Wow…I’d find that funny if it weren’t so tragic. Interesting, though. I can see the essentially libertarian argument that mandatory seat belt laws might be some kind of intrusion on liberties, but common sense should tell you to use them anyway. There’s a big difference between the message of his editorial (which didn’t advocate not wearing seatbelts, but rather postulated that the government was infringing on individual rights by forcing one to wear them) and his not using seatbelts in general. One makes sense or can at least be understood logically, the other is just stupid. A shame, really…but a very interesting story. Thanks.
How’d you hear about this, by the way? Just happened to be passing through Nebraskan news? :)
That pretty much says it all doesn’t it? Have any of you heard my doctor son and his feelings on wearing a motorcycle helmet? It seems like that show on the Sturgis Rally is shown so often on the Travel Channel,I think maybe some of you have. I think his laid-back suggestion works better than a law in a way. He likes the wind in his hair, but he also weighs that against a life as a vegetable. He words it much better than I. I’m glad those I love wear seat belts and wear helmets.
I hope you all do.
You know, they have a gauge for measuring how smart you are. They use a circle for this, so imagine a circle, and put a mark on its edge. This will be your starting point and marks the denomination of “idiot”. As you go through the circle and the further you get from the “idiot” mark the smarter you are. As you pass the midpoint things start getting interesting. You and I are right around the middle, but the closer you get to that “idiot” mark (remember, it is a circle)the more “idiosyncratic” you become. As you get back to where you started, you have two more mark, “Genius” and “Savant”. Einstein, Mozart and other luminaries that were considered geniuses had some weird personality quirk that, if you noticed, is due to the fact that they are getting dangerously close to the “idiot” mark. In Mr. Kieper’s case, this guy was so smart that he did the unthinkable. He passed the “Genius” and “Savant” marks and landed right back on the “Idiot” mark. Which brings us to the sad conclusion that you don’t want to be “too” smart, lest you become an idiot. Does that make sense to anyone?
Like Adam says: it could be funny if it were not tragic. The comment by Tito also defines very well my onion on Derek whose writing skills on behalf of freedom indicates his brilliancy but his lack of judgment reveals his immaturity. It is all so cool when you are 21 . . .but I lost two friends in car crashes because they did not have their seatbelts on – everybody else on their vehicles did and survived – I rest my case.
I had a major argument with a lady two years ago about the same issue. I agree that you have the right to die if you want to. However, your lack of judgment (such as not wearing seatbelts) does have an impact on my rights as a citizen. Health and car insurance costs go up because these type of behaviors, community costs go up because someone may have to take care of those bodies who choose not to wear seat belts and may end-up flying off windows, and most sadly: accidents happen – a fact of life – however, a simple accident in which all involved could simply shake the dust off and walk away, under other circumstances – like when people do not wear seatbelts – all involved may get caught up in law suits, wasted time, additional legal costs, and most terribly: the undeserved guilt of having killed someone – even though this very victim may have made a deliberate choice to exercise his or her so called right to chose.
Wow…I’d find that funny if it weren’t so tragic. Interesting, though. I can see the essentially libertarian argument that mandatory seat belt laws might be some kind of intrusion on liberties, but common sense should tell you to use them anyway. There’s a big difference between the message of his editorial (which didn’t advocate not wearing seatbelts, but rather postulated that the government was infringing on individual rights by forcing one to wear them) and his not using seatbelts in general. One makes sense or can at least be understood logically, the other is just stupid. A shame, really…but a very interesting story. Thanks.
How’d you hear about this, by the way? Just happened to be passing through Nebraskan news? :)
That pretty much says it all doesn’t it? Have any of you heard my doctor son and his feelings on wearing a motorcycle helmet? It seems like that show on the Sturgis Rally is shown so often on the Travel Channel,I think maybe some of you have. I think his laid-back suggestion works better than a law in a way. He likes the wind in his hair, but he also weighs that against a life as a vegetable. He words it much better than I. I’m glad those I love wear seat belts and wear helmets.
I hope you all do.
You know, they have a gauge for measuring how smart you are. They use a circle for this, so imagine a circle, and put a mark on its edge. This will be your starting point and marks the denomination of “idiot”. As you go through the circle and the further you get from the “idiot” mark the smarter you are. As you pass the midpoint things start getting interesting. You and I are right around the middle, but the closer you get to that “idiot” mark (remember, it is a circle)the more “idiosyncratic” you become. As you get back to where you started, you have two more mark, “Genius” and “Savant”. Einstein, Mozart and other luminaries that were considered geniuses had some weird personality quirk that, if you noticed, is due to the fact that they are getting dangerously close to the “idiot” mark. In Mr. Kieper’s case, this guy was so smart that he did the unthinkable. He passed the “Genius” and “Savant” marks and landed right back on the “Idiot” mark. Which brings us to the sad conclusion that you don’t want to be “too” smart, lest you become an idiot. Does that make sense to anyone?
Like Adam says: it could be funny if it were not tragic. The comment by Tito also defines very well my onion on Derek whose writing skills on behalf of freedom indicates his brilliancy but his lack of judgment reveals his immaturity. It is all so cool when you are 21 . . .but I lost two friends in car crashes because they did not have their seatbelts on – everybody else on their vehicles did and survived – I rest my case.
I had a major argument with a lady two years ago about the same issue. I agree that you have the right to die if you want to. However, your lack of judgment (such as not wearing seatbelts) does have an impact on my rights as a citizen. Health and car insurance costs go up because these type of behaviors, community costs go up because someone may have to take care of those bodies who choose not to wear seat belts and may end-up flying off windows, and most sadly: accidents happen – a fact of life – however, a simple accident in which all involved could simply shake the dust off and walk away, under other circumstances – like when people do not wear seatbelts – all involved may get caught up in law suits, wasted time, additional legal costs, and most terribly: the undeserved guilt of having killed someone – even though this very victim may have made a deliberate choice to exercise his or her so called right to chose.