Friends of Bikers of Lesser Tolerance - B.O.L.T.

Whenever there is a tragic accident that involves a young person injured or killed during a sport or recreational activity, there is often a public outcry for more regulation to protect other young persons from a similar fate, or to blame parents for allowing their kids to live an active life. Most rights activists know that is not appropriate timing...let the people mourn....just keep a vigil for new legislation which woud create laws later.

Phil, There's a story about a tragic ATV accident. Is this what you are referring to?
http://www.jdnews.com/news/four-72163-wreck-mourning.html

Under that news article, there are comments from stupid people who think that a helmet is a guaranteed panacea. They automatically assume a helmet would have saved 16 yo Raven Kennedy, and they are attacking the parents in their early days of mourning. These are just stupid people and need to stop attacking the parents. I would not even bother responding to their ignorant and mean-spirited comments. The appropriate response is to simply add condolences.

I remember well, a woman who had a retarded son whom she allowed to ride all over their large yard, without protective equipment, because it brought him so much pleasure. He flipped the ATV doing something really reckless and died. She went on a crusade to put the blame/responsibility onto anyone but herself or her son. She launched a website and everything else, and tried to attack helmet law repeal activists.

She allowed this kid to do so many things that were fun, and she spent a vast fortune on his recreational life. He had a much better active life than just about any kid I've ever known, and engaged in a variety of activities that some parents don't allow their kids to enjoy either due to safety reasons or prohibitive financial costs. She would have been better served to celebrate the extremely fulfilling and active life her son had, rather than to seek laws to deny others from having such a wonderfully active life.

A couple of us had to correct her (it was many months later), and let her know that she had some responsibility as a parent, and that it is wrong to ask the government to be the parent by making laws to deny everyone all kinds of rights to live an active and fulfilling life.

These tragic stories happen. It is also tragic when elderly persons slip in the bathtub and injure themselves. As a society, we cannot deprive and regulate every aspect of a persons existence.

jan