[|||]

flappist:

you seem very passionate about the concept of free will & personal responsibilty. i understand that this thread is more about those two topics than it is about bike helmets.

in light of that i would like to know your opinion on two points:

1) do you believe that some people need protecting from themselves? can the benefits of stopping someone dying a painful death ever outweigh the burden of a restriction on them? (eg is the freedom to smoke more valuable than the pain a smoker may suffer as a consequence of that freedom?)

2) do you beleive society needs protecting from members within it? is the benefit of stopping one individual from harming society worth the burden of imposing restrictions on all? (eg is the burden of restricting people from driving with a blood alcohol level greater than 0.05 worth the benefit of less "innocent" motorists killed by these drunk drivers?)

there are of course no right or wrong answers i'd just like to hear your thoughts.