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From: maurice@nmtvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: seat belts, common sense, America's declining intelligence
Message-ID: <486@nmtvax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-May-85 20:13:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: nmtvax.486
Posted: Tue May  7 20:13:55 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 12-May-85 00:17:04 EDT
References: <>
Reply-To: maurice@nmtvax.UUCP (Roger M. Levasseur)
Organization: Insert cute organization title here
Lines: 51
Summary: 


>        The seat belt issue is interesting in the fact that all of a
>sudden we have new laws to protect ourselves. The seat belt law, the 
>child seat law, the school bus stopping law. Funny, when I was in grade
>school, (1960) there was no school bus law, I was taught by my parents
>that crossing the street without looking could get you killed. It seemed
>to work then. Now the kids are told to cross in front of the bus and
>not to worry because the drivers have to stop. This is more dangerous
>than no law at all. Perhaps these laws are really meant to increase 
>profits for insurance companies. If the death rate declines because
>of the seat belt law, will your insurance costs decrease ? Don't hold
>your breath on that one. Why all this concern about our safety, could
>it be that they want as many taxpayers around as they can get ?. Are
>people becoming more stupid as time goes on (i.e on a box of staples
>the discalmer "Warning - Staples have sharp points") Oh really, I did'nt
>know that !!
>
>         Maybe we are turning into a nation of idiots. If we keep it up
>there will be laws to regulate and control more and more parts of our
>lives. Perhaps they will outlaw car jacks because people might crawl
>under the car and get crushed. "If tire deflates, call authorized
>service personel" Keep it up America, Stare at the four cornered
>world called television and there will be nothing left upstairs. You
>will work and pay taxes and consume, but you will be devoid of
>common sense. But the gov't will step in and protect us from ourselves.

  I think all these laws and warnings are being created just so every
body gets their a*s covered.  The way many people are today, they
will sue at the slightess accident or misshap. These laws and warnings
are the manufacturers or govenments way of keeping themselves covered
from being sued (and sued BIG).  With more than 230 million Americans 
I am sure there are plenty of "dumb" people that I will have to watch
out for. Hell, when I have a kid of my own someday, I'm not going to
tell them there are laws to protect you, I'm going to tell them that
there are *dumb* people in this world that you will have to watch out
for yourself. If this (currently hypothetical) kid of mine walks 
accross the street in front of a bus and doesn't look anyhow, they will
receive a piece of my mind very quickly.  Some people just don't think
for themselves, or should know better.  Perhaps the government is
trying to protect us from ourselves, but I think they are only trying
to protect the idiots from themselves, and the rest of us from them.
I remember this line from high school, can't remember who wrote it
or where I read it, but it went like this:

       Common sense and common knowledge are the
       two most uncommon things in this world.

I think it contains a lot of truth in it.

       Roger M. Levasseur
       {ucbvax | lanl} !unmvax!nmtvax!maurice