Mandate this!!!

I am a Libertarian. I am also an idealist. I think you kind of have to be an idealist to be a Libertarian. I just read an article online that really gets to the Libertarian in me.

Susie Kessler had a great idea. She was worried about her teenaged children driving on busy, dangerous roads. This worry was exacerbated by the fact that auto accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers. So she came up with a magnetized bumper sticker that reads 'CAUTION: NEWLY LICENSED'. The idea being that other drivers (the normal ones. not the sick, crazy people out there) will see the sticker and give the driver of the vehicle some grace when they wait forever to make a left turn or ride for miles with a turn signal on or drive 40 mph in the left lane. Sounds cool, right?


I think it's great. However, now she is working with a local legislator to make it the law that drivers have this magnet on the vehicle when they are driving. This drives me bananas.

Why do we have to have laws for everything? Good grief! Why does everything have to be mandated? I think this is a cute idea, Susie, but it doesn't have to be law. Share it with the other moms at your son's school. Share it with the local newpapers and magazines, go tell it on the mountain. I'm sure that other parents will think that it is a good idea and join you. Some parents won't think it is a good idea; whether it's because they are the kind of 'cool' parents who don't want to embarrass their children or because they think that announcing to the world that a teenager is driving the car makes them a target. Whatever the case may be, there will be some people that don't want to participate.....AND THAT'S OK!!!!

We are becomng a nation of people who don't do things because it is the right thing, we do it because it is the law. I think that is very sad. It takes the 'thinking' out of living. And not only that, as we continue down this path, we will get to the point where we won't do anything unless it is the law. We will look to the law to dictate every step that we take. College is good, should we mandate that? Exercise is good, should we mandate that? And if you think that I am taking the slippery slope to the next level, just think about it. We are on the precipice of offering a public option for healthcare. When people's unhealthy habits cost us money, I bet people will find a way to mandate certain behaviors.

I don't mean to go off on a political tangent, but we have got to do something. The more laws we have, the more government we need to enforce the laws.

I'm not for anarchy...I'm just saying.
PS
If you are interested in purchasing a bumper sticker or starting a campaign in your neighborhood/ school district/ burg check out www.newlylicensed.com