Its called Paternalism. If you study American legal history (which i highly
recommend as a citizen and a scholar!!), you will see there is a long
tradition in this country of regulations and 'protections.' As time goes on,
we get more and more used to the government shouldering our personal
responsibilities. If we, the museum community, give into the momentary
stupidity of this girl and the unfortunate but foreseeable consequences of
her actions, we perpetuate the paternalist police state and allow it to
infiltrate our institutions even further!
beth
ps please, no name calling! just because i used the words "paternalistic
police state" does not mean that i hate america! i love it! i just want our
liberties back!


[log in to unmask] writes:

> It never ceases to amaze me at how "protected" we think the American public
> should be. In other countries, it is assumed that people are smart enough
> not
> to slide down banisters, walk off of cliffs, keep back from ledges, not
> lean
> too far out of windows or over walls and generally not go where they are
> not
> supposed to in the first place. I'm constantly surprised at how few
> protective
> devices are on historic buildings and other sites in Europe.
>
> So why is it in America, we have to constantly protect people from doing
> obviously stupid things - like sliding down a banister, while in other
> countries, it's assumed that you have a modicum of intelligence not to do
> so?


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