115) License Color

Georgeo on Ticket RANTED this morning about lake safety.  Unfortunately, over the weekend North Texas experienced a handful of deaths due to drowning, the saddest being a 3 year-old who drowned at a crowded beach.  George listed off several ideas to address the issue, including mandatory driver's test for boat drivers, no alcohol on the lake and lake officials (people who police lakes) policing hot spots where young people hang out and/or connect boats together for purposes of fun instead of spending time checking for illegal fishing or life jacket inspection.

I am not always good at arguing policy, so this may be little more than a ramble about a ramble.  I feel like forcing people to not bring alcohol on the lake for their own good is too similar to making people wearing helmets on their motorcycle.  If someone is irresponsible enough to refuse a helmet on their motorcycle, then they made the decision and must live with the consequences.  If someone wants to drink beer on the lake and they fall in and drown, they made their decision and must also live with the consequences.  Our society has too much need right now for protecting people from their own actions and I think it is more detrimental to our people than it is beneficial.

To me, the real issues has to do with intelligence.  Here is my solution.  Every person should be required to take an IQ test that officially places them within an intelligence range that is communicated clearly on their license by the color of the background.  If you have an IQ over 150, you get a gold license.  120-150 you get green.  90-120 you get orange.  Below 90 you get red.  The color of your license determines what you can and can't do.

Following is a sample of what these guidelines would look like:

Red:  With a red license your actions be limited to watching nascar, purchasing tools as long as they do not have blades, ride in cars, purchase lawn care equipment and work in retail

Orange:  With a yellow license you can enjoy all actions included with the red, as well as drive a car, work blue collar industry, purchase tools with blades, write your own blog, ride on boats, purchase only beer and malt beverages, and have 1-2 kids

Green: With a green license you can enjoy all actions of yellow as well as work within the white collar industry, adopt children, drive boats, purchase spirits, have 3+ children

Gold: With a gold license you can enjoy all actions of green as well as donate sperm, work as politician of Mayor and higher

This may not solve all our world's problems, but perhaps it is a step in the right direction...