The recent coverage of the trial of the young man(I dont have the article and dont remember the names) on trial for being involved in an accident that killed another young man has really got me to thinking about what is cinsidered safe behavior in the mad world of off roading. The guy was out in the dunes jumping his pickup around. The other guy was out in the dunes driving his friends and family around. There are no laws or real rules governing what can and cannot be done in those places. It is just assumed that people will use common sense out there, but as we all know, common sense just isn't all that common, especially when people are doing inherently dangerous things.

Should the guy in the truck have had spotters before jumping the dune?..probably. Should the guy in the golf cart taken the time to look around before procceeding along the base of a blind hill?..probably. The fact is that neither of these people exercised very good judgement as they enjoyed a day of off road fun. Neither operator was under the influence of any drug or drink and neither was doing anything unusual for that setting. It just happened. When you are out in such an environment there is something called "assumed risk" which takes liability for damaged vehicles out of the equation. If you crash your vehicle, solo or into another, there is no liability or fault attatched because you have chosen to place your vehicle in that position. I think the same should apply to people except where being under the influence is concerned. You are taking a very big risk in hitting the dunes, especially on big holiday weekends. Many people have been killed in similar accidents but I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted unless drugs or alcohol was a factor.

Reading the article would lead you to believe that the driver of the picup was doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing, which is incorrect, he was just doing without exercising the proper degree of safety. Had the driver of the cart been watching from the top of the dune, he would probably have thought the dune jumping truck was cool. The man on trial is, nost likely, distraught over the aciident and will never feel the same about having fun in the dunes if indeed he ever even ventures off road again and I promise you it has nothing to do with the trial. His remorse is almost a certainty, but the media(reporting only the victims side of the issue)would have us believe this man is a monster because he couldn't look the grieveing mother in the eye at sentencing, which is a place, in my opinion, he should never have been in the first place.

I have been racing and riding dirtbikes most of my life. I have seen friends and fellow races badly injured, and in a couple of cases killed in racing and riding accidents. Some involving others, some not, but we all understand the risk we are taking everytime we pop the clutch and head out into the desert, dunes or onto a track. The man in the cart may have only been going out for a cool cruise with others, but he should have realized that some folks out there are getting much more sewrious about their off road adventure. To some it about relaxing, to others it is about excitement and adreneline and each camp needs to be aware of the other. I sympathize with the grieveing family where their loss is concerned, but I also think it is wrong to accuse someone of manslaughter in such a situation.

The outcome of the bruhaha over the KHSD poster plan proves something I have known for a long time. That there are still many more Believers than there are non believers. This is not a slam or a raspberry to the non believers. How someone feels about such matters is their business and they don't have to justify why they feel that way to me, or in my opinion, to anyone at all, even though they do tend to want me to justify myself on the issue. The believers have had their say this this time, just as the nons have had their say in other parts of the country. You can grouse about it being the board members actions, but were elections to be held today those same folks would be re-elected because elections are won by the most votes, not the squeakiest wheels. Listen, if you don't want to believe something, don't believe it, just stop telling me I should feel the same way as you. I have NEVER made fun of or done any namecalling to a non believer. That behavior is simply immature and counterproductive, but said behavior is the rule rhather than the exception to those on the other side of the fence.

The opponents of the plan make the wild claims that the decision affects believers of other faiths, but I don't hear those other believers making any noise. That is because those people are firm in their beliefs and are not threatened by believers of differing faiths. A few years ago when the Tehachapi East Cemetery built a cross shaped planter visible from the freeway it was an ACLU member who started the complaining that it was unfair to other faiths, not actually people of differing faiths. I asked a Jewish aquaintance how he felt about it. He thought the whole thing was ridiculous as did everyone I talked to about it, but the cemetery lopped off the top od the planter and made it a 'T' rather than go to court. Who could blame them? But the simple fact is that not one person of a differing faith really gave a hoot about the whole thing and none were involved in the complaint. Once again, who is shoving what down who's throat?

I say believe what you wish, they say believe what they wish. I am tired of being told I am intolerant by some of the most intolerant people on earth! I am expected to tolerate their points of view or be faced with childish namecalling, at the least, and major lawsuits at the worst. I say your opinions are your business, but you tell me that your opinions should be mine and that mine are silly and irrelevent. Is that what you call fair? If something as simple as a poster frightens you so much(and you ARE frightened because anger is only a manifestation of fear)perhaps you should look into why you really feel the way you do. Maybe your spirit is lacking something that Muslims, Jews, Hindus and others do not lack and that is true conviction where their beliefs are concerned. They aren't mad about anything, they just want to worship as they see fit and they do because the constitution guarantees that they can. They don't complain until they find a sympathetic judge to overturn a law passed by the will of the people.

The vast majority of "right wing Christian fanatics" feel just I do. We aren't trying to force anything on anyone, we just want our views to be recognized too. Every other group in America has all the freedoms they are guaranteed and nobody denies them the right to demonstrate those views. Gays have parades, Porn has conventions and evolution is taught in schools(even though its actual proof is as lacking as Creation). But that's all OK with me. I really don't care what anyone else does, even if I disagree with them because I am comfortable enough in my own convictions to withstand anything I wish. I am the weakest link in my faith, not some poster or another type of worship. So don't tell me that expressing MY views is intolerant as you sit in you own bed of intolerance toward MY views, casting judgement and calling names(grow up already!)that you seem to think make you superior to me.

"Fair" seems to be a relative term to those who oppose anything the right says or does. My views may be set inside me, but it's big, diverse world and just because I disagree with something doesn't mean you don't have the right to believe, support, debate and share it. I'm just asking for the same respect.

CRAZY

Well..They are still at it. They just won't give up, they won't get the message and they wont be almost. I am speaking of the liberals who continue to evoke the name of George W. Bush to enhance their position, popularity and status.

They won't give up because they seem to enjoy slamming the president(not that he doesn't deserve some of it)in order take attention from the fact that the new congress has accomplished nothing of significance and that they, as candidates, have nothing new to offer in the way of answers or solutions.

They won't get the message because they still believe that Bush is the problem and cause of all the problems in todays unsettled world even though they they (and anyone else with a functioning brain)know that his impending departure will change very little with the possible exception of higher taxes for everyone domestically and will change virtually nothing where the real global problems facing America are concerned and they won't be realistic...Well, because, as usual, they are out to prove they are the smartest people in the room instead of trying to prove they are the most concerned Americans in the room.

I have said for the last year that the left had better start finding a more stable platform on which to stand than their hatred and vilification of Bush. The public wants answers and solutions..real and viable ones..and are sick of accusations and finger pointing because, let's be realistic, any fool can do that and Americans have had enough of fools and foolishness.

Hillary, more than any other candidate, seems to think slamdancing with Dubya's name will score her points even though she has made it clear that, on the war, she will NOT pull the troops out anytime soon. She will pull SOME out, but so will Bush. I guess the left has yet to learn to read between her lines. She cited his name TWENTY FIVE times in last nights debates. I'd call that an obsession of drastic measure and I still say she is fighting a losing battle where her campaign is concerned(anyone care to bet another meal on this?)and mudslinging is not going to help her cause.

I hope that there is never another liberal elected to the White House, but that is an unrealistic flight of fancy and I am sensible enough to realize that bashing liberals in office will NOT guarantee a conservative a win. I just wish more liberals realized that and started making sensible debate rather than the low tactics they seem so much to enjoy employing.