Union Leader: New Hampshire votes no on mandatory seat belts!

By Jim on April 8th, 2007

The Union Leader did a survey and the response from New Hampshire citizens was a resounding NO on mandatory seat belts.

State legislators should live up to the state’s “Live Free or Die” motto and allow residents to choose whether to wear seat belts, according to a solid majority of those responding to a UnionLeader.com survey.

“From the way things have been going with the NH Legislature taking away our freedom piece by piece, we may as well rename the state Massahampshire,” wrote Martin Olesen of Hampton. “The moonbats have taken over.”

Last week, the House passed the mandatory seat belt bill 153-140. It moves next to the Senate.

In the online survey, a 2-to-1 majority said that seat belt use should not be made mandatory. Offenders would risk fines of at least $50.

More than 2,000 people responded — a record for UnionLeader.com — with 66 percent in opposition to the idea. By party breakdown, 54 percent of Democrats supported a mandatory law, 28 percent of Republicans did and 32 percent of undeclared voters backed it, according to the unscientific survey.

Hopefully the outrage about this will help it be killed in the Senate. It’s a disgusting nanny-state infringement on the liberty of New Hampshire’s citizens. And all it really does is empower police to act as revenue generators for the state and harassers of citizens. It accomplishes nothing in terms of safety.

Angry about it? Then get a hold of your senator and demand that he/she vote against it in the Senate. If this thing does get passed then remember it in 2008 when you vote. Remember that by electing Democrats, you lost some of your liberty.

More in this editorial from the Union Leader.