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From: sm@cadre.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: PISSED OFF
Message-ID: <159@cadre.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 13-Jan-85 18:28:48 EST
Article-I.D.: cadre.159
Posted: Sun Jan 13 18:28:48 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 18-Jan-85 01:49:28 EST
References:  <236@calmasd.UUCP>
Reply-To: sm@cadre.ARPA (Sean McLinden)
Organization: Decision Systems Lab., Univ. of Pgh.
Lines: 42
Summary: 

In article <236@calmasd.UUCP> cjn@calmasd.UUCP (Cheryl Nemeth) writes:
>In article  rfs@loral.UUCP () writes:
>>It all boils down to $$$BUCKS.	They don't care if we kill each other
>>on the streets and freeways.  They're  making MEGABUCKS!!.  Some states
>>are passing mandatory seat belt laws.  Not to keep you and me safe.  Its
>>one more way to make BUCKS. They design the street lines so ...
>
>How can you say that our government is just around to make money? That must
>mean that our society and our people have declined to the point where the
>only meaning left is the mightly dollar. I can't believe that this country
>is still around if that's the only reason for existence.
>
>Seat belt laws: I hope they pass them and I hope they enforce them. Why
>should I have to pay for the extra support services (ambulances, hospitals, 
>paramedics...) that are required just because some idiot couldn't take the
>time to put a simple belt over his/her shoulder and waist? If everyone wore
>belts then perhaps there wouldn't be quite so many deadly accidents that 
>require extra time and tie up the roadways. What's even worse is people
>who let children ride in cars without seatbelts or car seats. How much 
>intelligence does it take to see that wearing belts makes sense and not
>wearing them is something like Russian roulette?
>
>Cheryl Nemeth
>All opinions are my own

How do you feel about cigarette smoking? Millions of your tax dollars
and a good percentage of your medical insurance goes toward support
services for the treatment of smoking related illness (cancer, emphysema,
respiratory disease). Do you support anti-smoking legislation and
elimination of subsidies for tobacco growers? What about alcohol related
injury and disease? Should alcohol be illegal?

Personally, I'm for seat belt laws, but it is interesting to note how
quickly we come to endorse governmental attempts to restrict our behavior
once it is apparent what the financial cost is for not having those
restrictions. Of course, if people simply had more sense... (but then
we wouldn't need a government).

Sean McLinden
University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine