Dan, Frankly my desire for some regulations originates from my own
desire for independence and my unwillingness to pay for your or others'
poor choices.

When folks don't wear seat belts, life jackets or wear motor cycle
helmets, if there are injuries for which insurance, society, or someone
who is sued pays (e.g., in those cases the families cannot afford the
care), then the rest of us pay.

I empathize with your right to chose -- I refuse to pay for it. In my
state, VT, I proposed an alternative to our seat belt law to our House
Majority Leader. Folks could wear helmets or seat belts or not but
insurance companies could refuse to pay for care and folks who were sued
could avoid paying legal damages if that choice contributed to the
extent of injury.

Not only was I laughed out of town, but he asked me about the hidden
costs -- for example the emergency workers who had to pick up the pieces
of avoidable disasters. Why should their work be made any harder.

We will always disagree as a society about regulations that are stupid
and intrusive -- but life jackets, helmets, and seat belts seem very
justifiable by the above criteria to me.

harlan

In article ,
Dan Best wrote:

I can certainly appreciate your concern for my well being, but I prefer
a less "protective" government that you apparently do. Where do you
draw the line? We must certainly disarm everybody (this has got to mean
knives and clubs to be effective - no baseball bats allowed), prevent
them from participating in hazardous sports (boating, rock climbing,
etc.). Criminalize alcohol, smoking, high school football, hot coffee
at McDonalds drive throughs and obesity.

The problem is that once you start protecting me, there is no end of
things that you will want to protect me from.

No thanks!

Don White wrote:
"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...

On Mon, 09 Aug 2004 16:23:21 GMT, "Don White"



wrote:


And about time too! It is a shame that gov't has to legislate 'common
sense' but what can you do?



I hope you are kidding.



Nope! I firmly believe that the gov't (or someone else ) has to protect a
certain percentage of the population from themselves,
....and yes...you are your brother's keeper!



--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?