Grendel
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I was going to bite my tongue and stay out of this one...but alas...I cannot do it! Some of the comments on this thread are...well..cannot find a strong enough word to describe blatant ignorance! Rights...rights...rights...we have a right to do whatever we want and to be left alone! Do you actually read and believe your gibberish? Ever hear of the Social Contract? Here it is in a nutshell. Goes back to the times of Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham and even before. You see, we are all born with unrestricted free will (they used to cll this natural law). However, to allow people to exercise their "free will" without some sort of control would certainly lead to a bad scene. So there is a need to control "rights." Controlling these rights not only protects people from themselves, but it also aids in protecting other people from having some clown violating their rights through the exercise of their rights. Get the picture? Now, back to the current situation. So you have your boat checked; sometimes more than once. Big deal! I know personally that it does not take that long to do. Doing so, protects you and your family from danger out on the lake. Furthermore, it will protect others who might have to come to your aid just in the event you BLEEP up and are not lawfully or otherwise adequately prepared. Yeah, the law can be a pain in the rear, but it also can be a huge help. Just depends upon which side of the fence you are on at the time. However, and make no mistake about it, the law is for everyone and it is not going away. So, in closing, if having 15 mins. taken out of your busy day is too much for you, sell the boat! When you registered it you knew there were laws regulating the safe handling of a water craft. Did you think those would not be enforced? Did you think those white boats at the marina were for show and tell? For those that are lawful and wish to have a Safety Sticker applied, good idea, but there are nuances to that. For example, being checked in May does not mean you will be ok in July. Flares expire, type IV throwables become torn, and you might have left a PFD at home and be short. There are other scenarios that could be inserted here, but I am sure one gets the picture. It is tough to ascertain who the good eggs are and who are not good eggs. So everyone gets the treatment. This is life in a free society. Really saddens me to hear how people bash an organization that is there to protect, enhance, and conserve. Then again, they are heralded when they take away poachers who are steeling your precious Slime in the fall. These folks protect your freedom to recreate in and on Commonwealth waters. So, factor in some inconvenience to your precious freedom and just go with it. I am sure you will survive. I hope not all SONS feel as though the above post does. I had great respect for that organization.
< Message edited by Grendel -- 6/22/2008 11:31:06 AM >
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Science like nature Must also be tamed With a view towards its preservation Given the same state of integrity It will surely serve us well ~ NP
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