The 'other' definition of "force" once again rears its ugly head.

The logical conclusion to an over applied nanny state is the use of violence to prevent one from hurting oneself.

The Stings are on.  Grants to step up ‘enforcement’ (key use of words here) have been doled out. Click on Detroit says:

The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in a mandatory seat belt enforcement grant beginning May 23-June 5.

Take the money, or else.

Indeed.  Click it, or we’ll put a gun to your head to save your life.  As Michigan goes into the high travel Memorial Day weekend, the stage is set once again to punish those who tempt fate by not strapping in.  In Macomb County they want to do it the nice way:

Extra patrols start Monday and continue through June 5 as part of the latest “Click it or Ticket” campaign, targeting motorists who are not wearing seat belts.

“Our primary goal is always to encourage voluntary compliance with the law. For those drivers who do not comply, our deputies will deliver warnings or issue violations as the circumstances dictate,” Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said.

Oh, how friendly.

Selective enforcement is a great way to keep folks from rising up against their masters I suppose.  And for those who are hungry, the MSP has taken it a step further in making enforcement fun! They’re going to bribe you with a breadstick:

Hungry Howie’s Pizza and Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) partnership is part of the annual Click It or Ticket campaign.  Starting today through June 5, police departments, sheriff’s offices and the Michigan State Police will conduct stepped up seat belt enforcement.

“While choosing pizza toppings can be tough, deciding to wear a seat belt is easy because it is your best defense and the only thing protecting you from ejection in a crash. Yet seven percent of Michigan motorists still choose to risk injury or death by not buckling up,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP director.  “As fatalities on Michigan roads rise and crashes become more severe, using a seat belt is more important than ever and the best way to protect you and your family.”

For the next two weeks patrons at Michigan’s 185 Hungry Howie’s Pizza stores who take the seat belt pledge will receive a coupon code for a Howie’s Bread® with their next online pizza order.  The pledge acknowledges that while pizza makes life better, seat belts save lives.  Research shows proper seat belt use reduces the risk of being killed in a crash by nearly 45 percent.

‘Research’ might also say that eating pizza at Hungry Howies or any other bread stretching joint is risky for the gluten intolerant.

However, research does not always necessitate force. And “force” in this meaning is not the law of physics subject matter either.  Yes, a sudden stop at the base of a tree will direct motive force to those things not tied down (you). Things in motion tend to stay in motion, etc..

Is a government gun to your head considered a favorable alternative however?  Does the concern for your health offer a moral balance to the ultimate use of force that is the definition of government?

Folks, I truly hope you enjoy the weekend.  Make a plan to visit the local veterans memorial and pay your respect to those who fought and died so that we might have the limited freedoms we enjoy today.  Wear the seatbelt and get your extra slice of bread and make it back to work on Tuesday.

But appreciate the irony that abounds with seat belt traps, and the statist manipulation of your lives.

Please.

You Betcha! (14)Nuh Uh.(4)