jeff@heurikon.UUCP (01/22/84)
> I think that both mandatory seat belt and motorcycle helmet laws are > terrible ideas. In a free country, like this one, I should be able to go out > and risk my life by doing such incredibly stupid things like driving my car > without using my seat belt, or riding my motorcycle without my helmet. If I > succeed in killing myself, so be it. It is none of your business to try to > protect me from my own stupidity. Well, Kirk, with an attitude like that I don't think it will be long before you end up in a pine box. The trouble is *I* don't want to be the unfortunate sole who does you in. I don't think I'd feel too much better having killed somebody in an accident knowing that it was their own "incredibly stupid thing" that caused the death. Also, the extra deaths caused by people doing their own stupid things costs all of us still living a lot of money (like police and ambulance services, hospital costs, medical and auto insurance and road repairs). Thus most of us must be protected from some people's "own studidity" in order to make this "free" country worth living in. And another thing! I'm always amazed by the arguments people make on the basis of this being a "free country". Being free dosn't mean any idiot can go and do anything they want, whenever, etc. -- /"""\ Jeffrey Mattox, Heurikon Corp, Madison, WI |O.O| {harpo, hao, philabs}!seismo!uwvax!heurikon!jeff (news & mail) \_=_/ {ihnp4, allegra}!uwvax!heurikon!jeff (mail)