When I was a boy, public safety was a local thing: the cop walking his beat, the fire department and the health department at city hall.

The federal government took care of national security. The state could activate the National Guard if necessary, and there were no mandates and minimal controls. The motto “Safety First” was occasionally seen, and children learned early how to take care of themselves.

Now we have acquired a “crash-test” mentality, afraid of what is not likely to happen. A fat and wimpy nation, overprotective of its citizens. Our government insists on controlling our personal safety. This requires intrusive measures that mean we lose more and more of the freedom that we used to take pride in. Yet nobody dares challenge a program which is labeled “safety.”

Safety has become the American sacred cow; you cannot touch it. Legislation of questionable merit, and regulations without common sense, get through under the banner of “Safety.”

My personal safety is my own responsibility, as long as I am not a serious threat to anyone. Risk is an integral part of living. I would choose and control my risks myself, without government interference.

I think that the average driver is pretty good, and that serious accidents on the road are few, considering the enormous traffic. In over 60 years, I have never wished for a seat belt, and I don’t use one. This should be my decision alone. Same goes for airbags.

Guy Campbell, Norway