-=> Quoting Charles Testerman to Sondra Ball <=-
 CT> Please let me jump in here then I will go in peace....
 CT> The mandatory seatbelt laws or MULs as Elizabeth Dole called them 
 CT> were brought about by vehicle safety standard 207. This standard 
                                   ^^^^^^
 CT> was a compromise brought about by, of all people, the republican party
 CT> to protect their "10-4 good buddies" in the insurance and automobile 
 CT> industries. Seems as if the Federal government through research grants
 CT> handed out cupons for five dollars in 1982 to see if drivers would  
 CT> use seatbelts in the state of North Carolina. 
 CT> The above facts can be verified in a book published by the Highway
 CT> User Federation and available through the National Traffic Highway
 CT> Safety Administration.
 
 All that paragraph tells me is that there is a _federal_ law that mandates
 they be in the vehicle. The _enforcement_ that they be properly used is left
 up to the states.
 CT> As you can see this is NOT a law that a MAJORITY of the American 
 CT> citizenry agreed with.
 Actually, as I think about it, the majority of the voting Oregonians _did_
 agree with this law.
 
 BTW, just out of curiosity? Do you fasten your seatbelt (particularly during
 takeoffs and landings) when you fly? Or do you only keep it fastened until
 the last seatbelt check is made and then unfasten it? How about children?
 Do you think they should travel in safety car seats that are properly 
secured?
 (by the mandatory seatbelt.) And one more thing. I'm not sure what the law 
s
 anymore, but here in Oregon it _used_ to be that if the vehicle was
 manufactured _without_ seat belts (like a Model T Ford) there was no
 requirement to install or use them. Next time there is a parade in your town
 that features old antique automobiles check and see if they have seatbelts.
 CT> My conclusion is that Republicans nor Democrats can be trusted.
 Looks like the majority of Americans disagree with that because most of them
 vote for the candidates of one of those two parties or the other.
 
 CT> obvious solution is to legalize freedom and vote Liberiterian. 
 
 Libertarian candidate for governor of New York: Howard Stern. Two of his
 platform planks.
 1. Road crews work only at night.
 2. Add extra toll takers to reduce traffic jams on the thruways.
 
 If I remember correctly the Libertarians want people to only pay for the
 parts of government they want. Let's use fire protection and police
 protection as an example. If _you_ don't want to pay for those, then the
 fire department nor the police department will NOT respond when someone like
 a disgruntled neighbor who's really ticked because you exercised your
 "God-given right" to mow your lawn at six a.m on Sunday morning torches
 your house. Way cool.
 
 Or now that the fire at _your_ house has gotten out of control and spread to
 other houses throughout the neighborhood, who is responsible for the damage?
 CT> I will go in peace now....
 That's a freedom guaranteed by the Constitution, the Republicans and the
 Democrats and all the ships at sea (paid for by tax dollars).
 Jim
--- Blue Wave v2.12
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