Ban high speed car racing? Sounds like a conspiracy against the American spirit to me. These are full grown men, and possibly even the few rare women as well. They know the risks, or they wouldn’t be there. Everyone should have the pride and dignity to choose how they will live their lives. No one forces anyone behind the wheel of a race car, not in America.
More people die from Vioxx and other pharmaceuticals the AMA and FDA keep forcing down our throats, than die in automobiles. More people die in plane crashes than ever have died on the race track. Why should we ban our high speed car racing? Can anyone give me a logical reason?
Some may argue “It teaches our youth to drive wrecklessly.” No, what causes youth to drive wrecklessly is peer pressure. If kid tries driving safe, he is called all kinds of names and severely chastised until he gives in and punches it. Most people who are not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol, will only drive as fast as they are comfortable with, and no faster than what they know their car can handle.
If I want to drive as fast as I possibly can and that is my dream, I should have every right to find a proper place and time to do so. It is immoral to tell a man or woman what they can and cannot do, and to take away their rights and dreams on the supposition that they will abuse their rights. No one is asking those who cannot stand racing to participate in it themselves.
People who regularly drive at high speeds tend to have better reflexes and peripheral vision, as well as shorter reaction times in normal traffic. Anyone who indeed drives wrecklessly and wrecks, got what they had coming. It is better for someone to crash a car at high rates of speed on a race track, rather than on the Interstate where there can be tremendous amounts of collateral damage.
Folks, I am not a fan of Racing. I have never even watched a race. However, I am a firm believer in the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (and everyone who threatens it by the way). Just because I don’t like something doesn’t mean I am against it, and doesn’t give me the right to take it away from those who do enjoy it. There are things I do many people dislike, and I don’t like them taking my rights away from me. If they were willing to support my freedoms, I will gladly support theirs. Until this happens, we have two factions, those for and those against. Each side will tear ruthlessly at the other attempting to strip their opponents of their liberties while trying to safeguard their own. The goals of this are incompatible. Thomas Paine said that if we are to safeguard our liberties, we must guard even our enemies from oppression, otherwise we will set a precedent that will reach ourselves. Sure, I paraphrased, but you get the picture.
Bottom line, don’t take away other people’s liberties, and maybe they will not try so hard to take away yours, especially in activities where participants harm no one else but themselves.