What happened to my right to choose?

Question

Why cant I go driving without my seatbelt, without being punished for it?

After all its MY BODY. Why cant I use illicit drugs, its MY BODY, why cant women get tatoos or piercings under 18 yrs of age, its their BODIES?

Just wondering?

Answer 1

In general, you are correct. The issue is the fine line for what can be regulated and what cannot.

Nothing requires you to get in a car. So, you can avoid having to wear a seatbelt by not riding in a car.

Also, under the balancing test analysis, the burden imposed by requiring the seatbelt is small compared to the benefit of saving the life. That means that even though it is a retriction on your liberty, it's not an unreasonable restriction.

That's the same reason abortion can be regulated, and reasonable restrictions and limitations can be imposed by the states. The states cannot just outright prohibit it.

As far as drugs, that's an issue dealing with the so-called "secondary effects" doctrine. The secondary effects of allowing personal drug use are the sale of illegal drugs, and the crime that associates it, as well as the risk of harm to the user. So, under the balancing test, the direct harm to the person combined with the secondary harm to sociey outweigh the personal liberty rights involved. That's why states can regulate both prescription and recreational drugs.

It's all about where the specific lines get drawn the legal analysis.

Answer 2

You can still do those things. You can still drive without your seatbelt. You may get ticketed if caught but you can still do it. And, guess what? You won't be thrown in prison for a federal offence. On the other hand, it is a known fact that seatbelts and airbags do save lives and limit lawsuits against the auto industry.
You're right, women and men under the age of 18 in some states can't get piercings or tattoos. This is a ridiculous law and should be revoked. I had my ears pierced at the age of 12. BTW, not all states have this against the law. And some illicit drugs should be legalized and taxed. You're right. A really good drug abuse system much like the system that is available for alcoholics to get off alcohol should be developed. But drugs like marijuana are actually less harmful than alcohol to the body.
You bring up some very good points in which the laws should be changed.

Answer 3

very different issues.

piercings, which are reversible, should have about the same age of consent as sex.
tattoos, which are permanent, should be same age as voting, joining military and alcohol/substance use.
drug use (tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, marijuana, mushrooms etc) should all be legal for adults but tightly controlled in a consistent manner rather than politicized as they are now, with the most dangerous left totally legal and others made only more dangerous by being totally illegal and thus out of control.

the seatbelt thing really burns me too. statistics are useful for recommendations, but the gov't has no business using coercion. It is up me what technology I should trust. seatbelts have been known to jam and trap people in burning vehicles -especially in the older cars I tend to drive. A high school friend was informed that in one horrible wreck he was lucky he wasn't wearing his seat belt, because the belt probably would have decapitated him if he had been.

I have a spotless driving record, no points at all, no wrecks, no moving violations. But I now have a suspended licence that'll take 1000$ to get back. I don't have $1000 and can't get it because I can't work w/o driving..

theres a special place in hell for whoever wrote that law..

Answer 4

I don't know -but my brother-in-law is a coroner and mortician and more people are killed not wearing a seat belt than the ones who choose to wear ones. He has said on more than one occasion and the High-Way Patrol see's it too, that 9xout of 10 if would have worn the stupid seat belt they would have lived. Years ago back on the 60's and so forth and when there were no seat belts there weren't as many cars on the road. And being under 18 - You should know if you have half a brain that when we are 18-we make some of the most STUPID decisions we can't take back!!For God Sake GRow Up!

Answer 5

Well, seatbelts is easy.

A consumer protection company won the concession that if the automobile manufacturers couldn't get a seatbelt required law in in a certain number of states, they wouldn't have to put in airbags. They got the law in in a number of states, but not enough, so had to put in airbags anyhow.

The fact that some percentage of people in accidents are SAVED by being thrown clear doesn't seem to bother them a bit.

Drugs, well, there is a chicken and egg thing about crime, some drugs are better than others, others are basically poison. Once addicted you have no free will. Some legalization and regulation might be appropriate, though.

And I think kids do have to be protected against bad ideas with permanent impact. Adults not so much.

Answer 6

Because people under 25 know very little about the world and people under 18 know even less . Do you really want a tattoo that says property of ------- or a chain around your ankle or a butterfly on your breast . If you have to ask or seek approval to do something then you are not mature enough to do it . !8 is not the magic age where you become enlightened and able to make your own decisions . That age comes when you make them and deal with the consequences of them . You do not ask if you can do something you just do it .

Answer 7

seatbelt citations are a big plus for local and state coffers, I agree, there are no seat belts on motorcycles and no body gets a ticket for that, doesnt make much sense to me either,
as far as drugs are concerned, the only drug that you should be allowed to take in is marijuana or hashish, anything else i would say no to, and if you are not 18 years of age, you are not even considered for anything except to join the military, and then you cant even have a drink until you are of age, it just doesnt make sense, and i went to a high shool wrestling match with my buddy, his grandson was wrestling, half those boys had tattoos, all over, I dont get it either

Answer 8

Buy a classic car - I've got a '65 mustang that didn't have seatbelts as original equipment.

So not only do I not have to wear one - I don't even f'ing have one!!! (Of course if I get in a serious wreck, the steering column won't break away either - and I'll get impaled on it).

You can use all the illicit drugs you want. Just don't get caught with them.

And you can get all the tattoos and piercings you want to - just make a fake ID, or get a friend to do the piercings/tats.

All very bad advice, most of these things are illegal to make sure you don't make stupid mistakes before you get old enough to realize how stupid they are.

Answer 9

Never confuse them with the facts, it's ok for you to murder your child but it is bad for you to be put at risk.

Wear your seat belt or you'll be fined also no smoking in your car it may effect you child, now to the uborn child that ok cause your going to have an abortion anyway so it will not effect its developement.

However if you hit a lady who is preganant you will be charged with at least 2 counts of man slaughter, but there is only one person there, and then the rape incest thing does that happen more often the regular sexaul activity?

Answer 10

Legal adults should be allowed to whatever they want to their own body as long as it does not cause any harm to others.

So I agree with everything you say, other than the tattoos and piercings for kids under 18.