The Nanny State

[JohnDB]

Now for coronavirus deaths the number in USA official is 554,794 from Worldometer. Which isn't official.
30 million plus cases meaning ten percent of Americans have contracted the disease.

 

[Rita]

Another good point but that liberal (if she is one) is my friend too and you don't have to act so rude towards her.
.

April I am not a liberal, for some unknown reason it seems to be something everyone does in the USA, label people and assume so much about other members. I align to Christ, not the left, the right or the liberal.
Thank you for your concern xxxxx
Rita

 

[kcnalp]

Now for coronavirus deaths the number in USA official is 554,794 from Worldometer. Which isn't official.
30 million plus cases meaning ten percent of Americans have contracted the disease.

I sure don't believe the CDC's stats!

 

[Rita]

@JohnDB
I was thinking about the OP, where do you stand on speeding limits. They are set by law, do you agree or disagree with them ?
This has raised some interesting points, and some thought on my part. I still agree with the seatbelt law over here in the U.K. it’s other things that get me frustrated with regards to what we can and can’t do. Our health and safety laws drive me nuts at times. I did wonder if my attitude is based on not being a driver, so when I get in a car I am putting my trust in someone else’s ability to drive well, I would personally prefer to buckle up.
Rita

 

[April_Rose]

@JohnDB
I was thinking about the OP, where do you stand on speeding limits. They are set by law, do you agree or disagree with them ?
This has raised some interesting points, and some thought on my part. I still agree with the seatbelt law over here in the U.K. it’s other things that get me frustrated with regards to what we can and can’t do. Our health and safety laws drive me nuts at times. I did wonder if my attitude is based on not being a driver, so when I get in a car I am putting my trust in someone else’s ability to drive well, I would personally prefer to buckle up.
Rita

The speeding limit affects other people though.

 

[JohnDB]

@JohnDB
I was thinking about the OP, where do you stand on speeding limits. They are set by law, do you agree or disagree with them ?
This has raised some interesting points, and some thought on my part. I still agree with the seatbelt law over here in the U.K. it’s other things that get me frustrated with regards to what we can and can’t do. Our health and safety laws drive me nuts at times. I did wonder if my attitude is based on not being a driver, so when I get in a car I am putting my trust in someone else’s ability to drive well, I would personally prefer to buckle up.
Rita

Public roads...I don't own them.

I have to follow the speed limits and other rules of the road to keep from being harmed or more importantly harming others...to keep traffic accidents down so travel is unimpeded.

Again this is about risk management...
Not traffic laws. When am I allowed freedom to entertain risks or not.

 

[jaybird]

I'm going to rant for a bit...

Seat Belt laws are what I'm talking about.

Now I don't wear one...I drive a pickup truck and ignore the ding while going down the road...it eventually gives up.

I've gotten tickets for not wearing one...but did I learn? Nope. Not going to either.

But I believe that the risks associated with not wearing one are mine and mine alone to take. Not the Government's.

That's what we call freedom. When I can do something that won't harm others except possibly myself.

I should have the right to the pursuit of happiness so long as it doesn't infringe upon others. I should not have to purchase health insurance...but I also am not entitled to health care either.

I shouldn't have to buy a cell phone and pay for service...but I'm not entitled to it either.

Now driver's license and fishing licenses are a bit different...those are privileges. Those I can have as long as I follow the rules. (Which in America brings up the heated debate over the 2nd Amendment)
Which in Kennesaw Georgia everyone must own one and in other places even touching one is a criminal offense. But I do know that people need to be more responsible when owning a firearm...they tend to be so very irresponsible with them.

Then there's the "junk food" laws... about restricting the burgers and sodas people consume.

Next thing you know the government will be telling me whether I can have a bidet or not.

Just ranting...

i agree with you brother, it took me 10 years to wear a seat belt just because i couldnt stand the idea of losing my freedom of choice.
i was working on a gas station years ago, truck and trailer kinda blocking the parking lot while we unloaded. a cop pulled in behind me, i tried to be nice, jumped in my truck, cranked it up, moved it out of the way, he cranked up his sirens, blue lights and all the rest and gave me a ticket, driving without a seatbelt.
that cops parents must be so proud.

 

[jaybird]

I have never had a driver's license... I don't know how to drive... but if I'm not mistaken...
If someone is in an accident and it is found that they were NOT wearing their seat belt ( which is against the law here in Canada )
Insurance will not cover one red cent of any claim.

that makes sense, here in the US we all know they (lawmakers) dont care about the well being of the people so it makes you wonder what exactly the seatbelt law is for, maybe thats why.

 

[Rita]

Public roads...I don't own them.

I have to follow the speed limits and other rules of the road to keep from being harmed or more importantly harming others...to keep traffic accidents down so travel is unimpeded.

Again this is about risk management...
Not traffic laws. When am I allowed freedom to entertain risks or not.

Hi JB ,
Sorry seemed to home in on one aspect of your OP, will have to agree to disagree with regards to some aspects of the seat belt law and the implications of not wearing one.
I do get the point you are raising, and it’s a valid one. Not sure what it’s like in the US, but over here society itself is producing its own form of nanny attitudes, and many groups petition and fight for laws to be changed. Europe also impacted many of the rules and regulations. Health warnings , like on a take away coffee cup ‘ it’s hot ‘ ( really would not have guessed !! ) Costa are not allowed to sell a large latte with certain syrups in, too much sugar but they can let you buy loads of cakes !!
Sadly one of the things that ushered in many of the ‘ risk assessments ‘ and laws being changed was the fear of being sued, we took on board the American attitude that suing someone was the right way to go. Once that opened a door everything was evaluated as a risk and a potential for compensation. So health and safety at work act was introduced, then many other laws were passed under that umbrella act.
As kids we weighed things up, took chances and if we got hurt paid the price and if we didn’t we had a whole lot of fun. If we got hurt we would also get a clip round the ear from our parents, a telling off for being so stupid !!
It will only get worse because of the way society acts now, offence has become the new ‘ injury ‘ and risk factor. Health issues with obesity are equally driving food laws.
Many of the changes are subtle and laws are passed without any real knowledge, go in through the back door while your concentrating on the front door. ‘ Yes, Prime Minister ‘ a comedy program from way back got it right . We laughed at it, but it was how things were happening within government. Games being played.
Now it’s like trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Rita

 

[Addy]

Hi JB ,
Sorry seemed to home in on one aspect of your OP, will have to agree to disagree with regards to some aspects of the seat belt law and the implications of not wearing one.
I do get the point you are raising, and it’s a valid one. Not sure what it’s like in the US, but over here society itself is producing its own form of nanny attitudes, and many groups petition and fight for laws to be changed. Europe also impacted many of the rules and regulations. Health warnings , like on a take away coffee cup ‘ it’s hot ‘ ( really would not have guessed !! ) Costa are not allowed to sell a large latte with certain syrups in, too much sugar but they can let you buy loads of cakes !!
Sadly one of the things that ushered in many of the ‘ risk assessments ‘ and laws being changed was the fear of being sued, we took on board the American attitude that suing someone was the right way to go. Once that opened a door everything was evaluated as a risk and a potential for compensation. So health and safety at work act was introduced, then many other laws were passed under that umbrella act.
As kids we weighed things up, took chances and if we got hurt paid the price and if we didn’t we had a whole lot of fun. If we got hurt we would also get a clip round the ear from our parents, a telling off for being so stupid !!
It will only get worse because of the way society acts now, offence has become the new ‘ injury ‘ and risk factor. Health issues with obesity are equally driving food laws.
Many of the changes are subtle and laws are passed without any real knowledge, go in through the back door while your concentrating on the front door. ‘ Yes, Prime Minister ‘ a comedy program from way back got it right . We laughed at it, but it was how things were happening within government. Games being played.
Now it’s like trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Rita

This was a BRILLIANT post... I enjoyed reading this.

 

[kcnalp]

Hi JB ,
Sorry seemed to home in on one aspect of your OP, will have to agree to disagree with regards to some aspects of the seat belt law and the implications of not wearing one.
I do get the point you are raising, and it’s a valid one. Not sure what it’s like in the US, but over here society itself is producing its own form of nanny attitudes, and many groups petition and fight for laws to be changed. Europe also impacted many of the rules and regulations. Health warnings , like on a take away coffee cup ‘ it’s hot ‘ ( really would not have guessed !! ) Costa are not allowed to sell a large latte with certain syrups in, too much sugar but they can let you buy loads of cakes !!
Sadly one of the things that ushered in many of the ‘ risk assessments ‘ and laws being changed was the fear of being sued, we took on board the American attitude that suing someone was the right way to go. Once that opened a door everything was evaluated as a risk and a potential for compensation. So health and safety at work act was introduced, then many other laws were passed under that umbrella act.
As kids we weighed things up, took chances and if we got hurt paid the price and if we didn’t we had a whole lot of fun. If we got hurt we would also get a clip round the ear from our parents, a telling off for being so stupid !!
It will only get worse because of the way society acts now, offence has become the new ‘ injury ‘ and risk factor. Health issues with obesity are equally driving food laws.
Many of the changes are subtle and laws are passed without any real knowledge, go in through the back door while your concentrating on the front door. ‘ Yes, Prime Minister ‘ a comedy program from way back got it right . We laughed at it, but it was how things were happening within government. Games being played.
Now it’s like trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Rita

One of the really bizarre ones is that an 18 year old can die "for his country" but he can't legally buy a beer. Big Brother is insane!

 

[Rita]

One of the really bizarre ones is that an 18 year old can die "for his country" but he can't legally buy a beer. Big Brother is insane!

Yes, some of the laws are crazy aren’t they. Over in the U.K. you can buy a beer at 18, but you can join the army at 16. Years ago they didn’t have the ‘teenage’ years as such, you left school at 14 and were classed as an adult. Now it’s all disjointed with what you can and cannot do.
Rita

 

[Grailhunter]

Yes, some of the laws are crazy aren’t they. Over in the U.K. you can buy a beer at 18, but you can join the army at 16. Years ago they didn’t have the ‘teenage’ years as such, you left school at 14 and were classed as an adult. Now it’s all disjointed with what you can and cannot do.
Rita

The U.K. has its own culture...the page 3 girl could be 15 years old.
That is all part of different countries looking at things differently.

 

[Rita]

The U.K. has its own culture...the page 3 girl could be 15 years old.
That is all part of different countries looking at things differently.

Not true, under sixteens were never allowed to pose. It was 16 ( still too young as far as I am concerned ) it was raised to 18years old.
Rita

 

[BobVance]

April I am not a liberal, for some unknown reason it seems to be something everyone does in the USA, label people and assume so much about other members. I align to Christ, not the left, the right or the liberal.
Thank you for your concern xxxxx
Rita

You say you don’t align yourself with the “Left “, but I recall how thrilled you were when Biden was allowed to steal the “election “ from President Trump. As a Born Again Christian, I supported Trump due to his concern and protection of the unborn. Biden is ALL about abortion on demand. It sickens me, that in the USA, the Government can take a portion of my taxes to fund such an abhorrent procedure!!!
It appears that you select various issues to support a conservative or liberal view. We are all certainly free to have our own values, but supporting anyone that allows abortion on demand is evil....in my opinion. Follow Christ in ALL issues.
You can’t sing “Oh How I Love Jesus” on Sunday, and think it’s okay to slaughter unborn babies on Monday.

 

[Addy]

You say you don’t align yourself with the “Left “, but I recall how thrilled you were when Biden was allowed to steal the “election “ from President Trump. As a Born Again Christian, I supported Trump due to his concern and protection of the unborn. Biden is ALL about abortion on demand. It sickens me, that in the USA, the Government can take a portion of my taxes to fund such an abhorrent procedure!!!
It appears that you select various issues to support a conservative or liberal view. We are all certainly free to have our own values, but supporting anyone that allows abortion on demand is evil....in my opinion. Follow Christ in ALL issues.
You can’t sing “Oh How I Love Jesus” on Sunday, and think it’s okay to slaughter unborn babies on Monday.

You might as well throw me in the same camp... because I too was thrilled that Mr. Trump did not win.
I live in Canada... and I do not vote... I never have... so my opinion does not matter...
however... to state that those who could not stomach the man of Trump... are NOT Christian... is what I have noticed the Trump
administration has managed to do... Separate the body of Christ even more... All these Christian evangelicals who totally politicized
Christianity... it is insanity... IN MY OPINION.

It "appears" that you enjoy shaming people.

 

[Grailhunter]

Not true, under sixteens were never allowed to pose. It was 16 ( still too young as far as I am concerned ) it was raised to 18years old.
Rita

I stand corrected.
I thought in an interview Samantha Fox said she was 15. I was in Holy Loch, Scotland when she appeared as a page 3 girl.

 

[Addy]

I was in Holy Loch, Scotland when she appeared as a page 3 girl.

Did you see NESSY while you were there ????

 

[JohnDB]

And y'all brought up a good point...

With a slightly convoluted twist.

A parent gives their daughter a smartphone to use...and she begins to take racy pictures of herself and post them online. Way too young to be posing in such a fashion.
Now who is to blame for allowing this to happen?
The parent entertained the risk of giving the juvenile something she wasn't ready to handle appropriately. The child is harmed for the foreseeable future.

Using similar logic, shouldn't the parent be held legally liable for putting child pornography on the internet? Why aren't there laws protecting children in the same fashion as adults? You don't let a child have a firearm without supervision...a cellphone is just as dangerous as a cellphone. Except in this case it's the child's future reputation at stake. And companies do look at online presence in hiring determinations.
Especially when it comes time for jobs paying for high profile personell.
(Pictures of my culinary accomplishments are all over the internet)

But I know of a fairly high profile doctor that once upon a time had pictures of her on holiday at a beach in a bikini drinking beer from a funnel. Now obviously she isn't a lush or a party girl...but it is a very different picture than the one on the billboards and city busses. And a picture like that could most definitely ruin her career.
(She got some help in removing those pictures)

Pictures like that are the sort of thing that most definitely can hurt a young person more than the public consumption of an alcoholic beverage ever could.

But we regularly give cell phones to children on a regular basis and then don't think anything more about it.

Just saying...on this note maybe some laws should be made...but maybe not. These days I have the luxury of having my juvenile behavior not photographed and recorded for all of time to be used against me in the future.
My curfew was street lights or earlier in the summertime. School nights didn't need one as I wasn't allowed out to play. (And that's why I was rather wild during college)

So...
My question remains...
Shouldn't there be some sort of guiding principles for legislation written?

I don't like the legalization of marijuana... because people will harm themselves and others with the drug...and studies have shown that teenagers are more susceptible to detrimental effects from the drug than adults. It's very different than alcoholic beverages in long term effects. The risks are exponentially more harmful. But they have legalized it.

 

[Rita]

You say you don’t align yourself with the “Left “, but I recall how thrilled you were when Biden was allowed to steal the “election “ from President Trump. As a Born Again Christian, I supported Trump due to his concern and protection of the unborn. Biden is ALL about abortion on demand. It sickens me, that in the USA, the Government can take a portion of my taxes to fund such an abhorrent procedure!!!
It appears that you select various issues to support a conservative or liberal view. We are all certainly free to have our own values, but supporting anyone that allows abortion on demand is evil....in my opinion. Follow Christ in ALL issues.
You can’t sing “Oh How I Love Jesus” on Sunday, and think it’s okay to slaughter unborn babies on Monday.

You have obviously misunderstood my posts or miss interpreted them. When have I ever said I am in favour of abortions.!????
I had views on Trump and the election, but I am not aware that I was ever ‘ thrilled ‘ about anything to do with it and I am not aware I ever showed support for Biden. Just because I had issues with Trump , i believe I have always conveyed that I had the view that God was using him.
You have obviously decided certain things about me that simply are not true.
Rita