I was a little worried about you when I read the June 14 article about the seat belt law (“Seat belt law set aside”). Not only was the article factual and unbiased, but it was contrary to your usual liberal views. You can imagine how happy I was to read your opinion in Tuesday’s paper, stating that we should be glad to give up any of our personal liberties in the name of public safety (“Keep clicking it, even if you don’t get ticketed”).
The issue is not whether it is good or bad to wear a seat belt. The issue is the unbridled abuse of police power in the name of public safety. You were right in your opinion when you stated that it is a useful law enforcement tool, because with this law the police only need probable cause to believe that you’re not wearing your seatbelt properly.
William Raspberry summed up what is happening to our liberties in the name of public safety quite nicely in a recent column. Maybe you should read his column again. I hope that not only will you be ashamed of the way you’ve been acting, but that you’ll rethink your position on the issue and in our society.
When you start trading freedom for safety, you have started down the so-called slippery slope, and who knows if and when the rights you personally hold dear will be stripped from you.
Everett
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