With respect to my headline, as a longtime cyclist, I’m going to kick this one off by sharing why I am just as passionate about bicyclists wearing bicycle helmets as I am about motorcyclists wearing motorcycle helmets. Next we’ll get to the insanity at hand. I find that this insanity to be quite absurd. mayIt may not always be as you imagine. My story begins with a scary-as-hell — at the time — bicycle accident.
12 years ago I rode a long distance with some friends along a well-plowed bike path. It was a very common experience. Although we rode hard on the trail, it was not always easy. We would sometimes ride side-by-side while we chatted. I ran lightly off the ground while gazing at the two-inch drop. The handlebars were angled to my left so I could angle them back onto the pavement. However, the guys jerked their way all the while to my left and locked me, throwing me onto the pavement and dislocating both of my shoulders.
While my head struck pavement as hard as it did, I thought I was okay. My highly-rated helmet wasn’t as good; my liner had been cracked at three points, from top to bottom.
After I was transported to the ER, thoroughly x-rayed, and further examined and questioned by the doc, he looked at the inside of my helmet and then at me, straight in the eye, and said in a somewhat stern but reassuring voice, “If you had not been wearing that helmet you most likely would not be with us right now.” Needless to say, I never forgot the accident — and I still have the helmet, as a reminder to friends and loved ones foolish enough to argue with me about wearing a helmet when riding.
Now, let’s revisit my headline, with greater detail, including a quote via The Blaze:
I am a dedicated long-time cyclist and would most likely be Dead “as we speak” if not for a bicycle helmet, the notion of revoking a helmet law because “the law was disproportionately enforced against people of color and homeless people,” is pure insanity — cloaked in the ridiculous carelessness of “racial equity.”
Let’s dig into the details — then we’ll rip them to shreds.
As The Blaze reported, a law requiring Seattle bicyclists to wear helmets had been in effect for nearly 30 years, but was recently revoked in the name of “racial equity.”
First, a primer on the differences between “racial equality” and “racial equity.”
Since we were very young, most of us have been taught that men are equal. neopronounAll people are made equal. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for — and ultimately died for — racial Gleichheit.
Welp, racial equality doesn’t cut it anymore. In recent years, as explained by Brothers Academy, the term “equity” has become more and more prevalent, whether it’s with social issues, workplace norms, or in education, while “for a long time, equalityWhen describing the best way to do something, this was the word of choice Serve everyone, give everybody a chance at success.” Oh, the humanity!
Here’s more, via Brothers Academy:
Although equality is an admirable goal, equity focuses more on individuals’ unique characteristics and their interactions with the outside world.
Education equity is something almost all educators can agree on, but it’s not an easy task.
Equity can be somewhat confusing and difficult to implement if you don’t have a clear understanding of the concept and how it applies to education.
What are the main differences between them? Let’s look at the classroom (emphasis, mine).
Students will be treated the same in an equally sized classroom.. The students will receive the same materials, the same assignments and the same interaction with their teacher. They also learn in the exact same manner. As you can see, this isn’t a bad standard to strive for, but it falls short in many ways.
Equity is on the contrary, a program that strives for the best outcomes possible for students. Equity isn’t the easy route,Instead of treating every child equally, it is important to treat each kid as an individual..
You got it? Take these differences and apply them to American society. These are some of the other things. bicycle helmet laws.
King County Washington passed the helmet law in 1993. In 2003, the law included Seattle. The law was also passed to lower the incidence of bike-related accidents. (As I mentioned at the top: Been there, done that.
However, “the community” (by “the community,” we’re talking about various segments(of said community) started to notice data that suggested Black and homeless bicyclists were receiving more tickets than “others.”
In response, the King County Board of Health revoked the helmet law, as ‘splained in a press release from Public Health Insider (emphasis, mine):
Helmets on bikes save lives and protect you from serious injury. According to a review of several studies, bike helmets reduce the chance of brain injury in head and brain for those who ride bicycles.. In 1993, as part of the push to promote the use of helmets on bikes, the King County Board of Health passed legislation requiring that all bikers wear helmets.
Data presented to the Board of Health however, have shown that there has been discriminatory and racist enforcement. Seattle Neighborhood Greenways analyzed data from the Seattle Police Department. According to the Helmet Law Working Group, police gave helmet law citations indisproportionate amounts to Black, Indigenous, or People of Color cyclists..
The analysis revealed that Police were almost four times more likely to cite Black bikers for riding without a helmet than White riders.. Further,Nearly half the bicycle citations in Seattle were issued to cyclists who did not have a helmet..
What does it take to make a rational, rational, and responsible person understand the statement above?
I’ll give it a shot.
This is the premise of this article. This is not an argument in favor or against helmet legislation. I have strong feelings on both sides of the issue relative to mandated laws, even though I’m also a strong advocate of wearing helmets while riding. Anyone who is logically and responsibly minded should look at these statistics as well as similar ones.
What’s the Deal? Please read the following:Are you furious about it? This is the cause Seattle reversed the law
“Racial equity”? People of color and homeless people were allegedly disproportionately forced to protect themselves from the risk of serious head or brain injuries, so the lunatic left rescinded the law in an “equitable” manner, so as to ensure said people continue to “get in on” serious injury or death; without fear of breaking the law. This is in the name of racial justice.
It sounds legit, right?
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