Or, should I say, CAN THEY? Can we live with it when BAD THINGS HAPPEN? We used to.Z has finally figured out, once and for all, what separates, most completely and, certainly, succinctly, the Right from the Left...."BAD THINGS HAPPEN" (or **HIT HAPPENS) is a major GREAT DIVIDE. It's something I BELIEVE the two sides will pretty decisively and unanimously differ on. Here's what I think:
It seems to me that being responsible for yourself means that, sometimes, bad things happen...and we know that and accept it and deal with it. If you depend on laws to fix things, if you look to sue because you slipped in a little water on the grocery store floor as if somebody'd done it to you on purpose, if you believe bad things shouldn't ever happen and, if they do then you need retribution, is that real life? Is it realistic? Did you spill really hot coffee in your lap? Well, who asked you to drive while sipping it? But SUE for your clumsiness? If you're of the 'cradle to grave mentality', it seems to me you're less likely to 'suck it up' and just take your knocks and get over it.
There is a very sad story about a man in a very uncomfortable position. Do I think he needs some help? Maybe. What do you think of the story linked here? It's a tear jerker, but it got me to wondering if this country has come to the point that nobody can ever accept really bad things have happened and that we have to make better, more well thought out choices, or live by the laws of the majority, and that's that. (by the way, I have NO problem with the extension he's asking for, hoping this situation can be solved....I only cite it here to make the point that sometimes things go awry and we have to live with them...I certainly wish the Liberians in my link the very best. They love America, 'come on down'!!).
In Paris, one day, I was walking to the grocery store and saw a hole in the sidewalk......instead of huge barricades and whatever else Americans might have been pressured to install around it by insurance companies, etc., there was................yellow tape. Yes, only a thin yellow tape and a sign "TRAVAIL" (work) I thought "WOW....they're counting on me to STEP AROUND THE HOLE like a grown up. GO FIGURE." At Brasserie Lipp, a very popular and wonderful restaurant, I went to the ladies room the first time there and saw that the stairs were probably the steepest I've ever descended. When I got back to our table, I told Mr Z and our friends "If this staircase had been in the U.S., there would have been a desk at the bottom manned by two attornies signing people up just in case they fell."
Do you know any ridiculous law suits you felt were wrong? I wish I had a link but, years ago, a burglar broke into a house in Los Angeles and fell through the roof, hurting himself. He sued. He won. That's my 'favorite'. Another case I just remembered was a little boy in our neighborhood who decided to climb over the fence around a newly built pool next door to him which had no water in it yet so he could skate board on the wavy concrete. He broke his arm and sued. He won. WHAT?
It seems to me it's nuts to decide that if ONE PERSON dies in a skiing accident, for example, helmets must be forced on everyone. Or, if one child has a peanut allergy, that child shouldn't stay home because he has the problem, but all children need to refrain from bringing any peanut product to school because the school will be sued if anything happens. Sometimes, TERRIBLE things happen....DON'T THEY? CAN'T THEY? And, doesn't that NEED to be okay? Didn't it used to be that a sad thing happened and we licked our wounds, dusted ourselves off and went on living? Or not?
What do you think? I'm having a hard time here trying to really articulate something I've thought of a lot lately, this point about suing for everything, or forcing everyone to go along with changing rules because one person has a problem with something...........help me out here, would you?
IS it a Left/Right issue? IS it dangerous to a society? Can we revert to a citizenry more vigilant and obeying common sense like steering away from a hole in the street or being extra careful on the stairs? CAN we let people struggle to fix their problems without stepping in? SHOULD we PROTECT EVERYONE? IS this the kind of thinking behind what's been created in programs most of us feel will not work in fixing our economy today?
What DO you think?
z
11 comments:
It is a right/left issue BECAUSE, the right grew up and became adults, the leftistas stayed in childhood. Where "It's not fair.", is the mantra!
Obviously they were never taught the IMPLICATIONS of the Genesis account of, Adam, Eve, and The Fall!
Life ain't fair, deal with it!
And what happened to Jesus was the WORST case of, "not fair", ever...and HE sucked it up!
G*D bless and MARANATHA!
tmw
I've never understood how plaintiffs get such huge sums in the settlements of frivolous law suits, those torts involving negligence on the part of the plaintiff.
In my own case, I can't even get a settlement in a law suit which should be no-brainer settlement in my favor. I was rear-ended by a fellow who ran a stop sign; possibly, he was an illegal immigrant, a strong possibility borne out by his behavior at the scene -- including lying about his insurance carrier. Clearly, he was at fault for the accident.
Nearly 4 years after the accident, which has done me permanent bodily harm, the insurance company for the stop-sign runner will not settle. We're going to court! And I suspect that I won't get big bucks, particularly because I am not suing for much (far less than 7 figures).
I do agree that "bad things happen" and that, much of the time, they happen because of our own carelessness. But it has been my experience that it is those kinds of law suits which result in huge settlements.
Self-sustained management of your life is meritorious. It's handling life's obstacles, whether avoidable or otherwise, responsibly. How can anyone be free without owning your life; re: own your failure and success?
Sal's Gal
Z, interesting post, I think for the most part, a conservative would be less likely to sue. I know that's true in my case.
Four years ago I was bitten in the arm by a dog, which belonged to my grandson's friend. I had stopped at the friend's house to pick up something the boy had borrowed from my grandson, per my grandson's request that I do so before going to my daughter's that day.
I rang the doorbell, and his friend answered the door. The dog, growling, ran out the door, jumped up and bit my arm, as I stood there. He grabbed the dog a little too late, but mercifully before fido could do any more damage.
His mother who I barely knew, assured me the dog had had his shots, and I was sure that was true. I knew of the family, and the boy spent a lot of time at my house playing. I had a nice little hole on my upper arm, and went back home and doctored it myself with Mr. Pris's help, and went about my day.
The mother told me their dogs were not used to people using the front door! My reacion to that was....HUH?
In any case, suing was not a consideration, not for a minute. I felt fine and even was able to get the small flap of skin to heal very nicely on the area of the bite.
The reason I tell this story is because when Mr. Pris went to work the next day, and related my experience, his co-workers were actually mad when he told them we weren't going to sue. He told them we just aren't inclined that way. The dog was not told to attack me for heaven's sake.
To my way of thinking, complicating our lives with lawsuits, and lawyers, is not my idea of living or being in charge of my own business. Neither is ruining someone else's life over an unpredictable happenstance.
I'm sure that family spent a few days worrying that they hadn't heard the last of this, and I figured that was enough punishment for their defensive reaction to the situation. She had called to ask how I was and repeated the lame excuse about not using the front door.
I just told her to "watch that dog", and that I could have been a small child standing there.
Pris
Thanks, everyone..yes, I think the ADULT line is probably relevant here.....Sometimes, life just is plain not fair. A store doesn't mean to drip water on the floor SO someone will fall, yet millions are paid out. Awful
Always, I'm so sorry about your lawsuit...seems like a no-brainer, you're right. You have never found out if he was an illegal? Won't the carrier reveal that information? Good luck.
Sal's Gal...great points. YOu're so right.
pris, what a story! So glad you were okay!! "the dog was not told to attack me"..THEREIN lies ADULT THINKING.
Thanks!!
I fell down the steps outside a fast food place almost ten years ago now carrying a bag of food and a milkshake. I was on a break from work and had walked from my workplace across the mall lot to get munchies.
What bothered me most about the incident was the way the boss and an employee came out and dithered over me while I was lying on the ground in pain, nervously wanting to help me to get up. It hurt, I wanted to take my time getting up -- very slowly. I suppose they were worried about being sued. I don't think in terms of suing so I finally got up and limped off. They replaced the spilled shake. I tore something in my leg and there's still a lump there but that's life. I propped it up and iced it for a few days and it got better. How can an ordinary set of steps be anyone's fault? I tripped. It happens. I do think it's a right-left thing to some extent although I know people on the right who would sue.
I don't think it's a left/right issue, I think it's a common sense issue. But, as I like to tell my children, common sense is not all that common.
I've been on the receiving end of a couple of lawsuits while on duty. Nothing came of them, but it was a big hassle having them dismissed. What bothered me more was the lying the plaintiffs did. They almost got away with it.
On the lighter side, the French word for "work" is "travail?" That speaks volumes about the French and their approach to work. :)
I just remember how ridiculous I thought it was that the person could sue when they put a cup of hot coffee in their lap!!
true, sue...isn't it crazy?
It's what western society is becoming now, a lot of of big, spoiled children who will not take responsibility for anything and will not grow up.
Yes some cases are worthy of sympathy and are really unfortunate, but too many are just becoming stupid and childish.
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