From: utzoo!decvax!genradbo!stuart Newsgroups: net.auto Title: seatbelts and freedom Article-I.D.: genradbo.455 Posted: Fri Aug 13 08:17:28 1982 Received: Tue Aug 17 06:27:14 1982 Of course, using a seatbelt tremendously improves your probable condition following a collision. Its excellent insurance at a very low price. BUT SOME PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO BUY THE SEATBELT INSURANCE, even at its low price. The choice is clear and many, many people would prefer to take the risk rather than pay the price of reaching over to fasten their seat belt. That's their choice, and in a 'free country' people are free to take risks, despite the apparent foolishness of such behavior. Individuals are FREE TO FAIL, free to do (apparently) foolish or stupid things. (And what about the few people who survive because they are thrown from their car, because they did NOT use their seat belts?) The desire of millions of purchasers of automobile to NOT purchase the non-optional seatbelts is clear. Millions are being forced to purchase things which they do not want and will not use even after being forced to buy them. The more consistent advocates of using such force claim that we ALL suffer. I leave the argument against that claim as an exercise in understanding how freedom means a right to act, not a right to some *thing*. (HOW do we 'all' suffer?)