Epoch

http://www.dailynebraskan.com/vnews/...d?in_archive=1


http://www.journalstar.com/articles/...9784029686.txt



Cliff notes: "Bright" student writes an article about how seatbelt laws are bullshit and how they are an economic waste and an imposition on our personal security. Four months later, he is in a car accident where the car rolls... He is ejected and dies on the scene, while his friends who were wearing their seatbelts are treated for minor injuries h:

I hate to poke at someone's death like this... but sometimes, people just ask for it :dunno:

bluetwo

Hmm. That sucks, but you can't live life hoping to always just get lucky. If it weren't for safety measures we'd all have died a long time ago.

Black2KGSR

He still has a point. Sure, seatbelts save lives, but it's not the government's place to tell people that they have to wear them or suffer a fine.

Plus, he was sitting in the backseat...who wears their seatbelt in the backseat anyway?

bluetwo

Don't get me wrong. I love the freedom we enjoy :usa:. But sometimes people have to be told what to do. Not everyone can think for themselves, and will not only endanger themsleves, but others as well...
I drive without a belt in certain situations such as one where I'm moving my car from one place to another, and sometimes if I'm only driving a couple hundred yards, and I do it because I believe that I can decide whether I need it or not.
But I know from experience that sooner or later peoples luck runs out. You can't keep "pushing it" because eventually it'll catch up to you.

GenXer

That's like when Gary Busey sp? was vocal against helmet laws, then he had an accident on his motorcycle and almost died from head injuries.

I don't know whether the gov't should make adults use seat belts or not, but it's certainly common sense these days. However, I do think that it should be a law to buckle children in, and babies in a car seat since they are incapable of making an informed decision, or doing it for themselves.

I found these feedback comments on that story in the Daily Nebraskan interesting:

"Well Derek, when you fly through the windshield, make sure my insurance rates don't rise to cover your "freedom"."

"Derek, my dear boy. What you fail to understand is that the government has to pay for the medical bills of people injured in car crashes when they're uninsured. Since the government therefore has an interest at stake, they may mandate the use of seatbelts in order to reduce the strain on taxpayers. Make sense?"

prophetic comment...
"How do you think your family would feel if it were you that never made it home?"

Anthony

my seatbelts are automatic so i don't have to put them on myself....i miss the manual seat belts

Dweezel

So my friend named a fish after her boyfriend and the fish died the same day he broke up with her. Thats symbolic/ironic as well, right?

DakarM

that's not ironic, symbolic maybe but that's not irony.

bluetwo

Irony would be a whale poacher getting impaled by a whale harpoon and dragged back in like a fish. (or an aquatic sea mammal) I think....

I generally only discuss Irony if it's really funny.

jlammy

I don't like the fact that he died, but his article was a piece of garbage.

#1. Driving is not a RIGHT. It is a PRIVILEGE.

priv·i·lege ( P ) Pronunciation Key (prv-lj, prvlj)
n.

A special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste. See Synonyms at right.
Such an advantage, immunity, or right held as a prerogative of status or rank, and exercised to the exclusion or detriment of others.
The principle of granting and maintaining a special right or immunity: a society based on privilege.
Law. The right to privileged communication in a confidential relationship, as between client and attorney, patient and physician, or communicant and priest.
An option to buy or sell a stock, including put, call, spread, and straddle.

tr.v. priv·i·leged, priv·i·leg·ing, priv·i·leg·es
To grant a privilege to.
To free or exempt.

With that said, the government can and has imposed laws on this privilege. Rights? Umkay...whatever. Also, if you think about it, these rights he spoke of does affect others. Who is to say that his parents won't sue the driver if something happens to him when he is a passenger in the car? It's somewhat late, but that's one thing. Also, how about the insurance rates? Because you know that something like this will increase premiums one way or another...I know it's a rather poor reason, but it's a possible contributing factor.

Just my $0.02.