Re: "that's THEIR responsibility, not ours."

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

The problem with this, is that most everything we do has societal costs. Bad
marriages cost society a huge amount of money - does that mean the
government should arrange marriages? Endurance riding is riskier than a
large number of other sports. Should those that don't participate have the
government ban horse back riding? Should we be required to eat a government
approved diet?

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "Amanda Perez" <amandaperez@ureach.com>


>
> Sorry, not so.  The consequences of their actions effect more
> than just themselves.  When someone ends up disabled there is a
> societal cost.  If you end up unable to work and don't have a
> wealthy faimily, you will in all likelyhood end up on some form
> of public assitance: medicaid, welfare, etc.  We ALL pay for
> that.  Plus your injury costs your insurer bucks, which they
> make up by raising ALL our rates.   And when little Cliffy or
> whomever gets his brains scrambled and needs special education,
> are little Cliffy's mommy and daddy going to pay for that out
> of their own pocket?  Probably not: all the tax-payers in their
> school districy cough up. And don't forget all those bozos who
> do stupid things, hurt themselves, then turn around and SUE
> whomever they think has deep-pockets, resulting in still higher
> insurance premiums.  Let a few ride managers or sanctioning
> orgs get sucessfully sued and watch organized endurance vanish!
>
> Sorry, folks, no man is an island.  There are societal costs
> that can't be avoided and it is selfish and self-centered to
> think otherwise.  This does not just apply to riding but to
> motercycles, cigarette smoking etc.  Yes life is risky - all
> the more reason to avoid the hazards we can.  It is not that
> big a hardship to wear a helmet, and your loved-ones and fellow
> tax-payers will appreicate it even if you don't value your own
> skull.
>