protection of the most vulnerable among us. I also have no interest in what someone who thinks in such a way thinks about the way I think as they have already discredited their character to a point beyond the need to pay attention. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-most-extreme-honestly-held-views/609649.md?page=13)