"Jeff Grippe" wrote in message
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"Edward Dolan" wrote in message
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[...]
I have heard this Canadian complaint too many times about there being too
many laws. Must be a Canadian thing. We Americans like lots and lots of
laws, the more the merrier until they start conflicting with one another.
Hey, why do you think we have so many lawyers in this country?

The one thing that used to amaze me is that in communist countries you
had very few lawyers. Good or bad? You tell me!

There remains controversy over whether or not helmets 1. Prevent injury,
2. Discourage cycling (because of mandatory helmet laws).

You can take whatever position you want about helmets but you can't easily
make the controversy go away.

If there are laws on the books mandating helmets, then we should obey those
laws. The fact that the laws got on to the books in the first place
prejudices me in favor of them. I do not want to have to decide for myself
whether helmets are good or bad. I want someone else who is expert in the
subject to decide for me.

Regarding laws to protect us from ourselves:

We have always been a fiercely independent people who don't like being
told what to do. We tolerate restricting personal liberty when we feel it
is for a good cause, however. It is one thing to say that we should all be
allowed to do whatever we want but in the same breath you must realize
that when things turn out badly, the libertarian may end up being cared
for by the society and thus a burden.

Should tobacco be outlawed? Should eating or drinking to excess? On the
other hand, should drugs be legalized?

I'm not looking for specific answers to the above questions. They merely
serve to point out that the discussion about personal freedom vs. legal
restriction of personal liberty is a complex one.

We Americans are no longer fiercely independent. You are talking about our
forefathers. Today we have grown lazy and dependent and we want the
government to do as much as possible for us. We really are no different than
the Europeans in that respect.

We have a lot of lawyers because the pay is good. When there are so many
that they must compete by lowering their rates, or if we achieve
meaningful tort reform, then the number of new lawyers will drop. People
will always go where the money is. I can almost guarantee you that most
lawyers are not there because they "love the law", some are, but not most.

The question that needs to be answered is why American society has so many
lawyers in comparison to other societies which are not oriented in the same
way as ours. Communist societies for instance have very few lawyers, but
lots and lots of bureaucrats. Does this not tell us something significant
about the differences between the two types of societies.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota