Safety as a Religion

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When did Safety become the official religion of the USA? You may think I’m over-stating that but think about it. To what (other than religion) are parents willing to sacrifice their children? Ok, maybe parents of today don’t sacrifice their children, but many do seem willing to sacrifice their childhoods. Nothing is sacred under the sacraments of safety. We load up our consumer products with graffiti, warding away the evils of our momentary lack of attention. Our elected and appointed officials spend their days coming up with inane statements, proclaiming the obvious to the oblivious. I’ve been an Army NCO, a paramedic, trained in search and rescue and even a scout master. I have seen the worst nightmares of any parent, teacher, principal or anyone else who cares about kids. I’ve held kids in my arms as they take their last breath because of an accident. I’ve also laughed with kids who survived accidents, but never recovered from the trauma. I’ve joked around and played hand held video games with kids whose bones were so brittle their mothers can’t even hug them. In other words, yes, I have seen what can happen when safety is cast aside in the name of freedom, fun and frolic. I also think we, as a society, have become so paranoid something bad will happen that we have ripped the sense of adventure and daring from our future generations. Maybe we should put a warning label inside every woman’s womb… “Warning, Life Can be Hazardous to Your Health... Just Stay In Here Where It's Safe and Warm!"