One of my favorite games growing up was lawn darts, a.k.a. jarts. For those of you under 30, you probably don't know the game. The object of the game was to throw a metal dart through the air landing it within a plastic ring. Lots of fun. The problem was that drunken July 4th backyard parties and flying metal spikes were not a happy combination. Many people, mostly kids, were injured and three kids were killed over about a 20 year period. Ultimately in 1988 the CPSC banned the sale of jarts and led a campaign to eradicate the game from this here land of the free.

Commissioner Anne Graham said, "What limited recreational value lawn darts may have is far outweighed by the number of serious injuries and unnecessary deaths. This week another child was severely injured by a lawn dart. She is now in critical condition. There are numerous alternatives to lawn darts, and I would urge adults who have lawn darts to throw them away now."

I've used this example in class to highlight the trade-off between safety and other values (i.e., fun!). Somewhat shockingly I ask my students, "Ok, we have a game that provides millions of hours of fun and enjoyment for hundreds of thousands of people. Unfortunately, a few kids get maimed and maybe even killed. That's a price I'm willing to pay!" If they recoil in horror at my inhumanity, as they often do, I remind them that this isn't that different from saying, "Ok, we have this device that provides us with the incredible ability to get from place to place quickly. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of us will get killed and many more injured each year using it. I'm talking about cars. How many of you want to ban cars?" The issue is that we have to make trade-offs. Should you be able to make those choices yourself or should the Commissioner Graham's of the world be able to make those decisions for you?

Btw, this company claims to be able to sell the parts of the game separately without violating the law. I've been in the market for a set to show my students since few of them anymore have even heard of the game. Heck, it might be fun (and dangerous!) to go play the game during class.

Meanwhile, thanks to the CPSC, today's generation is stuck playing a modern variant: Cornhole. Wimps.