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From: dhs@iddic.UUCP (David H. Straayer)
Newsgroups: net.legal
Subject: Re: Seat Belts and Big Brother
Message-ID: <2133@iddic.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Aug-85 12:44:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: iddic.2133
Posted: Mon Aug 19 12:44:37 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Aug-85 07:58:49 EDT
References: <316@baylor.UUCP> <145@batman.UUCP> <2193@amdcad.UUCP>
Reply-To: dhs@iddic.UUCP (David H. Straayer)
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 45


In article <804@burl.UUCP> you write:
>In article <2106@iddic.UUCP> dhs@iddic.UUCP (David H. Straayer) writes:
> (quote from my article on responsibility and risk taking)

I'm not sure, but I think you are agreeing with me.  It is a little
confusing to read a followup to one's own posting and never be quite
sure if one is being agreed with or ridiculed!

>Society decides that motorcycles are "dangerous" and raises insurance?
>Maybe you should worry about society deciding that motorcycles are
>"dangerous" and BANNING them.
>
>alias: Curtis Jackson	...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd mgnetp ]!burl!rcj

My thesis is:
  1: society is getting over-protective (seatbelt laws, no bottles,...),
  2: people are often irresponsible,
 therefore,
     When defending one's right to take risks, your case will be
     stronger if you make it clear that you are willing to assume
     responsibility for the consequences of your actions.

You seem to (I'm not sure) be objecting to paying higher insurance
rates for motorcycles.  If motorcycles are a more dangerous form of
transportation than automobiles (probably a safe assumption), then those
higher rates are a reflection of reality.  If you expect the same low
rates as auto drivers, then you are expecting others to be assuming some
of your risks.

So what is your position on being willing to accept the consequences of
your risk taking? I'm not sure if it is:

 (a) I have a god-given right to take any risk I damn well please, and
     any attempt to interfere with it is unacceptable!
          (or)
 (b) I want to protect my right to take risks by accepting their
     consequences.  This may mean paying more insurance.  It may mean
     being limited in my ability to sue sue someone after I'm injured
     while doing risky things.

Please respond with (a), (b), or some understandable rewording of
either.

David H. Straayer