As I read letters from people commenting on the seatbelt law, I find myself getting angry. Angry that in a society where freedoms were won at such a high cost, there are so many people who would squander those freedoms. Am I the only one alarmed by writers such as Frank Stewart (“Laws are a result of stupid people” July 31) who believe that we as adults are not capable of making decisions that affect only us?
Yes, stupid people do stupid things, and when those stupid things infringe on my rights, then yes, it is a good idea to pass laws to protect those rights. For example, the leash law is a balanced attempt to protect my right to enjoy public places unmolested by other citizens’ pets. But the leash law exists to protect my rights, not infringe upon them. This is not so with the seatbelt law. The seatbelt law exists simply to legislate against poor judgement. It is not government’s job to protect me from myself.
When our country was born, the framers of the constitution identified very few specific roles for government. They were as concerned about what government should not do as with what it should. Personal liberty and protecting it were so important that the Bill of Rights was added almost immediately. As our country has grown up, this construct of personal liberty has eroded and degraded to a point I think the framers would not recognize.
Ultimately, we must decide as citizens what kind of a society we want to live in: a free one where each citizen’s right to make personal decisions is respected by government, or a very different one, where personal decisions are legislated by an “I know best” government.
I am angry at a complacent society that stands by while the liberty that we enjoy is gradually given away as we legislate “good behavior.” I fear that one day soon, if we are not careful, liberty will not be the only Constitutional guarantee that has been redefined, and my pursuit of happiness will also have been legislated into a list of do’s and don’ts found acceptable by my government. Scary, huh?
Snohomish
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