We can thank the lawyers for such stuff. A child gets into something,,, gets hurt or dies,, and they blame the product & not the inattentive parent. They sue.
And yes,, thieves are empowered to steal,, because they are not severely prosecuted. Again,, the lawyers.
If we returned to a system where a person is held accountable for their actions,, parents are required to parent,, and punishment is appropriate,, we'd not have the need for so many "child-proof" items or locking up items in a store. (Just yesterday,, Miss Penny had to get a clerk to unlock a case to get her some facial cream.)
But have child-proof containers or other safety measures saved lives? Absolutely. But if PEOPLE would parent,, & educate each other & their kids,, we'd not need so much of that stuff.
Growing up,, many of us were taught to NOT mess with medications,, as well as the adults keeping meds in a place kids could not get to.
Seatbelts,, yes,, they have saved lives,, as have helmets. But by making them mandatory,, takes away personal freedoms. In SC,, a motorcycle rider can ride w/o a helmet. THEIR CHOICE!!! Just like it's a citizen's right to CHOOSE to own a firearm or not. And I've seen cases where a seatbelt trapped a person in a wreck,, and caused death or injury. I CHOOSE to use a helmet when I ride. I choose to have a loaded gun with me. I choose when I wear a seatbelt. Personal responsibility,, should not be forced upon everybody.
Backup safeties on lawn mowers are often disabled because they are a pain to operate a mower when backing up is often necessary. I know a guy who owns a Cub Cadet dealership,, and he sees a lot of the disabled safeties.
Autoglass in cars & trucks. Yes,, safety glass has improved safety & kept a lot of people from injuries & even death. That's a progression in making better stuff that doesn't hinder our use of the product. The same thing with anti-lock brakes. Technology advancements,, that has helped.
Back-up cameras. My current truck has one,, but no warning buzzer. I didn't ask for it,, nor did I want to pay extra for it. But I was forced to. I don't use it much,, except to align my trailer hitch with the trailer. I use my mirrors,, and watch what I'm doing. Don't allow kids to play behind vehicles,, or be a responsible adult & check things around you before you "just run to the store." The person responsible,, the driver. Same as being on the highway.
Child safety seats. I fully agree that a regular car seat is not a correct size for a child. And having a special seat for them is a great idea. But kinda like the helmet laws,, and the seat belt laws,, a parent needs to take responsibility & want to use them. A law forcing them intrudes upon personal choices. If a child isn't restrained properly,, and gets injured or killed,, the parent is responsible. Oh,, and I've responded to an accident where a mother was in a hurry, pulled into traffic WITHOUT properly awaiting a safe entry into traffic. (She still had french fries in her mouth when I got to her,, and I was the first one to her.) Her car was already smoldering,, and I had to shut off the ignition, cut her out of her seat belt,, pull her out through the window, and I had to cut her child out of the child seat due to the damages to the vehicle. (EMT's will say you should not move a victim to prevent further injuries unless there was the possibility of further injuries if left in a wreck. I could not remove the entire seat.) I had to tear a lot of stuff off & out of the way to get them out of the car. All while the car was smoldering & it did eventually break out into a fire.
Would I drive with a child in my vehicle w/o a safety seat? NO. But I'd also make sure I could get them out of one quickly if in an accident.
My point to all this is that PEOPLE need to take responsibility for their own safety & the safety of others & NOT,, repeat NOT rely upon government regulations or other forced mandates to take the place of their own stupidity.
I'm not against safety stuff,,, just forced mandates.
We have these forced mandates. And look at what some lawyers & others are trying to force upon gun owners. "Safe" guns where only the owner can operate it. Locks in actions,, (S&W with the hole, Ruger with the strut lock, to name a few. They want "Smart guns" and want to remove our personal choices & freedoms.
Ever hear the saying; "Give them an inch & they will take a mile?" Lawyers & lawsuits have crippled many companies,, & have cost consumers billions. Forcing safety stuff is removing personal responsibility.
