by Elton Gahr

Created on: February 05, 2009   Last Updated: May 01, 2009

Being interrupted by a cell phone while you are trying to have a nice meal is frustrating. It isn't just restaurants though, there are also movie theaters, shopping centers, libraries, and even church, but while I consider it rude the idea of banning a cell phone troubles me. It isn't just that there are people who need cell phones to connect to work, and I don't care if it bothers the people who are rude and can't control a cell phone. It bothers me because I don't like the idea of telling people what to do.

People in our society need to learn to take responsibility for themselves. This doesn't just mean those who own the cell phone. If someone is so inconsiderate they ignore their phone ringing they should be treated by those who work in the restaurant the same way they would be treated if they tried any of the other numerous rude things people do in restaurants. Treat them the same as you would if they were talking to loud to the person at their table or allowing children to run around yelling, while a person who quietly answers a bone that was set to vibrate is not a problem at all.

A second issue is the specificity of the rule. If we plan to make rules to ban all rudeness in society we are going to become a totalitarian society very quickly. Think about just the rules for rudeness in a restaurant. We must bad talking loudly, sitting to close, bad smells, overly bright clothing, children running around, picking the nose, forgetting to wash hands, and probably far more things when we begin to think it over. And those laws will begin to multiply when we think of the other places that rules could be passed for as well. Instead let us consider simply expecting people to follow one simple and easy to remember rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

I'm an optimist, but not enough of an optimist to expect this will just happen, but I am enough of a realist to know that if we allow government to become the equivalent of the overprotective parents who never allow their children to make choices for themselves we will end up with a society that requires that level of government. This is a scary possibility because while an overprotective government may help protect us from a few individuals we must consider who will protect us from the government.

Could we not then consider the possibility then of simply expecting that each person think for themselves? The question of banning cell phone in restaurants may seem a small point in this great issue, but all great issues are made up of many small points. We may have already started down the path of needing government for everything we must consider trying to turn back from that path and saying that we will allow the children to act out and face the consequences of those actions. It is the only way to get back to a path of personal responsibility and every day we wait it will get a little harder.

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