Published: July 23, 2009 01:47 pm      

Letter to the Editor - July 24

To the Editor:



The Friday, June 26, 2009 "Rant & Rave" column contained two "Rant"s complaining about the seat belt law -- one claimed that it was unconstitutional, that the writer had a right to harm his own body if he so chose, and the following one said that he had observed law enforcement officials not wearing their seat belts so why should he?

The answer to both questions appeared in the tragic story on page one of the July 8th edition of the Democrat -- "Crash kills 1, injures 4." In that story, three people were riding in a pickup truck that was struck by another vehicle and the mother of a 6-year-old boy was killed. Unfortunately, no one in that vehicle was wearing a seatbelt, the two other passengers were seriously injured, and the young woman was killed. THAT is why the government has the right to pass laws to keep people from harming themselves. When it is in the public's best interests to act in a certain way, the government can demand certain behavior. That is why we cannot drive drunk. That is why we have to get certain inoculations for our children before they enter kindergarten. That is why doctors have to go through intensive training before they are allowed to practice on patients. Do you want your high school graduate neighbor to take out your appendix? Rules are a part of civilized living. Abiding by them is part of being a civilized human being and caring about your fellow man.

When the rule for seat belts became law in New York in 1984 my husband and I were not happy campers, but we had recently taken in a small girl and we knew the only way we would be able to teach her to use a seat belt was by doing so ourselves. For the first few months it was a royal pain, but gradually it became as automatic as turning the key in the ignition. Like anything else in life, practice makes perfect (or easy).

With all of the really big things to complain about, fastening a seat belt is such a small thing to worry about, and yet it is such a big thing to help save lives. You know, those "crash dummies" sometimes DO get it right!



Gail K. Dolly