Regarding “Life jackets for boaters optional dress–for now” (Main news, May 30):
The Coast Guard is on the right track, but they need to take the argument one step further. According to their statistics, there were 709 boating deaths nationwide. Why force people to wear life jackets and save only the 440 who weren’t wearing them. Let’s outlaw boats entirely and save all 709 who died where a boat was involved.
In a free society, people choose what risks they want to assume. When I step onto a boat, I assess the risk of going on the boat, of wearing a life jacket, of driving to the marina, and I decide how much risk I want to assume. The Coast Guard can provide information on the risks associated with boating without a life jacket, but requiring life jackets would presume that citizens are not smart enough to make their own choices. That is offensive and should be to all free citizens.
