[POLITICAL SOAP BOX]

There is little doubt that you can save lives by preaching to and supplying individuals with preparations that they might not have had the opportunity or foresight to do themselves. There is no harm in an individual business providing such a service for it's customers and it even may be a competitive advantage for them showing the greater concern for their customers. OTOH, there is great harm to society in general when the government takes over the role of protecting adults from their own lack of wisdom. The government cannot become involved in any but a "least common denominator" manner and this often ends up being either prohibitivly expensive (for the taxpayer or the regulated business or both) or it shows up as prohibitions on certain activities (an imposition on our privacy and a limitation on our liberties). Perhaps worse, by making it something that is under the legal review of the govt you fuel the cycle of litigation in a new arena making lawyers and insurance agents a fortune and picking the pocket of all citizens on three tiers - first as taxpayers to pay for the enforcement and justice aspects of the new regulations, second as customers forced to buy an artificially inflated product that was more expensive in order to meet the imposed regulations, third as participants in activities for which they now have to pay insurance costs. Whether they are required to buy the insurance or to pay inflated costs for lisencing of others who accept the insurance costs. All of this because some very small minority of individuals are not wise enough to take responsibility for themselves and the society accepts the illogic that it is rightly the responsibility of the society to prevent the natural consequences from catching up with the foolish.

Mind you, I don't like the fact that people die unnecessarily due to their own foolishness. I feel compassion for them and I pray that none of my family will have to pay those consequences (most of them are quite unprepared). I simply feel that liberty is bought with responsiblity. You have both or neither but it is impossible to have liberty without responsibility. and it is unjust to force others to take responsibilty for the consequences of you exercising your liberty. I would prefer a society of liberty rather than a society of safety. I would prefer a society where individuals are allowed to suffer the consequences of exercising their freedom the the opportunity of challenging thier boundaries and experiencing great successes.

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