The Republican Party has been
popular over the last 35 years with opposition to “Nanny government.” Yet at times it is guilty of the crime itself and has failed to understand there are times we the people act like spoiled children and deserve the Nanny.
The GOP on one hand has practiced government intrusion into America’s bedrooms with its alliance with the Pro-Life movement, its continuing opposition to gay rights and with obstruction of legalizing marijuana. This doesn’t square very well with the notion of individual freedom to choose and individual freedom to sleep with whomever we love as long it’s consensual.
Meanwhile, our Republican-dominated Michigan State Legislature is toying with raising the speed limit on highways from 70 to 80 miles per hour. This “spoiling the child” policy is an extension of permitting motorcyclists to go helmetless and permitting just about everybody to set off obnoxious and even dangerous fireworks.
All three smack of letting the spoiled child do whatever he or she pleases, regardless of the dangers and affront to the public peace and safety. It makes for bad parenting and bad legislating.
Many lawmakers will argue that most motorists these days travel at speeds at or near 80 anyway, let’s just go with the flow. So if we raise the limit to 80, then many vehicles on expressways will be doing 90. When will we realize we are legalizing dangerous and even deadly behavior?
Legislators chose money over safety when they legalized widespread sales and use of fireworks. They also caved in to a small but powerful lobby when allowing bikers to go without helmets. What’s next? Allowing people once again to unhook seat belts in cars?
I’m waiting for neighborhoods to erupt into mini-riots because some selfish and childish idiots set off fireworks, endangering children, homes and frightening veterans and dogs. I’m waiting for the number of really serious traffic accidents involving bikers spike, with plenty of Sam Bernstein-style lawsuits clogging the courts.
This State Legislature, bowing to childish interests that might make a few extra bucks, would serve the public much better by being a good Nanny rather than being like Uncle Charlie who lets you do whatever you want.
Repeal the fireworks law. Repeal the no-helmet law. And don’t cave into a higher speed limit. We need to focus on getting where we need to go safely rather than quickly. Bring ‘em back alive. And here’s to peaceful neighborhoods.
