You idiot! Why did you pick up this newspaper?

The razor-thin edge of the page could cut your finger. The wound would leave you susceptible to infection, which, if left untreated for a few years, would kill you!

But no. You heroically laugh in the face of danger and continue reading. I cannot dissuade you from engaging in a beloved pastime.

YU

The government, however, is trying to do just that. Congress and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are exploring tighter regulations on tanning beds. The American Academy of Dermatology Association intends to lobby for an outright ban on tanning.

The concern stems from studies illustrating a correlation between ultraviolet radiation from tanning lamps and skin cancer.

When will legislators learn that people can make good decisions to preserve their own safety?

Dwight Schrute III, from the sitcom “The Office,” describes his decision-making methodology: “I think, ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.”

Whatever tactic they employ, adults are more than able to make sound choices to ensure their well-being.

Organizations like the FDA have a place in our society for protecting citizens, but they should not overstep their bounds. The government should play an educational role, making people aware of all the facts, so they can make choices for themselves.

Tanning is, admittedly, dangerous, but so is driving a car, bathing, changing a light bulb, and — as previously mentioned, though to a lesser extent — reading a newspaper. We still choose to engage in these activities because we personally balance the risk and the reward.

People who tan follow the same process. The information about the dangers of UV radiation is plentiful. People digest that information and then act accordingly to strike their own harmony between risk and reward.

There are numerous activities that present considerable risk of harm, including death. Skateboarding, hockey, baseball and hiking are only a few examples.

This year’s Winter Olympics were nearly permanently tarnished when a Georgian luger died in a crash during his practice run.

Mental illnesses such as dementia and Alzheimer’s are alarmingly common among retired football players and boxers.

In professional sports, the government allows the leagues themselves to regulate the practices of their athletes.

Government regulation is largely absent in recreational and amateur settings. My index finger is still crooked because of a kickball accident from fourth grade, but I never went whining to Congress.

The Internet is inundated with videos of average Joe and Jane Schmos performing ludicrously perilous stunts in pursuit of viral fame.

Why isn’t the government trying to curb this kind of tomfoolery?

This kind of posturing is, at best, the government stroking its own ego and, at worst, an attempt to mask its inability to solve more pressing problems.

The government should try tackling a cause which legitimately needs their resources. Improve alternative energy sources. Develop cultivation techniques that increase crop yields. Repair infrastructure in areas devastated by natural disasters. As for giving my skin that bronzy sheen, I can handle that.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, this bear isn’t going to wrestle itself.

—Michael Yu is a senior from Houston, Texas, majoring in newspapers