Rising deaths stir new debate over helmet laws

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 12/01/03 | Joseph A. Gambardello

[JSteff]

" It was just sitting in the garage, waiting to kill me."

Me too, and it was a rare one even for the day. Kawasaki 500, 3 cyl, two stroke. Like a drill. Wish I had it still for the looks and the value but not to ride.

[archy]

"And since some unscrupulous physicians will *harvest* organs before notifying the family"

That is why I, despite my wife being an RN, will NOT allow the state to put the "Organ Donor" sticker on my lisence. I distrust doctors second to lawyers and just ahead of politicians.

It's not enough. There are some who'll go ahead and take what they want, then claim they were unable to contact the family in time due to the haste needed if the organs were to be removed while still viable. I saw it more than once as a deputy coroner, and once attrended a Christmas party where several surgeons so inclined were having a good laugh about the way they conducted business.

One went to jail on a child abuse case involving his daughter, another left town after an incident involving a 14-year0old judge's son, and three others changed their way of doing business when it was made clear that they'd be next. But they weren't real happy to find out about my policy either, especially after meeting one of the guys who'd have been carrying it out. And he was reasonably fair at field dressing what he'd harvested, too.

-archy-/-

[The Good Doctor]

Just checking to make sure your head hit first. You confirmed it.

[DefCon]

And furthermore...
Perhaps the goverment should just ban motorcycles altogether.
What with them being so unsafe and all...
Riding a minor on the back with you should be child-abuse.
Ban them.
Do it for the children !

(/sarcasm)

[William Terrell]

I think not wearing a helmet when riding machinery that goes faster than you can peddle is a peachy way to clean the gene pool.

[Joe Hadenuf]

My last as an 80" 1941 Harley ULH, side valve flathead, punched to 90". Ed Roth, (the late, Big Daddy Roth, "Rat fink" built it.) We called it the last of the pig iron, also known as the stump puller.

Almost died on that thing. Another reason why I gave up street bikes. Now it's fun in the dirt with my off road vehicles and dirt bikes. Much safer, and more comfy too.....

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I also owned a 1972 3 cyl, 500 Kawasaki. 60 horsepower, available after 5,000 rpm, guided by a front fork made of recycled aluminum foil. At 70 in a sweeping turn, the front end could suddenly oscillate. I didn't dare left off the gas. Speeding up would straighten it out.

[70times7]

When it's my time to die there is nothing I can do to prevent it.

It would be reasonable, then, to assume:

-you don't use seatbelts
-you don't have (or believe in possessing) a gun for the purpose of self or home defense
-You don't lock doors
-If you have (young) kids they have ready access to matches and poisons
-If you have older kids they have ready access to MTV, HBO and all manner of programming
-you have no fire extinguisher in your kitchen
-you do not do things to take care of your body (tent) such as exercise or trying to eat healthy foods
-you do not obey traffic signs or lights
-etc., etc., etc.

After all, these are things that people may choose to do, or not do, just as people can choose or not choose to use safety equipment. It is all superstition anyway, just as you have said... Thousands of people fall and die every year in their houses. I'm simply not superstitious about safety equipment. There is no end to where that superstition can take you. When it's my time to die there is nothing I can do to prevent it.

A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple go on, and suffer for it.

Not my favorite translation of this verse, but I think it properly captures the idea. Oh, and BTW, what if it is not your time to die, but only time for you to become a drooling veggie. LOADS of fun for those who love you... I am not advocating that one become obsessive, but when reasonable precautions that can make a large potential difference are available one is foolish to avoid them, and quite frankly, self serving to use fatalism as an excuse.

[biblewonk]

It would be reasonable, then, to assume:

No it wouldn't.

A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple go on, and suffer for it.

The way some people talk Jesus should never have gotten near that donkey without a helmet. The thought is pretty silly to me but there are a lot of people, mostly female, who don't want to see their kids on 16 inch bikes without that bright plastic helmet on their head. If no helmet then God will get mad at them for being careless and strike their child down because they, the parent, didn't love them enough. That is pure superstition, I see and hear it all the time.

Not my favorite translation of this verse, but I think it properly captures the idea. Oh, and BTW, what if it is not your time to die, but only time for you to become a drooling veggie. LOADS of fun for those who love you... I am not advocating that one become obsessive, but when reasonable precautions that can make a large potential difference are available one is foolish to avoid them, and quite frankly, self serving to use fatalism as an excuse.

One man's fatalism is another man's faith in God's soverignty.

[Liberal Classic]

Good post, and yes common sense is no longer.

[70times7]

The way some people talk Jesus should never have gotten near that donkey without a helmet. The thought is pretty silly to me

The thought is pretty silly to me too.

...but there are a lot of people, mostly female, who don't want to see their kids on 16 inch bikes without that bright plastic helmet on their head. If no helmet then God will get mad at them for being careless and strike their child down because they, the parent, didn't love them enough. That is pure superstition, I see and hear it all the time.

The idea that God would strike down someone’s child because the parent didn't love the child enough to make him/her wear a helmet is silly superstition. It is also a very warped view of scripture. If you see and hear this all the time may I strongly suggest that you associate differently.

I have my daughter wear a helmet (yes, on her 16 inch bike) not because I believe she is in any danger at that riding level, but because I want it to become a habit. My 13 and 11 year old sons go fast through the trails we ride on our mountain bikes. My oldest has already had his helmet save him from some very nasty ripped up skin if not a concussion or worse when he rammed a small stump and did an endo into a nearby tree.

One man's fatalism is another man's faith in God's sovereignty.

Yes God is sovereign. We have also been given freedom to make choices. The reconciliation of these two seeming opposites is something I have studied quite a bit, and will continue to contemplate. At least for now I think it is mystery that is outside of our mental grasp without God’s help. Others have tried to explain aspects of this issue; Ironside's door, for example. Still others have tried to deal with it by denying one side or the other - either God is not sovereign, or we do not truly have the ability to choose. I reject these extremes. We agree that God is sovereign. But if we do not truly have the ability to choose than what is the point of having any proverbs? For that matter what is the point if so very many passages that guide us in our behavior? Why do you choose to homeschool? (congrats, BTW – that is an excellent, uh, choice). If you truly believe as you have portrayed to the full logical extent of your position, then why are you trying to convince me to think differently?!? Your arguments will make no difference, God has preordained what I am going to think!

[newgeezer]

One man's fatalism is another man's faith in God's soverignty.

Amen.

One man's "obsessive" is another's "reasonable precaution," too.

As you know, I used to think a full-face Bell helmet saved my life (landing me in the hospital for three days with a concussion, rather than in a coffin). Much later it became obvious our sovereign God preserved me, not the helmet. Still (or, therefore), I'd be a fool to ride without one. Your mileage may vary.

[biblewonk]

Yes God is sovereign. We have also been given freedom to make choices. The reconciliation of these two seeming opposites is something I have studied quite a bit, and will continue to contemplate.

A very worthy thing to contemplate and much more interesting than ones particular exercise on safety equipment.

At least for now I think it is mystery that is outside of our mental grasp without God’s help. Others have tried to explain aspects of this issue; Ironside's door, for example.

Is this the Ironside of the Plymoth Brethren, which I happen to be? Sort of.

Still others have tried to deal with it by denying one side or the other - either God is not sovereign, or we do not truly have the ability to choose. I reject these extremes. We agree that God is sovereign. But if we do not truly have the ability to choose than what is the point of having any proverbs? For that matter what is the point if so very many passages that guide us in our behavior? Why do you choose to homeschool? (congrats, BTW – that is an excellent, uh, choice). Thanks, I just got off the phone and my wife was almost misty eyed because our kids did so well on their Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Our 13 yearold, one of 8 kids, used to be the one we called non-academic. Today he showed that in the last year or two he has become the most!

If you truly believe as you have portrayed to the full logical extent of your position, then why are you trying to convince me to think differently?!? Your arguments will make no difference, God has preordained what I am going to think!

I was just reading in Psalms last week and it said specifically, though it is said in other ways in other places, that God made our heart. This is interesting when you compare that to the verses about salvation and the condition of the human heart or even the seed and the sewer(sp) and the state of a mans heart. In some verses it looks like man's heart is his own but in many others we see that God controls it and has also designed it. If we were to try and force God into a single point in time of existance, when He made my heart, His infinite knowledge knew everything that went into it, everything I would experience to form and grow my decision process, and every choice I would make. He looks pretty soverign already but then we remember that He doesn't exist in a single point in time as we do.

When I choose to sin, which I do all the time, I know it is because I am weak by design. God holds me accountable for this sin though. That is the paradox that we are told in Romans 9. Many people balk at this as Paul predicted but I accept it completely. I am left to be only thankful that He has saved me from my sin.

[pizzalady]

Hey, BraveMan where'd you get that picture of my bike??

Seriously though, except for the grips and mirror, it's a match. Thanks

[70times7]

Well said, my brother, well said.

I was driving into work today, wrestling with this beam that was blocking my view of the road, and considering what I had written yesterday. Please forgive the pointedness of my responses. It is all too easy for me to remember some proverbs and forget others such as; a soft answer turns away wrath. Thanks for being the example we are called to be (I wasn't). Not a small change from being a killing machine. God bless you and your family.

[biblewonk]

I was driving into work today, wrestling with this beam that was blocking my view of the road, and considering what I had written yesterday. Please forgive the pointedness of my responses. It is all too easy for me to remember some proverbs and forget others such as; a soft answer turns away wrath. Thanks for being the example we are called to be (I wasn't). Not a small change from being a killing machine. God bless you and your family.

What a rare and pleasant freeper exchange this has been.

Psalm 133
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!

2It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing--
Life forevermore.

I've finished psalms and proverbs again this week, almost, and I've sure enjoyed them. The proverbs are so valuable I don't know how we make it without reading a page of them every day.

The Lord Bless You.

[JSteff]

I never had the problems with the forks.... was pretty rock solid most of the time. Had vicious torqueing under acceleration from like 15 mph up to 35 but then was like a drill and just wind out. I loved the bike. I could beat most bigger bikes of the line and then some.

My friend had a harley and I would just smoke him off the line... but then a half mile further and thump thump thump he would blow by. Gosh that was all fun.

Great acceleration from speed. Warped the head once from the center cylinder getting too hot. Oh well.. the things we suffer with.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Interestingly, Kawasaki made their 500s with CDI in 69, 70 and 71, but went to points in 72 (the one I had). I figured a set of plugs every 800-1000 miles and points renewed at 1500 miles. It was faster than ANYTHING off the line and for a city block or two.

[RWG]

the government should not be telling us we have to wear helmets...and crippled bikers ought not to ask or get medical treatment without insurance they have bought.