Jun 26, 2008

Analyzing a Pantagraph Letter

I'm not quite sure why I continue to read the comments section of the Pantagraph, but I keep finding myself periodically clicking "most commented" just to see what the latest scandal is. Right now, there is letter to the editor title "Insurance Companies Encroaching on Freedoms." Since State Farm bashing seems to be a favorite topic of the commentors, I clicked on the article to see what the issue was and because I generally can't resist a letter to the editor that has freedom or right in the title.

The letter starts like this:
I have to take time out of my schedule next Wednesday to attend mandatory traffic court. What is my horrendous crime you may ask? I did not have the most recent piece of paper in my car verifying that I was covered by auto insurance.

How did we get to this point in our society? I was originally stopped by the police because my passenger was not wearing her seatbelt. Oh no!! Thank goodness another criminal has been convicted and properly punished.
I like how she buried that she was actually pulled over for a seatbelt violation in the second paragraph, but at this point I was trying to figure out how this was an insurance company's fault. Maybe they misprinted her cards, maybe they failed to send them in time. But no, she follows with logical acrobatics that are impressive even for a small local newspaper.
Who is responsible for these laws anyway? The insurance companies. Their lobbyists have convinced our lawmakers to punish people whom they have judged make their profits go down.
Uninsured drivers must be gold mine that can't be tapped without the creation of some laws. So in order to force these people to get insurance, we developed seat belt laws? Clearly, no one but insurance companies thinks that seat belts are a good idea and everyone knows that the easiest violation to spot while driving your own vehicle is the use of a seat belt. I knew that there was a seat belt conspiracy.

I am still trying to figure out what this has to do with freedom, since last time I check the constitution didn't protect the right to drive, nor did it call traffic court a cruel or unusual punishment. I'm pretty sure driving would be classified as a privilege, but then a helpful commenter explained everything:

FollowTheConsitution wrote on Jun 26, 2008 1:07 PM:

" Catching Wild Pigs

You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity. ....continued... "
At first I thought maybe the poster was trying to use the derogatory pigs/cops reference, but that wouldn't make sense. Unless he/she is drawing an analogy that cops are being domesticated by insurance companies, but didn't police forces develop first. I understand that he is describing the gradual reduction in freedoms, but of all of the issues to pick--seatbelts, really?

Clearly all of the talk about the war, the economy, the enviornment, etc, has been misguided. I leave you with the "wisdom" of the end of the letter:
Land of the free? Hardly! We have lost our ability to make choices for ourselves and our families because businesses like State Farm and Country Companies aren’t making enough money to suit them.
The Great Seat Belt Conspiracy of 08 must be exposed!

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