Seat belts save lives. But first, conversations about saving must include a reference point. This is reminiscent of a friend of mine from college, who was a bit of a religious zealot himself. Back in the day, it was fashionable for Born-Agains to start a conversation with, “Are you saved?” My friend would arrogantly reply, “Saved from what?” Supermarket cashiers will tell you, “You saved $7.00!” but they will not say how much the store marked up prices to save you that, or how much you would have saved if you bought the stuff next door.

Now, I have been informed that driving my car without a seatbelt is as vile as opening machine-gun fire on a school full of children. After all, I frequently catapult through my windshield and land on small children. So, to prevent jokers like me from pulling stunts like that again, NC Transportation Secretary Gene Conti announced 12,000 people were cited for seat belt violations during the last “Click It or Ticket” campaign.

The last ticket I added to my collection cost $136. In these days – when people are reportedly in a position of having to decide between food and medicine, fuel costs are rising, and more and more are turning to government to pay for housing and sustenance – lots of folks are dying to blow an extra $136 out their ears.

The “Click It or Ticket” program serves in many ways to prove politicians care about children and keep police officers busy in low-risk activities.