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I HAVE to wear a helmet???

Aug 30, 2006
Author: James
Government, Personal

Well once again, in their infinite wisdom… the Oklahoma government is going to attempt to usurp my private rights to liberty with their yearly push for a universal helmet law for ALL motorcycle riders.

During this past year, we here in Oklahoma have seen a TON of morons on speed bikes, volunteering to leave the gene pool. Notice that I said SPEED BIKES, and not Motorcycles. Then there’s good ol Ben Roethlisberger and his happy little collision a few months back and now our Democratic government has decided it’s time to try again with the requirement of helmets on all cycle riders.

To get things straight, I UNDERSTAND the benefits of wearing a helmet, and I would never go without one myself, but it is no more the job of the state or the federal government to dictate to me what I MUST wear on my head while riding a bike, than it is their job to tell me what I have to eat for dinner on Wednesday nights.

If I choose to become road chum because I feel the need to have the wind in my hair, I have the right to do so. If I hit a car at 100MPH with or without a helmet, my impact on the driver who I hit will be the same, helmet or not. The only really influenced outcome to the situation will be MY recovery or lack thereof.

As a citizen of this country I should have the right to MY life, MY liberty and MY pursuit of happiness, so far as my activities do not impede or halt anyone elses life, liberty or pursuit of happiness.

8 Comments

  1. Don Radlauer  •  Aug 30, 2006 @2:06 PM

    Dunno if I agree with you here. You may indeed have the right to get yourself killed on the road, but do you have the right to force other people to look at the scrambled contents of your head? (OK, we bloggers sort of do that, but people don’t have to read our stuff!) Also, motorcyclists who are severely injured and/or disabled often wind up costing the government a lot of money (in health care, lost taxes on lost income, disability payments, and so on); so if the government is going to have to pay for bikers who don’t wear protective gear, it seems to me that they do have some right to insist that bikers wear it.

    My wife rode street bikes for years; about a year ago she sold her Suzuki Bandit and bought an old Vitara jeep. Her belief - and she’s very much a libertarian at heart - is that bikers should not only have to wear helmets (which are legally mandatory here in Israel), but should also have to wear other protective gear such as appropriate body armor. I must say that freedom-loving though I be, I can see her point.

    Best regards,

    -Don Radlauer
    Alfei Menashe, Israel

  2. Noah Winecoff  •  Aug 30, 2006 @3:26 PM

    Very interesting. I am also from Oklahoma and I was pulled over in Claremore because I had my visor up on my helmt. It was over 100 degrees outside and I needed to cool down, but the officer didn’t see it that way. Even though I had a helmet on I didn’t have the “correct” eye protection. Yeah I feel ya.

  3. James  •  Aug 30, 2006 @3:41 PM

    That’s insane…

    Is the state THAT concerned for the safety of your “upper face”?

  4. Andrew K  •  Aug 30, 2006 @4:57 PM

    Don brings up the big reason — money. A lot of car and motorcycle accident victims end up in public hospitals, without insurance, and the government foots the medical bills. It’s just like seat belt laws. I don’t think the goverment really cares about your personal well-being that much — it just makes sense from a fiscal standpoint.

  5. ken  •  Aug 30, 2006 @9:23 PM

    Lost taxes? Seriously, we’re governing people’s behavior based on wanting them to keep paying taxes? Is it illegal to quit your job, then? Couldn’t the safety argument apply to just banning motorcycles altogether, along with ice fishing and free-style rock climbing? How about banning loud music and staying up too late?

  6. Timmer ~ Righting America  •  Aug 30, 2006 @10:27 PM

    James -

    Well, I’m back from my self-imposed time-out from blogging, finished my site redesign and am making the rounds once again. How have you been?

    I agree with your point about having the freedom to choose your own safety level. But doesn’t the same outrage apply to the seatbelt laws for everything on four (or more) wheels? If you admit that it makes you mad to have to buckle up, then you are consistent.

    Anyhow, will see you again soon!

    Timmer

  7. James  •  Aug 31, 2006 @7:38 AM

    Re: Seatbelt laws…

    I am AGAINST laws that demand that I (the driver) MUST buckle up. I am FOR laws that demand that I (the driver) buckle up my passengers as it is not MY right to put their life at risk.

    Also, motorcyclists who are severely injured and/or disabled often wind up costing the government a lot of money (in health care, lost taxes on lost income, disability payments, and so on)

    As Ken said (and I agree, is that a first?) it has nothing to do with lost taxes, lost income, disability payments etc… if you want to ban something because it COULD result in a possible loss of taxes from that job you should basically make it illegal to do ANYTHING that may result in your disabling or death.

    Using a Chainsaw, Riding a motorcycle, Walking beside a highway, owning a gun, skydiving, smoking, driving a car, riding in a car… I could go on for quite a while if you’d like.

    A lot of car and motorcycle accident victims end up in public hospitals, without insurance, and the government foots the medical bills.

    Illegal immigrants put far more strain on our healthcare system than vehicle accident victims… I think you’re a little off base on that one.

  8. Jacki Mills  •  Oct 14, 2006 @9:24 PM

    It just makes sense, if I am made to wear a helment to save the Oklahoma gov. money then I do believe any person who has sex without a condom on and the proper insurance (I’m not talking sooner care, you know the FREE one, we all pay that bill as well) should have their monthly check deducted, to cover their cost as well. I am in the medical field at 100 mph, there wouldn’t be anything left helment or no helment. Not to mention the idiot who jumps head first into the water, or the shooting victims, need I go on?

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