Ahhhhh, child safety seats and restraints.
What I find amazing is that smoking ban advocates use the fact that there are laws on the books mandating the use of these items. Government protecting the health and welfare of our children (in my case grandchildren).
I remember when my sons were young enough to be in car seats. We did not have the ones that are currently being used. They were not designed yet. What did we have? They were clip on seats that hung on the back of the front passenger seat (they couldn't even be used in the back).
Many of these had trays for cookies and drinks and even play dashboards. They had little steering wheels, horns that tooted, an ignition key that made funny noises and other assorted doo dads designed to entertain the child.
Then as time went on, better designed, and more protective seats were built and sold. New concepts were promulgated (like for certain early years the child should be backwards in the rear seat). All of these were the result of scientific analysis, studies, etc etc. All of them striving to protect the lives of our young uns..............
Personally, I am happy that these items were developed. Granted, they came after my sons were old enough to sit normally, but they are great for the children that came after them.
Now, we have government mandates requiring these items. Why? For the health and welfare of the children.
Wow, then the parents of these children have to be:
a. Irresponsible
b. Dumb
c. Have no common sense
Maybe there is another answer? Maybe these folks want the government to assume total control of their lives? They don't want to make these decisions concerning their children. They want to abrogate their parental responsibility. If you need the government to tell you to put that child in a safety seat you are a lousy parent.
So, if you are a smoking ban advocate and you have used the child safety seats as justification for governmental control you are taking one step closer to government control of other lifestyle items.
You can read that as one step closer to communism.
Just like children riding bicycles, using roller blades or other such items, need to be wearing helmets. Right? But the parents need to take control of that, NOT the government.
Oh, BTW, one last thought. How come school buses are exempt from safety belt laws? I smell some hypocrisy here.
