Posted On: August 31, 2004, 12:09 pm CDT

Posted By: Bob Fike

Although I fully agree that it is at a minimum foolish to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, I also feel that doing any dangerous activity without the best safety equipment is at best foolish as well. That said when will the governments intervention into my decisions end. How far is the government willing to go to protect me from myself!

Yes, there is the valid argument that my decisions affect others, but there has to be a balance point somewhere. Once I reach the age of majority and can be held responsible for my decisions from that point forward as long as my actions do not physically harm another person or their property it is my life to do with as I wish, no matter how stupid this may seem to another. To this point I fully understand and agree with the rules that require motorcyclists to where proper eye protection, as the failure to do so has a direct causal effect on the operators ability to operate the vehicle and thereby puts others at risk. Wearing a helmet or for that matter fastening a seat belt does not have a causal effect on the ability to operate the vehicle and therefore does not put the public in general at risk. Yes it does have the potential to negatively impact society as a whole due to the impact the decision places upon the medical community and families of the injured parties but if we are going to legislate every activity that has that risk we will all end up like the boy in the plastic bubble.

Do we as a society truly want the government to dictate our actions? To that I say no, the founders of this country long ago fought for freedom and liberty for all individuals and I find it hard to belief that they would approve of legislating decision making.