Seriously, though. There is a real problem here, struggling to make its voice heard.

Through a deliberate policy of overprotection, we are weakening the gene pool.

In previous generations, people who were stupid enough to indulge in dangerous activities such as swimming, crossing the road, riding a bicycle, cleaning a baby's bum etc. would de-select themselves from the human race, thus ensuring that the smarter genes were perpetuated, and the dumber ones eliminated.

Which leads to the obvious conclusion that there is a malevolent force at work here, promoting "think of the children" activities that, ultimately, will lead the way to a bloodless coup.

It will be a walkover, as there will be nobody left with the ability to think for themselves.

Antiseptic, I suspect you are in the vanguard of this movement. Confess.

'sblood, things are even worse than imagined! Not since the replacement of high slippery slides in parks with 'save the children' sawn-off plastic Finnskoga have I been so concerned, for this very day the Herald Sun has reported that a kleptomaniac fireman has been solidly thumped under Little Johnny Howard's firearms legislation for possessing a 'home made bazooka'.

http://www.news.com.au/national/man-kept-bazooka-to-scare-off-birds/story-e6frfkvr-1225826568786

From reading the article it transpired that the dangerous 'bazooka', was in fact a common, ordinary, garden-variety potato gun made from plastic down pipe. The fireman said he used the 'tato gun to scare off cockatoos, an innocent enough pastime.

Once when loud bangs scared a farmer's milkers, the country cop would admonish the youth concerned and confiscate his pride and joy. Now the men in black jumpsuits, the pride of the Victoria Police Tactical Response Group can be expected to 'attend', 'scoped red-dot assault rifles in hand and .40 Glocks at their hips.

To its credit, the Herald Sun also gave interested youth particulars on the construction of potato guns. However under the Weapons Act they are 'prohibited weapons', the sort of hardware that terrifying terrorists and criminals might use.

It didn't help that this villain was also a major thief, having 'lifted' a portable radio, hammers, screwdrivers, boxes of soap, shoe brushes and equipment bags from work.

Trust Victoria to be ever vigilant and proactive in protecting its citizens against that ultimate weapon of mass destruction, the potato gun.

Should potatoes, oranges and the larger calibre rock melons carry warnings? What about watermelons (shudder)? Should such potentially lethal ammunition be hidden from children, given the risk that those horrible, disgusting little boys might find potato guns irresistible later on?

If only one child was saved.......

We need pool fencing around every body of water and cliffs.ARC could fence off the whole perimeter of Aust.No only should we ban swimming,but also cars kill too many people.

Come to think of it,just living can be a danger,hence we need to ban all forms of living and the enviro nazis will be in seventh heaven.Living is dangerous, so don't do it.

You must live in a perpetual state of fear.Fear of terrorists,swine flu,bird flu,Y2K bugs,global cooling/warming,CO2 poison,comets,aliens,rising sea levels,earthquakes,volcanoes and even fear of fear.We also need to ban suicide since the stress of all this fear is causing too much death.

rehctub:"I have done nothing to deserve to have my rights errodded or removed."

But it's not about you, regardless of how many of your "rights" are removed; surely you don't think that your pleasure is more important that their safety?

Foxy, number 3s could be easily taken care of by the purchase of a good dog, preferably one of the more demonstratively affectionate breeds possessed of a large tongue. A quick touch-up with your pre-moistened towellette and you're all done. Number 2s need similarly pose no problems for the well-prepared granny.

Pericles, your cynicism is unbounded: I seek merely to ensure that our children live through the terrible hazards of childhood to become adults in their turn. If a few adults have to suffer, I'm prepared to accept that. I'm only thinking of the children, you know.

Let me remind you that I live in Qld, "the Smart State", yet children continue to drown. Obviously, being smart isn't what it's cracked up to be.

Anna Bligh, as always at the forefront of social policy, has done what she can to reduce the scourge of smartness from the top down: it's time for the rest of us to do our bit.

I'll give you all a case in point.The Manly Council has put a barrier around Jump Rock which swimmers have been using for decades.The Rock now is about 5-6m above the water.The barrier is a 3 metre high ugly steel fence with spikes on top.

So the teenagers now jump from the top of the fence which is far more dangerous.Only two people have died there in the last few decades.One was drunk and fell onto a rock.

It is far more dangerous walking down the road,yet again we have the nanny state trying to protect people from themselves.

Anti; But it's not about you, regardless of how many of your "rights" are removed; surely you don't think that your pleasure is more important that their safety?

As I say, it is impossible to legislate against stupidity!

My rights are my rights and nobody has the right to restrict them.