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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ucbvax!kre
From: kre@ucbvax.ARPA (Robert Elz)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.legal
Subject: Re: Seat Belts
Message-ID: <9389@ucbvax.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 27-Jul-85 07:28:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.9389
Posted: Sat Jul 27 07:28:26 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Jul-85 06:42:41 EDT
References: <316@baylor.UUCP> <783@burl.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Lines: 22
Xref: linus net.politics:9469 net.legal:1530

In article <783@burl.UUCP>, rcj@burl.UUCP (Curtis Jackson) writes:
> My solution to seatbelt, helmet, anti-suicide, and other such 'preventative'
> laws is simple:  get rid of them.  You're going to tell me that I can't
> take a risk that endangers no one but me?  You're going to tell me that
> I can't kill myself if I want to?  Rubbish!

While the risks may endanger no-one but you (perhaps), its not true that
they harm no-one but you.  When you are injured, your insurance pays you,
and I pay your insurance company.  You sit in hospital and use the last
bed, so the hospital has to build a new wing, and I pay for it.  You
croak, and use the last cheap plot in the cemetery, so now I have to
buy a more expensive one.  After all this, your "freedom" has still
not stopped costing me ...  Now your ex-employer has to employ someone
else, and train them, I pay more for his product.

So, please, if you want to kill yourself, do it in some way that
everyone knows that's what you are doing, and make sure that you
succeed, no insurance, no hospital.  That still doesn't recover
all the costs, but it at least will save some of them.  Remember
that society has an investment in you - you owe us!

Robert Elz				ucbvax!kre