Most states now have a mandatory seatbelt law.
Wearing seatbelts is only common sense. We've all heard those 'Luckily, he was thrown from the car...' and 'Thank God I wasn't wearing a seatbelt' stories. I have one of those myself, but mine was more like 'Thank God the duece-and-a-half didn't have seatbelts' as I clambered out of the window and searched for air. The fact is, in most accidents and with some extreme exceptions, the safest place is inside the car. I would no sooner get into a car without buckling up than I would walk in traffic blindfolded. I never allowed my children, and do not now allow my grandchildren, to ride with me without belts or car seats.
That's my choice and it should be anyones choice! So why is there a law?
The physics of accidents are clear. If you are in a bad accident and are thrown from the car, as some hope, you and the car will still travel in the same direction. And being lighter than the car of course, you'll probably be faster to reach whatever stops you. Whatever it is that stops you will do more damage to you than it would have if you were in the car. And after you've stopped, if you've survived the impact, guess what you'll see? Along comes your good friend the car to join you! Yes, wearing seatbelts just makes sense to me.
All this being said, what gives our leaders the right to mandate seatbelt use? I can see mandating working head- and tail- lights. For the safety of the other drivers, who need to see you. I can see mandating working brakes so you don't smash into the poor schmuck. But if some foolish person decides he doesn't want to wear seatbelts it should be his decision. It's his safety at stake, not the other guy's. If what a person does hurts no one else, why is it against the law? Who makes those decisions and what are they doing meddling with personal freedoms?
Sky-diving is still legal, in proper areas, and dangerous only to the diver. How about hang-gliding (and believe it or not, there are no laws to mandate safety straps in hang-gliders). Skiing? Surfing? All these activities are downright dangerous for the person engaging the activity. Why were seatbelts mandated? Seatbelts for kids, yes, we are responsible for their health and lives. Seatbelts for the driver or adult passengers? Since we are responsible for our lives, why are we not alowed that decision?
Now to the Smoking/Tobacco bans in many cities and recently passed in Madison WI.
Studies that have been crammed down our throats have shown that second-hand smoke does indeed affect non-smokers. What we are not allowed to hear is how flawed those studies were. Another thing we are not allowed to see are the reports on and legislation for the metric tons of toxic smoke allowed to flow from industrial smoke stacks every year. Metric tons of noxious, carcenogenic-laced grit is allowed to reach our lungs, but we're bombarded with screams of 'second-hand smoke, second-hand smoke, the sky is falling'.
Before I quit smoking, in consideration of my wife, I smoked outside or in the garage. When I was in public, it never bothered me if someone asked me to refrain. I knew some people thought it a disgusting habit or genuinely disliked the smell of my second-hand smoke, and I had no problem deferring to the comfort of those around me. I also never had a problem with restaurants and public buildings where smoking was prohibited. I would hope most smokers feel that way, too.
Smokers have been going out of their way to comply with what amounts to segregation laws. They go to their smoking areas, often outside, often in horrible weather, to feed an addiction, not to practice a disgusting habit. Restaurants offered smoking and no-smoking seating. There are many restaurants and businesses now that voluntarily prohibit smoking. But a too-controlling faction has decided that no compromise is good enough. In Madison WI, after forcing restaurants to upgrade their air-handling two years ago (at the owners' expense), the local chapter of the Anti-Tobacco League has forced the outlawing of smoking altogether. They don't like smoking and so smokers are just SOL! Public health? I doubt it.
How about personal liberty? The smoking ban in Madison has been bad for many Madison businesses, mainly bars and restaurants, private businesses on private properties. The ban has forced many businesses to reduce employee hours, lay them off and even close down. Smokers who like to have an after-work beer, bowling night or who used to go to restaurants and have a smoke with their coffee no longer stop in Madison bars, bowling alleys or eateries. They go 15 or 20 minutes farther to one of the out-lying towns for their pasttime or repast.
These businesses aren't the only ones affected, either. Other Madison businesses are affected, too. Convenience stores, gas stations and any number of other businesses in the out-lying towns gain the patronage of those people driven from Madison to find their liberty. This template is being repeated all over the United States as a minority of 'live how I want you to' people pressure legislators to infringe on our personal liberties.
Businesses ruined, people unemployed, revenue for one city spent elsewhere. And why? For public health? Children's health? Not likely! These people couldn't care less for your or my health and if they were so worried about the children, why narrow a smoker's area to the home, where the child will be most likely to be exposed? Don't say that too loudly, our homes will be the next targets! And after smoking, what's next?
I enjoyed a chuckle at Rush Limbaugh's characterization of the anti-smoking left as 'Nicotine Nazis', it fits the situation. The factions against smoking, and promoting mandatory seatbelt use and forcing 'public safety' laws that boil down to denying a right, these factions merely have that particular bee in their bonnet. They don't care about 'public health' or your right to direct your own life. They don't like smoking so you shouldn't smoke. They think people are too stupid to look after themselves and force their (admittedly sensible) seatbelt laws. They think they are so much smarter than you are, so you should be forced into their American Dream.
Is this a democracy or a dictatorship? That's up for grabs, but hey, we'll be safe and healthy peasants, right?