Posted On: March 18, 2005, 4:28 pm CST

Posted By: Bill Kirven

Nothing like a little "personal freedom" issue to get the blood boiling and logic thrown out the window. Fortunately, our laws don't discriminate against those who fail to protect themselves or just do something stupid. The fact is, those who turn themselves into vegetables become the burden of someone else, and when that fails (which is almost always), then upon all of us through Medicaid or injury fund. (Did I read somewhere that MI recently had to impose an assessent to keep its injury fund solvent?) If we could just stack the dead and injured along side the road like so much cord wood based on their "persoanl freedom" choice (and ours not to have to take on their burden), it might work, but that isn't the real world. As a society, we respect life, even those of people who do not value their own. So, like it or not, 22 dead and hundreds injured become the burden of all of us so a select few can enjoy a little extra exhileration at our expense. If you want an idea of what that expense is just look to the premiums Mr. McLeod complains about. They are based upon the cost of taking care of those who bother to buy insurance. While those who support the repeal claim they are getting government out of their lives, I think they are really saying I can act irresonsibly because I know the government will have to take care of me. The repeal is an incredibly bad idea that serves no valid public interest.