• Twitter
  • Facebook
News-Sentinel.com Your Town. Your Voice.
Opening Arguments

Stupid does, stupid pays

The Muncie Star Press trots out the worst argument there is for mandatory motorcycle helmets:

It's a safety issue that supersedes personal freedom. An unhelmeted rider is likely to suffer a serious head injury, and those medical expenses contribute to soaring health premiums, which we all pay, and adds to Medicare. Often, those who suffer head injuries never fully recover.

The list of behaviors we can engage in that put us at risk is a very long one. The argument that our personal freedom must be curtailed to avoid higher costs for others is dangerous -- it's an invitation for greater and greater control of our private lives; you don't have to work very hard to see that slippery slope. The right approach is not more and stricter regulations but a stronger commitment to individual responsibility. If I behave stupidly, it's not your job to make it all better for me.

Quantcast