I have to admit that debates over fluoride in city drinking water brings back memories about the "international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids." (Cue up Dr. Strangelove on the DVD).

Nebraska has enacted a law mandating fluoride in city drinking systems. The people of Grand Island are debating whether to opt out of the law.

Those in favor cite, among other things, a cost savings--many dollars in treatment avoided as a result of a mandate.

I suppose the advocates have the scientific argument wrapped up. And if you're going to have a city water system, the decision on whether to have fluoride is a yes or no decision. It would be hard to let people opt out.

Unfortunately, the desire to save money is driving all sorts of other decisions, ranging from banning fast-food restaurants to having government take over health care wholesale.

That's why it's important to remember that the argument for personal freedom in health care is not simply that government care is prone to running over budget or leads to waiting lists. It is, in the end, a fundamental part of the American political heritage. Government is there to protect you from violence, foreign and domestic, and establish a framework for a peaceful society in which people can pursue their diverse interests. When government seeks to "help" us or "save money" in ways that infringe on personal freedoms, it does violence to that heritage.