I read an article yesterday called What is Acceptable Risk? It pointed out the absurdity of many of the things today's culture deems worthy of governmental regulation (or outright prohibition). Like how smoking cigarettes is growing more and more stigmatized, and is being banned in more and more places, while at the same time an avalanche of support for the legalization of marijuana can be found. Support for same sex marriage, and homosexual relationships in general, continues to grow despite evidence of the relatively high risk of disease that follows those who engage in such relationships. Atheism and divorce are both extremely prominent today, despite studies that show longer, happier, more fulfilled lives among the religious and those couples who remain married. The list went on.
I'm not trying to make political statements about the issues in the previous paragraph. I didn't check out the sources, and I have no interest in speaking to the statistical accuracy or inaccuracy of the article's claims. But the larger point is still made. The list of things we consider risky enough to prohibit or legislate is often ridiculous looking.
Remember that guy in New York who wants to ban sodas larger than 16 ounces? I used to listen to Colin Cowherd on sports radio pretty regularly. I don't always like him or agree with him, but he used to say that when he's wondering if something is a good idea, he likes to "say it out loud" to see if it sounds dumb. That 16 ounce drink size limit fails such a test. Say this out loud: "I live in America, and I am not allowed to purchase a 20 ounce pop when I go to Taco Bell for lunch." Minimum wage laws are similarly dumb-sounding to me. Imagine a law that makes it illegal for you to go to an employer and ask if you can work for $5/hour.
If we really want to make the lives of citizens better, we should be prohibiting radio stations from broadcasting the sounds of emergency vehicle sirens. How dangerous is it to hear an ambulance or a police car while you're driving and start to hit the brakes and pull over onto the shoulder, only to realize that the sirens you hear are the background noise to a radio ad that's playing? And can't we more strongly enforce basic traffic laws like using your turn signal?
In light of everything above, my question for you this week is: How good will the Cubs be this season?
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