Let’s forget the “guests” label, which I agree can be used condescendingly and in order to marginalize non-native residents. But it’s still a case of “when in Rome, make like the Romans.” I don’t think it’s a good idea to poke the bear in a country that’s so against something. You’ll never win when the social culture and legal system is against your personal choices.
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There are different severities of depravity. In Taiwan, punishments range from fines to death depending on the severity of the offense. Hence murder is punishable with a maximum sentence of death and public insult with short-term imprisonment or a fine. That does not mean that an offense incurring a lighter punishment does not carry moral depravity. If there was no moral depravity, then a certain behavior would not be sanctioned in the Criminal Code or other applicable penal statutes.
Obviously the question of what constitutes moral depravity is fundamtentally of a philosophical nature and historically transient character, but your personal opinion contradicts the laws of the land as amended by the democratically elected legislative body of Taiwan. In other words, Taiwanese society does regard it as an immoral act. That is something to consider - particularly as a non-citizen.
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Start crucifying Christians? A bit extreme, but I’m game.
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That sentence just gave me a man crush.
The mistake the guy made is he should have been smoking ketamine. He’s only really made a bit of a cultural faux pas.
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Absolutely something to consider, couldn’t agree more. But it doesn’t mean you are duty-bound to follow the letter of every law in your daily life. Merely that it is your duty to inform yourself of the law of the land and then to make informed decisions as to how you should regulate your behavior accordingly.
Mmm, chocolate fish…
IKR?
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I think it was very foolish for him to smoke drugs in public. Myself I don’t care what people do as long as it’s not hurting anyone. In Canada I have 3 cousins and cousin in law I guess he would be that are all certified teachers in Ontario and all of them smoke. Not a lot. Less than an average Taiwanese guy drinks. I really don’t think it affects their work as they are very good and kind people. I don’t smoke. Not cause it’s illegal in Taiwan I just don’t like the buzz. That being said, thats in Canada and this is Taiwan and we need to respect the culture and laws here.
What I’m curious about is this being another story where a foriegner does something bad and it’s all over the national news. Lots of Taiwanese guys get busted the same day for the same thing and no one mentions it and it’s just not reported. Think there is a bit of an element of bias with a side of light racism in the reporting in Taiwan.
For example. Single Foreigner makes videos of sleeping with single Taiwanese girls. Is he a pig? Of course. Low class? Obviously. It’s national news in Taiwan for weeks. Single man sleeps around with single girls.
Taipei has how many brothels, those drinking bars where guys go and drink with prostitues, massage parlors, KTVs with girls etc etc. there is a mass industry of these kinds of brothel businesses in Taiwan. On any given Friday or saturday night how packed are these places? Thousands and thousands of men getting happy endings and getting a KTV BJ. I don’t judge, But they are filled with married Taiwanese men so it’s not newsworthy. Doesn’t seem very fair.
Point is I think if they did a report on how many Taiwanese were busted for smoking weed that same night. The numbers would be very “high” ;). But not one arrest made the news. Why is that?
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I honestly haven’t smoked weed since high school and I’m not an English teacher but just don’t understand the targeting of foreign teachers by the original poster. At the very least if he said ALL teachers in Taiwan need to be drug tested. It would seem less racist but still offensive to all teachers instead of just the foreign English teachers.
Why not drug test everyone? I don’t want a high cook dropping things in the food before it’s served to my kids.
I’d like to see cops drug tested for sure. The blank stares I see when they watch cars drive though a red light are almost proof they are high.
It sounds like what the original poster is saying is that if someone smokes weed on a Saturday night they are a pedophile by Monday and unfit to say the alphabet to some 5 year olds. Seems a bit of a stretch but if this is true then everyone in every industry should be drug tested monthly. If I get a physical I want to know if a doctor is really checking my prostate or he’s just high.
There are loads of Taiwanese living
In Canada illegally now. More than all other illegals in Taiwan from all countries combined. So… it happens.
First of all: He probably wanted to demonstrate his rights to do to his body whatever he pleases doing to it. In my opinion, this is a fundamental right that should not be violated by any law.
The way he did it was on a special day, special location and in a very open manner.
Secondly: There are different regulations that do not violate his rights like,
possession, trafficking, buying and selling (dealing).
Consumption is forbidden in Taiwan which in my opinion, is a violation of my privacy.
Third: Instead of making his statement, he will end up apologizing, telling everyone how bad this was what he did, that pot is so bad and that he feels such a shame being such a bad person. And this all so he gets a reduced sentence.
Last not least: If you can’t live without marijuana/hashish, don’t live in Taiwan.
If you want to make a statement like this, do it in Norway, Sweden or Germany where the jails are pretty comfortable, more like a hotel.
Even in Canada where people openly smoke it, it is still illegal as of now, and most people have the common sense not to walk around downtown smoking in public. People with sense do it at home.
Likely the smokers in Taiwan do the same.
This guy was just asking for it, seeing how far he could fluant the law
So you can do to your body whatever you want and government should disregard public health in favor of a twisted notion of privacy. But I bet you still want to get treatment through the NHI - paid for by healthy people who contribute rather than leech.
I’m glad it’s a democratically elected parliament that makes the laws in Taiwan and not a single guy on Forumosa with strong opinions.
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Not really. It’s paid for by all kinds of people including many who are doing all kinds of legal things which are harmful to their health (and certainly a good sight more so than our teacher’s measly scraps of marijuana.) So I don’t think this applies here, at least.
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The legality of other harmful behaviors does not infer that consuming illegal drugs is not an unhealthy behavior incurring NHI expenditures at the expense of health-conscious persons or should even be legalized.
Consumption is forbidden in Taiwan which in my opinion, is a violation of my privacy.
Which means that I am entitled to my opinion.
Also there are enough regulations to achieve the desired goal, no cannabis.
Smuggling, growing producing, trafficking, dealing, possession.
Why invade our privacy then?
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But you’re not objecting to huge amounts of other people doing frankly much worse if legal things at the expense of health conscious persons. Whatever you’re objecting to, it does not seem to be the health aspect of marijuana smoking and its relation to NHI expenditures.
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