Myrtle Beach and Motorcycles

Could I have a more American title?

Every May 200,000 people on motorcycles descend on the Grand Strand for bike week. At the end of the week, a few do not go home. This year's festival ended today and once again, a few of the bikers wrecked their motorcycle and died from head trauma. This pattern is directly correlated to one of the biggest attractions to having a major bike rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, their relatively relaxed helmet laws. A motorcycle rider over the age of 21, is not required to wear a helmet.

Now many may see the recurrence of deaths related to riders without helmets as reason to enact and enforce tougher helmet laws, but I am not one of those people. While it is idiotic to not wear a helmet on a motorcycle, it is each person's own decision.

I have always thought that any person has a right to do whatever they choose, as long as their acts do not harm others. This is why it should be illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol and other drugs and also against the law to drive recklessly. Not coincidentally, those two factors also play a major role in many of these fatal accidents.

Now, I do admit that often people do not realize the effects of what they do without a reminder. This is why I am fine with warning labels, public service announcements, and education on the dangers of certain behavior whether its helmets, seat belts, drugs, or even a poor diet. But, enacting laws banning people from behaving in ways that only hurt that particular individual, is a step too far.

Bottom line is at the end of the day, you are the only person who is in charge of your actions, and in a free country, you have the right to act how you please, as long as you don't hurt anybody else.

Rabbit