In some of these groups I have read posters whining about losing freedom and civil liberties, by being forced to wear and-or use safety equipment like bicycle-rollerblade-motorcycle helmets, auto shoulder harness, booster and kiddie seats.
The fact is we need to be protected from ourselves. We need this equipment because we do not and can not know what is just around the next bend in the road
The following is from the blog of a friend of mine and is posted by permission.
I know the bullpoo many of you will spew -- rants reflecting your childish arrogance and delusions of invincibility, which you should have outgrown before now - What is below is real. August 17, 2005 Ê Motorcycle Helmets
In 1973, I learned a valuable lesson about riding motorcycles. Always wear a helmet. I had an accident where I broke my right wrist, messed up my left knee and had a severe concussion.
Eleven days ago my niece learned the same lesson. She has a broken neck, broken collarbone, broken shoulder, bleeding around the lungs and from her kidneys, and worst of all is suffering from brain damage. They weren't wearing helmets. Now, eleven days later, she is still in intensive care. She can talk... sometimes. When she talks, she is coherent... sometimes. She recognizes her family... sometimes. She knows who she is... sometimes.
As of right now, the doctors don't know how severe the brain damage is. They say that there is a chance she'll regain her full mental capacity, but they don't know for sure.
Please, please, please wear a helmet if you are riding a motorcycle. I know they are confining. I know you don't have the sense of freedom you have when you're not wearing one, but think of how bad it would be to not be able to recognize your mother. Think of how bad it would be to not be able to control the movement of your hands. Think of how bad it would be to not be able to see your daughter off to her first day in high school. My great niece will start high school next Monday and my niece will still be in intensive care.
September 1, 2005
Well, tomorrow will be four weeks since my niece had her accident. She's out of intensive care and in a private room. I finally got to see her.
She's making some progress. She only has gross movement with her left hand and arm and she can't move the left side of her mouth at all. She still has trouble swallowing.
Mentally, she seems to be coming back. There are still times when she says something that is completely off the wall, but for the most part she is lucid. She's got a long way to go, but Kelly is a fighter and although she will have some things that are with her the rest of her life, she's going to make it.
If she had been wearing a helmet, she wouldn't have the permanent problems. WEAR THOSE DAMNED HELMETS!
~~~~~ ~~~~~^~~~~~ ~~~~~ I got this, today, in an email from my friend along with permission to post:- ~~~~~ ~~~~~^~~~~~ ~~~~~ September 29, 2005 8 weeks
Kelly is doing better. she is walking with a walker and can even take a few steps without it.
The left side of her face is still frozen though, so she still has some trouble talking.
We keep praying for a full recovery.
-- LP
There are three types of people that youcannottalk into behaving well. The stupid, the religious fanatic, and the evil.
1- The stupid aren't smart enough to follow the logic of what you say. You have to tell them what is right in very simple terms. If they don't agree, then you'll never be able to change their mind.
2- the religious fanatic If what you say goes against their religious belief, they will cling to that religious belief even if it means their rest."
