"Victims of the government not passing laws enforcing stricter guidelines due to past lessons that cannot seem to be learned."

Our government has passed many, many laws to try to protect idiots from themselves. It didn't work with the first one, the last one, or any in between. Even Albert Einstein recognized this fact, saying, "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."

How about we stop trying to rescue people who deliberately put themselves in danger by cultivating dangerous hobbies? Let them do what they want to do, go where they want to go, but they'd better be able to get back themselves. Call it the self-pruning branch of responsibility. It seems to work quite well for sky-divers, doesn't it?

Every SAR unit I've ever heard of pays its own way: training, dogs, equipment, gas and air fare. They risk their lives to save people who will often do the same thing all over again.

And what's this about 'the government paying' for stuff? Just where do you think the government GETS the money for all its largesse? Well, just in case this is a surprise to some people, it's US. We, the people. We, the taxpayers. We, the people who pay almost half our income for taxes, visible and invisible. Our government doesn't have a secret farm in Kansas where they grow money trees and geese that lay golden eggs, you know.

Sue