To The Editor:
In response to Brent Porter's article in the Nov. 23 edition, first let me express my deepest condolences to his daughter and his family. I think we can all agree that promoting skiing safety is an extremely worthwhile goal.
However, I find myself compelled to present a dissenting opinion regarding the mandatory use of helmets at the Dartmouth Skiway.
It should not be the place of the Skiway to compel skiers to wear helmets. This should be the skiers' own decision.
When enrolling in a P.E. class, the student must sign a contract, which includes a clear disclaimer listing the hazards inherent in the sport. While I agree that given these hazards a helmet should certainly be recommended, it should not be compulsory.
Whenever we give any governing body the authority to protect us from ourselves, we create a very dangerous situation. As the old adage says, "My right to swing my fist ends at another's face." But I do still retain that right to swing my fist.
We should educate people of risks, then leave them their own right to free will by allowing them to make their own decisions.
The attitude that people cannot take care of themselves has led to the development of the nanny state that many of the world's most developed countries have produced. In the effort to ease any degree of suffering or discomfort, governments have taken away our essential right to choose what to do with ourselves.
Taken to the extreme, this attitude would have us all wear body armor to cross the street, on the off chance we might be hit by a bus.
Hanover is not immune to such restriction. The actions of the Dartmouth administration show how ensuring safety can mean the loss of freedom, whether it is the widely disapproved-of dorm locks, or the overzealous enforcement of drinking restrictions, going well beyond the scope of the state law. Not to mention the common practice of the Hanover Police randomly stopping individuals in the street for interrogation purposes, making a complete mockery of the Fourth Amendment.
Therefore, I would ask the reader to consider the limitations and implications inherent in a measure before implementing it.
