Ass Quote by Stephen King
“For some reason California's always been where the struggle is about how much authority you can impose on people's private lives. It seems to show up there most clearly. They had a helmet law for motorcycles in California and the bikies were saying things like, "It restricts my vision. I can't hear what my bike's doing. If it was on fire I wouldn't know it until my ass caught." And at the bottom line what the bikies were saying was, "Look, it's my goddamn head and if I want to splatter my brains all over the guardrails on the Coast Highway, super for me."”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, 2015
The quote critiques California's tendency to impose strict regulations on personal behavior, using a motorcycle helmet law as an example of perceived overreach.
In simple terms: California often overregulates personal choices, illustrated by helmet law backlash.
Key Takeaway
Question the balance between public safety and personal freedom.
Themes
government
personal freedom
regulation
public safety
individual rights
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political debate
- lawmaking
- civil liberties activism
- public safety vs personal autonomy
Key Concepts
libertarianism
public policy
civil liberty
Questions to Reflect On
- When does personal liberty become a public hazard?
- How should societies negotiate safety and freedom?
A Different Perspective
Regulations may be justified when they protect lives, even if unpopular.
![“After the San Bernardino attack, Alison Anderman, with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, noted: “California is leading the way [with stricter gun control laws], but California is surrounded by a country that has much weaker laws, and we know that a lot of the guns used in crime in California…” quote by John R. Lott Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/82d/john-r-lott-jr-9603_gun-control_after-the-san-bernardino-attack-alison-a_1270506.jpg)
