Posted on 04/13/2008 2:25:46 AM PDT by Bikers USA
Bikers urge Americans to remember Patriots Day. Activists prepare to rally for rights in North Carolina.
Question: why was April 19 designated Patriots Day?
“personal responsibility, personal freedom?” is what you say? And you say lets channel it to where it belongs? So,if 62 % of automobile drivers are having head injuries and you want to channel it where it belongs and for those to take on personal responsibilty, then why don’t you suggest all automobile drivers should be required by the government to wear helmets? Now link that ideal hand in hand and see how you would like wearing a helmet in a car everywhere you go. That would NEVER happen, though your right,, the liberals are most likely to make such a silly law happen long before a conservative would. That’s a fact jack.
Indeed, individual responsibility does go hand in hand with individual liberty.
As a responsible individual, do you actively work to ensure your liberties are not tread upon by government bureaucrats who think they know what is best for you? When they come to you and tell you they are going to implant an RFID chip in your arm, will you respond by rolling up your sleeve? As for myself, I will consider it a fascist police state, no longer my government, and will fight to the death.
Allowing the government to force a device onto someones head is just one more step to such a world in which the government monitors and decides your every move. The way to fight it is to refuse, and remove all those who govern by the totalitarian rules which you seem to accept. Do not accept on my behalf!
Do you remember the yellow vinyl raincoats of the 60’s? There was a kid in my neighborhood who obeyed his mother explicitly. If not, when dad came home he would get the strap. There were many days when the sun came out, and this kid would sweat profusely rather than go against mommys’ orders and take off that raincoat. This kid was not allowed to climb trees, learn to swim, run through the woods, or balance himself on stone walls. In those days, we called these kids a sissy. He grew up to be a clutz, not able to fend for himself, unaware of how to interact with nature. He was not able to make a move away from his sedentary existence, and became a burden on others.
Don’t be that kid! Take the strap if that is the penalty. To me, that is the essence of standing up for your rights as an individual.
I cannot make this decision for you. If you really love your helmet, and believe the lies of government bureaucrats who say it will save you, I will respect your decision. I don’t ask you to abide by the choice I make as a result of my informed decision. I ask you to research the issue and make your own decision, and once you do, don’t force your choice on me! There is no way you or anyone else can physically force a device onto my head. I refuse to comply with this statutory regulation that goes against my natural right to decide these extremely important life or death matters for myself. I choose to live intentionally, and take very seriously, my individual responsibility to ensure my rights are not infringed by those with socialist values.
You’re in America. Get used to it.
I am a motorcyclist
I accept the consequences of my high risk lifestyle
I always wear a helmet
Here are some statements regarding the
increased cost of care associated with non-helmet accidents
And the increased cost of care in a Major Trauma Center
When helmet laws in an adjoining state were rescinded
Presently, the state’s Level 1 trauma centers provide about $5 million of health care each year to brain-injured motorcyclists.
VUMC researchers estimate a repeal of this law will result in a minimum 30 percent increase in health care costs, or another $1.3 million per year for these patients to be provided by the state’s Level 1 trauma centers. This figure does not include other substantial costs for this patient population such as associated hospital charges from community hospitals, rehabilitation care, in some instances long term care such as nursing home care, and loss of income to the patient and family during recovery.
http://www.kctcs.net/todaysnews/index.cfm?tn_date=2006-08-10#5906
Treatment for severe head injuries cost on average $75,000 to $100,000 and hospitals stays can range from days to weeks, sometimes followed by months of rehabilitation, Miller said.
The difference between a patient who was wearing a helmet and one who wasn't is about $20,000, Broering said.
http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:12025533
Retrospective study using trauma registry data from two Level 1 Trauma Centers in states with (NY) and without (CT) a mandatory helmet law, from 1996 through 1998.
The demographics and injury severity of motorcycle accident victims presenting to Level 1 Trama Centers were very similar in the two adjoining states. The most significant difference between the states is that of helmet use. This is closely related to the decreased mortality rate and the higher GCS at discharge seen in the state with the mandatory helmet law.
If the concerned folks really want to make a difference in the number of TBI deaths in the US, they'd go after the 50%’ers . . .
Spirited conversation. >:-}
From a personal standpoint
I had a significant accident about a year age
Hit a deer at ~50MPH
I walked away but
Broke my Lt forearm and RT hand
Not to mention various road rash
My helmet took 3 major impacts
Any one of which would have
put me into the intensive care unit
I suspect, without that helmet
I would not be posting this note now.
I have put > 5000 miles on my bike since then
Ride safe
Live in Peace
Negating the argument that
helmet use worsens the drivers
ability to adequate control their bikes
I also noticed that you boys have got yourselves so lathered up that you have not taken the time to actually read and process my comments. Example; I have never proposed that helmets should be mandatory. In fact, when I ride, I frequently do so without a helmet. I merely propose selft responsibiliy for those who should squash their heads when doing so. Bikers USA, your example of ins prices being higher for say a crotch rocket vs a Harley is flawed. Your mixing apples with oranges. The correct comparison would be insurance prices of a Harley with rider wearing a helmet vs a Harley with rider not wearing a helmet. Currently no insurance complany makes this distinction when pricing coverage. Oh yeah Biker USA, suggest you not be so hard on your little kid example. He may well have invented the RFID chip and the 2D barcode technology required to use it - which means he is now rich. By the way, being you tossed in RFID, this technology is not ready for use with the masses. Cost of manufacture is currently about 30 cents for each of these chips. I believe that good old barcode 39 technology would be more cost effective and just tatto the barcode on each riders forehead. Ooops, that would not work as the barcode would probably be smudged when this dude plants his forehead on the side of somebody's auto. Guess we'll have to tatto the barcode on his butt...
I have made that same arguement.
I have also proposed a cap and mittens law. Whereas everytime the temperature dips to a certain level we are required to wear a cap and mittens. If it only saves one person from getting a cold, it would be worth it.
I came up with that law in response to the anti-smoking nazis in my midst. The freakin’ nanny state loving morons.
And from the
Motorcycle Safety Foundation
http://www.msf-usa.org/
KEY MESSAGES:
1. Get trained and licensed
2. Wear protective gear — all the gear, all the time — including a helmet manufactured to the standards set by the DOT
3. Ride unimpaired by alcohol or other drugs
4. Ride within your own skill limits
5. Be a lifelong learner by taking refresher rider courses
1. The fatalities increased in direct correlation with the increase in motorcycle registrations; the ratio of fatalities versus riders remained virtually the same.
2. Their noted increase in fatalities among non-helmeted riders is a statistical straw-man argument. Prior to the repeal, helmet use compliance in Arkansas was near 100%. When you don't have hardly any non-helmeted riders the fatality rate among riders without a helmet is going to be very low to begin with, guaranteeing a substantial increase when the law is repealed
Actually, Kentucky
Vanderbilt is the Level 1 trauma center for much of middle Kentucky
I actually do not have any arguments with
Someone who does not want to wear a helmet
The relative mortality / morbidity improvements
from wearing a helmet
Pale in significance by at least a factor of 10
Relative to the relative risks of death per mile driven
on a motorcycle vs a passenger car relatively reported at 16 to 33 times
Thank you both for the links.
Do what you want with your brains...scramble them sunnyside up for all I care. BUT don’t ask me and society to pay for your stupidity.
Sometimes I forget that Patriots Day is a little known holiday outside of New England.
April 19th is the anniversary of the first battles of the Revolutionary War. They took place on April 19, 1775 in Lexington and Concord. British troops were marching from Boston to an armory in Concord, in order to seize weapons and ammunition from the colonial militia.
The many tales of the early struggles for American independence from British rule are fascinating
(particularly to me, a 12th generation American whose ancestors came to the New World in 1632 in search of freedom and fought in almost every war starting with the Pequot War).
Wikipedia does a fairly decent job at summarizing the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the events which led up to the revolt.
Also see Stamp Act, Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre for interesting events leading up to the war. For more information about how the colonists united, see Liberty Tree, Sons of Liberty, and the names of some of my heros such as Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin, George Washington, Sam Adams, John Hancock, John Adams (my kin), and Thomas Jefferson.
On December 16th, bikers who are freedom fighters are asked to commemorate the Boston Tea Party by covering that little DOT emblem on the back of their helmets, with electrical tape. The DOT symbol is the modern equivalent of the Stamp Act.
Thanks for asking!
We won’t. We don’t.
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