Ronald Reagan quote

[chad67]

I read a quote by Ronald Reagan today and wanted to see what everyone else thinks. It goes like this, "Government exists to protect us from each other. Where Government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves." A little different thought I had on this was the fact that some people can do something stupid and illegal and when something bad happens (read: natural consequences) the judicial system will step in reward the idiot financially. Get your fool self hurt breaking into someone else's house? Sue their homeowner's insurance-you may get paid for your own moronic behavior. Somebody needs to protect you from the consequences of being you!

[ultraranger]

That's because it's a Criminals Justice System and not a Citizens Justice System.

I believe bad behavior begins in school. When I was in school, the teacher didn't have to ask for permission to discipline a student that was acting up or disrupting the others from learning. Today, kids learn at an early age there's really no consequences for bad actions. These are the same people that grow up to make bad decisions and break laws because they aren't given any boundaries to conduct themselves within.

It seems today everything is opposite. Bad is good and wrong is right. As long as you don't get caught, anything and everything is fair game. Morals, respect for self and others and humility are viewed as traits of weakness and not as an attribute.

[68RGR]

I think one of the main problems today is a simple lack of shame.

Young, unmarried girls get pregnant, show up at school and get gifts, congratulations, etc. Where's the shame?

Some of today's music celebrates murder, drug use, theft, you name it. Where's the shame?

A juvenile steals a car and is caught. He's unremorseful to the point of being proud of the fact he got to ride in a Lexus for a while. Where's the shame?

People go out of their way to look slovenly: From wearing purposely torn clothing to saggy pants to rings in their noses. Where's the shame?

The president makes promises and, later, ignores or flat out lies about them. Where IS the shame?

The media refuses to hold him responsible. Indeed, where is the shame?

I'll tell you where it is - It's in the missing parent(s), it's in the missing educations, it's in the lack of desire to succeed and be part of the mainstream, it's in the lack of real pride in one's own self, it's in the absence of taking responsibility for your actions, it's in a gross lack of self-control not to mention self-reliance.

They can't tell you how many congressmen there are, what happened in 1776, what World War II was about or even if there was a war but they can damn sure tell you what some Hollywood ne'er-do-well nitwit had for breakfast!

Today, our country has some of the sorriest excuses for "human beings" that we've ever produced. We're having to fund prisons and entitlement programs at record levels. And, to what end? The destruction of what once was the greatest country on earth? I sincerely hope not!

Really - You should have to get a license before you can reproduce!

[crazyhorse]

Mr 68RGR, I agree.
Well said.

[chad67]

On the subject of protecting us from ourselves, whose business is it if I wear my seatbelt or motorcycle helmet (for the record, I wear both religiously)? Just because I chose to, doesn't mean the government should decide that everyone is required to.

[68RGR]

You know, I used to feel the same way until I considered the consequences:

Let's say I pull out in front of another car (whether I have the ROW CAN be immaterial) and the occupants of the other car are wearing seat belts and are, generally, uninjured. I may face a civil suit but probably not any significant criminal charges.

Then consider this:

What if one or more people in the other vehicle are not wearing seat belts and are killed or seriously injured? In that case, if I am at fault, I can not only face a civil suit, I can face serious criminal charges.

Alternatively, let's say I was not wearing a seat belt and was killed by an at-fault driver. But, if I had been wearing a seat belt, I would have little or no injuries. Now, the other driver (possibly one of you) is the one in the hot seat.

And, here's one last possibility:

What if a driver, who is not wearing a seat belt, has his vehicle hit by an at-fault driver. And, as a result, is rendered unconscious and unable to control the vehicle which plows into a group of pedestrians, a gas pump, you-name-it. On the other hand, if the driver had been wearing a seat belt, he may not have been injured and, possibly, could have avoided the pedestrians, etc. In this case, it is the after-the-collision outcome that can be altered by wearing a seat belt. And, others are protected even though they aren't wearing a seat belt or even in a vehicle.

I asked myself this:

What if I were the driver of the at-fault vehicle? Wouldn't I want the best result for everyone? And, shouldn't everyone (including me) have to wear a seat belt in order to increase the chances of achieving that best result?

I came to the realization that I should wear a seat belt not only for me and my family but for everyone.

[motzingg]

eh, you put a bunch of lawyers in charge of everything, what did you think would happen? when it comes to tort reform, the people who are supposed to be reforming the legal system are the ones who stand to profit from it being so screwy. even europe has more reasonable law when it comes to that.

its always thorny when your freedom to burn a pile of tires gets in the way of my freedom to breathe, or my freedom to play rap music at 3am gets in the way of your freedom to sleep.

i always have to remind myself that roads are public (gov't) property and if you're driving on them you have to play by the rules of the gov't... if you want to build a race track on your own land with your own money you can drive however you want on it. licensing, inspection, emissions, etc. all based on the notion that you are subject to the government's rules if you want to drive on the government's road.

[68RGR]

or my freedom to play rap music at 3am gets in the way of your freedom to sleep.

Yep, that would be two pretty big strikes against you! That stuff nauseates me - I mean physically not artistically. Well, on second thought, both!

[tac]

Your freedom to play rap music at 3 a.m. would be OK, if I have the freedom to use my 12 gauge on your player .

[flyboy2610]

When the schools spend at least 13 years teaching kids that they are really nothing but animals, should we be surprised when they begin to act like animals?

[68RGR]

Your freedom to play rap music at 3 a.m. would be OK, if I have the freedom to use my 12 gauge on your player .

No, no ,no . . . You'd use your "AK" for such a device!! You gotta make use you use the correct tool for the job!

[Ranchero50]

My favorite Reagan quote is 'Trust, but verify'

It's saved my butt a lot of times when dealing with others.

[ToughOldFord]

I think one of the main problems today is a simple lack of shame.

Young, unmarried girls get pregnant, show up at school and get gifts, congratulations, etc. Where's the shame?

Some of today's music celebrates murder, drug use, theft, you name it. Where's the shame?

A juvenile steals a car and is caught. He's unremorseful to the point of being proud of the fact he got to ride in a Lexus for a while. Where's the shame?

People go out of their way to look slovenly: From wearing purposely torn clothing to saggy pants to rings in their noses. Where's the shame?

The president makes promises and, later, ignores or flat out lies about them. Where IS the shame?

The media refuses to hold him responsible. Indeed, where is the shame?

I'll tell you where it is - It's in the missing parent(s), it's in the missing educations, it's in the lack of desire to succeed and be part of the mainstream, it's in the lack of real pride in one's own self, it's in the absence of taking responsibility for your actions, it's in a gross lack of self-control not to mention self-reliance.

They can't tell you how many congressmen there are, what happened in 1776, what World War II was about or even if there was a war but they can damn sure tell you what some Hollywood ne'er-do-well nitwit had for breakfast!

Today, our country has some of the sorriest excuses for "human beings" that we've ever produced. We're having to fund prisons and entitlement programs at record levels. And, to what end? The destruction of what once was the greatest country on earth? I sincerely hope not!

Really - You should have to get a license before you can reproduce!

Well said Bill!

We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.

Ronald Reagan

[ultraranger]

Arkansas didn't have a primary seat belt law until 2009. At the same time, the helmet law for motorcycles was repealed. Who is most likely to sustain the most serious injuries in an accident? An un-belted person in an automobile or, a person on a motorcycle with no helmet? The rationale of requiring a person in an automobile to have a seat belt on but, a motorcyclist can ride around with no helmet does not compute as legislators having the ability for abstract thought. In reality, it's more about revenue generation (being ticketed) for not wearing a seat belt than being about the government's genuine concern for your well-being.

In 1988, I was 22 years old and this was long before any seat belt laws existed here. I was in a very bad car accident (car rolled multiple times). I had my seat belt on and it likely kept the car from rolling over on top of me. However, I don't think the government should tell me I have to wear it. I wear a seat belt because I understand the principles of kinetic energetic, inertia forces and the simple fact that when a vehicle makes an abrupt stop, due to impact, everything (including people) will still be moving forward, if not restrained. My chances of survival are greater with the seat belt on than without but, that should be my choice. I think most people with even a fraction of common sense realize driving comes with inherent risks. The safest, highest crash rated vehicle in the world will not come with a 100% guarantee that you will not be hurt or killed if you have a wreck in their vehicle. --even with all the air bags, restraints, etc.

States claim driving is a privilege and not a right. The states and the federal government don't pave, maintain or construct new roads or highways out of their own pockets. Tax payers, most particularly the working taxpayers, provide the funds to make all of this possible. A large percentage in the cost of each gallon of fuel you buy supposedly goes to pay for roads and highways (fuel taxes). (Although, I don't see much evidence of that actually going on in my neck of the woods). There's also licensing fees (taxes) for vehicle registration/tags.

In the case of Arkansas, there's also the added penalty of personal property taxes. If you own a house, truck, car, boat, 4-wheeler, motorcycle, etc., you get to pay added taxes on them every year. --it amounts to being penalized for owning these items. Thanks to Bill Clinton, when he was governor of this state, he enacted a law to tax the sale on used vehicles for any resale value of $2,500.00 dollars or greater. --the tax was already paid on the vehicle when it was purchased new ???? ...anyway....

There are multiple sources of taxes being siphoned to 'fund road projects.' This means, as an automobile owner/operator, that you have a vested interest in the road system that you are driving on. It's not being provided by some government entity, out of the goodness of their heart, for nothing on your part.

[thejunkman]

eh, you put a bunch of lawyers in charge of everything, what did you think would happen? when it comes to tort reform, the people who are supposed to be reforming the legal system are the ones who stand to profit from it being so screwy. even europe has more reasonable law when it comes to that.

its always thorny when your freedom to burn a pile of tires gets in the way of my freedom to breathe, or my freedom to play rap music at 3am gets in the way of your freedom to sleep.

i always have to remind myself that roads are public (gov't) property and if you're driving on them you have to play by the rules of the gov't... if you want to build a race track on your own land with your own money you can drive however you want on it. licensing, inspection, emissions, etc. all based on the notion that you are subject to the government's rules if you want to drive on the government's road.

Well the thing is, common decency, and moral fabric come into play. These two examples you use are pretty good to illustrate my point. I would not play loud music at 3 AM when I know my neighbors are sleeping because I am a decent person that cares about other people around me. I would not burn a pile of leaves upwind from my neighbors house if I knew it was going to smoke him out, for the same reasons. Not because it's against the law. There are endless examples of things that I could do that would infringe on another persons "rights." It is not the governments job nor right to police aspect of our lives and keep us in line. That is the job of our parents, our community, our faith. "Love thy neighbor." It also becomes hairy when people start to claim they have a right, which in turn takes something another perceives as a right. Which I think is the point you were making. The fact is that everyone now days wants a society of free thinking, no religion, be yourself... blah, blah, blah (it's easier to live without condemnation after all). In the end, this cesspool is what you get. People will never see eye to eye on everything. That's why there's been war since the dawn of time, and always will be. Most laws are made to make somebody some money and get some more power anyway, not necessarily for the good of the people.