Freedom Versus Restraint: The Car Seat Debate

Here's a perfect example of how the government has no business telling me how to raise my children. The authors of the Freakonomics blog (they've written two books) argue in their latest book that car seats are less safe for kids than are modified seat belts.

Of course, the outcry from over-concerned mothers is loud and angry. After the "Freakonomics Guys" were on Good Morning America, one mom commented on a Facebook page: "Now we will have more kids’ deaths because of people not using car seats. Thanks, Good Morning America, for doing this and killing kids."

As I said, too many mothers are over-concerned and have bought into the government's and the car seat manufacturer's propaganda.

Remember, the government has no right to MAKE you put your kids in car seats. Say it with me now: "the government has the power, but not the authority." If you're old enough (and you probably are if you're reading this) you remember when no one sat in cars seats, no one wore seat belts, and I certainly don't remember some ridiculous amount of deaths because kids weren't in car seats. What I DO remember is a bunch of us kids crammed in the back of a station wagon on our way to to family get-togethers.

And EVEN IF it was more dangerous, who cares? Shouldn't we have the right to live my life as we choose, and strap (or not strap) kids into the car the way we want to? Beyond that, these laws are too arbitrary. Who gets to decide what's safe enough? Why is it the government? Do they know better than you and I how to raise our kids?

The government needs to get out of our business and let us be free to live as we want. The government should have the least influence on how we raise our kids. Do they love your kids more than you do?

Consider something else: as our kids grow up in this nanny state, they become accustomed to the government telling them what to do. I think that's where a lot of these overprotective moms come from. They've been conditioned to believe the government knows better than they do when it comes to raising their kids.

And I say all of this as a dad of two great kids I love very much.

Do yourself a favor: Google "freakonomics car seats" and read more about it. Make your own decision. Don't let anyone tell you how to think about this issue. And certainly don't trust the government's ability to raise your kids better than you can. They have no right to tell you what's best for your kids.