Drive

Last Saturday it was raining when I went to work. Hard, steady rain. Got in the car, buckled the seat belt, turned on the lights, turned on the wipers and went to work.

As is usual on my drive, I am relegated to some fairly busy roads and cross (actually pass under) a major freeway. As usual on a rainy day like Saturday, there were a large number of autos and trucks whose drivers didn't push the button or flip the switch to turn their lights on, rendering them practically invisible.

The invisible drivers weren't the only vexation. As usual, there were those who had seemingly thrown away their turn signals and rear view mirrors as useless accessories. Then there were those who had decided to drive impaired in other ways, either by using their cell phones or, even at that point of the day, drinking. That's not even mentioning those who might have been driving without insurance.

Whatever became of the idea of personal responsibility?

In Texas and in many other states there are laws which dictate how we drive. "Lights on with your wipers" is one such law... the law also dictates that we use turn signals, that we avoid using cell phones in certain situations and that if we have a certain amount of alcohol in our system we cannot drive.

We are also compelled to drive with insurance, drive with our seat belts on and to have certain equipment on cars built after specific dates.

The laws regulating the way we drive have been enacted by the individual states, but under a uniform set of laws provided to us by the people in Washington... you know, the same people who, on Sunday night set us on a path to reform health care.

One of the cries of anguish that I have heard about the proposal as passed by the House has to do with requiring people to buy health insurance. How dare our congressmen require us to buy insurance or be fined? Drive drunk without a seat belt and without insurance and see what happens. Congress set the limits of alcohol we have in our bodies before we are considered to be driving drunk (0.08%). Congress requires that states have seat belt laws in place and enforced. Congress has dictated that drivers carry liability insurance or be fined.

My friends on the right declare that health care should be a personal responsibility issue and that the government should butt out. I'm good with that as long as driving my automobile is considered a personal issue and that the government should butt out. I should be able to drive drunk without a seatbelt and no insurance. The government shouldn't fine me or imprison me or confiscate my automobile. How dare the idea of government intervention in our lives even be suggested!!!

With freedom comes responsibility. Without responsibility, limits need to be set. It goes with the territory. Driving without laws? Unthinkable. There are too many people out there bending the laws that we already have - having no laws would mean utter chaos. We've lived with utter chaos in regards to the health insurance industry for quite some time. Why grouse about having some order for a change?

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