Quote:
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Originally Posted by Paugus Bay Resident
"...What happened to freedom of choice, personal responsibility, free market enterprise, etc., etc? It seems more and more that people want the government to take resposibility for them when they are perfectly capable of doing it themselves..."
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Answers?
We've gotten smarter, and it's gotten crowded.
1) As to tobacco smoke: Shall we return to those LFOD days when smoking was permitted anywhere aboard a commercial jet aircraft?
2) As to helmets, Woodsy can relate a LFOD story regarding helmet-free motorcycling and a wandering deer. (Our nanny-state requires the wearing of eye protection also, but there's that enforcement thingy again).
3) As to seatbelts, it'd be my preference that you be belted-in behind the steering wheel rather than try to steer from the passenger's footwell should you be punted by another vehicle into my lane.
4) Following countless unprovoked attacks, Ontario [Province] has banned pit-bull ownership: Where does a LFOD-defense enter here?
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Grant
"...where do common sense, self preservation and responsibility come into play?
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5) Many years ago, wouldn't you object to a stranger's placing
their spitoon on
your restaurant table? It's no different than with smoking—except that tobacco smoke is worse!
6) Most self-preserving tourists (and all the non-smokers among us) might balk at visiting a new restaurant: Restaurants would be helped by a ban!
7) It's not a LFOD issue with Senators. They are being real smart to keep the cigarette tax money flowing: It's a $463 million budget-balancer and is flowing-in from all NH borders.
8) Responsibility? Every cigarette butt in the street (and lake) bears mute testimony to that.
Alternately, we can strike a balance, which is what I would strive for. Most people agree that society needs basic human decency to function, even if this takes away your personal liberty to drive 60-MPH in a school zone or play fetch with your pitbull at a playground.