Is it just a photo opportunity for Mr. Obama because he has been under such criticism for his handling of the oil rig spill or do you think you would feel consoled by this gesture? I'm curious.
The Washington Post reported :"Loved ones are trying to come to terms not just with lives lost, and no bodies to recover, but with what feels like the country's collective skipping from dead to gone. There was no national pause to honor the victims, like the one for the 29 West Virginia coal miners who died last month, though both miners and riggers work to fuel the country."
There really was no 'national pause', was there...so maybe the White House visit will help, but this is LOVED ONES gone FOREVER.......
Also, from this article, I found information regarding how much families will get after a loved one has died within 3 miles from the shores: Damages under DOHSA are determined based upon the actual or projected value of the financial benefit that would have been received from the decedent. Under this theory, dependent children can recover for the value of the care and guidance they would have received from the decedent parent. A spouse can recover for the actual value of the financial contribu
Some of the widows from the oil rig explosion were testifying Monday trying to repeal that law and get more money. The amount doesn't seem adequate to me, how about you? This kind of activism makes sense to me, especially if this will encourage companies to only perform with the highest of safety regulations... but, when I heard about the White House visit, it immediately hit me as superficial or just plain awkward.......Got any thoughts on the White House visit or this appeal for more compensation??
UPDATE: I saw a quick snip of news this morning of Obama being beeped...he said "Kick in the ASS"? On TELEVISION? Oh, I FOUND IT HERE. What a low moment in presidencies....he's sure lowering the bar, isn't he. What a message to decent kids. I grieve.
z
29 comments:
"The amount doesn't seem adequate to me, how about you?" Z, this seem contrary to our discussion about placing a value on human life (few weeks back). And so there's the typical value-stream analysis created by actuaries, but in this case there will likely be a slew of lawsuits against BP seeking punitive damages - once the realization starts unfolding that there's been plenty of negligence and deficiencies in compliance with both internal policies and federal laws.
I agree with your point about throwing victims' families into the media spotlight so swiftly these days - a bizarre trend that's all part of the whole reality tv and voyeuristic programming that seems to want to titilate viewers of pop culture with emotional viewbites (and soundbites, of course - as in The Simpsons utterances). It all in effect serves to cheapen human worth, and make other people's tragedies mere tragidrama - like watching Othello or MacBeth.
Tom, no, you can't put a money value on human life, but these are young women with children and a bit more seems required..and, too many lawsuits or not, it seems to me these women deserve at least enough to take care of their kids. There are reports that their men were complaining about safety issues, etc...and there was a report originally which hasn't come out since that Obama had allowed BP to skip doing reports re safety, etc......
Well, the fact of the matter is Obama's loftily praised "industry model of safety" killed 11 people and is presently gushing around $1.4 million in oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico.
Obama's berating his advisors and presently looking for an "ass to kick" in response to how inept his administration's handling of this crisis appears to be, when it's quite obvious that his teleprompter made him call the Deepwater Horizon rig the "industry model of safety" last year.
Fire the teleprompter, sir.
This is the new thing, Z... if family member dies, I'm entitled to $$$.
Now wonder we're in so much trouble... we've really sunk culturally.
I don't know, Z.
It hasn't been all that long since there were no industry standards of safety and companies didn't offer any compensation whatsoever.
I'm really torn about the monetary compensation aspect. If it is proven that there was gross negligence involved, then, yes.
But if it was just part of the risk of that particular job--and the workers were informed of the dangerous nature of their job?
Tough call. And the emotion of people having lost family members makes it even more difficult.
Prayer is definitely in order. Is there any sort of private donation option for individuals to be able to help these families?
Heather
AOW just hit the nail on the head, as well as Beamish? What more could I add?
This is likely to play out in the courts over a very long time, DOHSA or no DOHSA. After all, lawyers need a livelyhood, too.
In my humble, but correct, opinion, whatever is left of BP after this fiasco should be equally divided among the widows and those who depended upon the Gulf of Mexico for their livelyhood, and BP should be closed down.
It occurs to me that neither BP nor the government cares very much about my opinion, though.
President & Mrs. Reagan did something similar for the Shuttle Challenger families in 1986, but he went to them in Houston, TX.
Did he really say this? Wow, what an impressive orator.
The guy is cornered on the left and the right. It really sounds like it's panic mode in the WH.
I'm lovin' it.
Going to go vote now...
FairWitness..I'll bet Reagan didn't mention "whose ASS to kick" ?!!
yes, Presidents do this, it just struck me as painful, too much energy, when someone's lost a loved one....coming to them would have been just the right thing, good point.
Joe, I hate to see BP go under but I think you ARE correct!
FB, yes he did! The video's there...BEEP!
I'm going to vote after all..even with this sprained foot. GO TO!
A friend just emailed that she lives in VERY liberal Santa Monica and they told her tons of Republicans are voting..VERY light Dem turnout...too bad it's a primary but this speaks well for the propositions. And the sentiment!
The Black Bush is beginning to wear on me.
We are so far down the rabbit hole.
"One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones Obama gives you
Don't do anything at all ..."
Ducky we agree today!!!
The guy, aside from ideologies, isn't fit for the job. It clearly shows right now.
I hated Mitterrand in France but he was presidential. Clinton was.
Ducky....how I love that tune....thanks.
"When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the white knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "Off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said"
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid?
:-)
It's very unpresidential to use ASS on television...
And, please, nobody give me the old Cheney F word thing because he didn't say it for anyone to hear BUT Leahy. And, Leahy, of course...deserv....well, never mind. That's another post :-)
That's why I can't do politics, Z. I would use bad language all the time if I were pissed off. They accuse Obama of not having emotions. I'd be the opposite :)
Well Froggy, I think most people sincerely want good governance despite their differences.
It is also my contention that those with a more selfish motive have set up a 24/7 noise pollution that has blocked serious honest discussion. We are all too wired.
yeah z, I didn't retain a lot of 60's rock but Surrealistic Pillow was pretty strong from beginning to end.
I kind of feel sorry for President Obama.
He truly seems to have no clue what he's doing and is floundering terribly after an idealistically charged rise to the top.
And citizens from all walks appear to be turning against him in droves.
Sometimes scared and frustrated people say things they shouldn't.
Not excusing inappropriate language and I'm still thankful I didn't vote for him....
So I went to vote and it's funny how in CA, when you vote Republicans, you're looked at some weird creature. There was a young, model-type woman and she had to say she wanted to vote Republican and felt very embarrassed about it.
This is the extent of brainwashing in CA.
Obama didn't say this because he's frustrated, he said it because liberals are suggesting he show anger, some passion.
Obviously, his acting leaves a lot to be desired.
I understand Spike Lee had urged him on this.
I would think the men who were killed in the oil rig explosion, probably had accidental death insurance, and/or life insurance. Many companies make these policies available, especially large companies.
These men probably made good wages considering the risk involved. So, I think it's likely that to protect their families, they probably had insurance.
To me, looking to profit from the death of a loved one, seems so mercinary. Why, if a risky job entitles a family for a sizeable compensation, do our military families not receive the same consideration?
If they did, Sean Hannity and Oliver North wouldn't be holding freedom concerts to provide funds for these families' children to have college educations when they're grown.
Can the military families sue the government for compensation? Where does all this end?
I feel terrible for these families, but when money rears it's head it becomes the center of everything, then it's "how much"? "That's not enough". "I want this" and "I want that".
And losing someone you love is lost in the melee. Not to mention the effect this example has on the children.
Pris
Well Pris, the will be suits because of the possibility of criminal negligence.
Now whether of not the military should be sued for criminal negligence is a topic for another day.
BP may go bankrupt now anyway.
Reminds me how dumb were the people who accused greed to be responsible of the oil spill.
FB: "So I went to vote and it's funny how in CA, when you vote Republicans, you're looked at some weird creature. There was a young, model-type woman and she had to say she wanted to vote Republican and felt very embarrassed about it."
Funny you should say that: I'm just going to write on what happened to me today....it's like an Arid Extra Dry commercial for me to vote and say REPUBLICAN although it's getting easier.
And, yes, I know some of you are fine with getting the looks and the little innuendos from the precinct people and the Dem voters who walk by, I don't like it. Mostly because I think it's so damaging to our country.
I have to say that I was jarred watching the recent interview of T. Boone Pickens by Larry King — they were discussing the Gulf oil spill. When Pickens mentioned that the recent "fix" still allowed about 11000 barrels of oil to leak poor old Larry was astounded at the thought that "BP was still making money from the leak". Pickens, himself was even more astounded at the idiocy of Larry King and assured him that even if oil went to $100,000 a barrel that BP would not make money on the leak — which mollified the anti-American and anti-capitalist instincts of Larry King.
It really is amazing that the first instinctive response of the indoctrinated leftist is at the horror of "making money" — and from there all the rest of the irrational hatred simply gushes forth. Lenin knew what he was talking about that to indoctrinate people over a period of time, especially when they are young and they will be your slaves for the rest of time. Larry King is another slave to his"education".
Waylon
You might think they at least would choose the word 'derriere'. But I guess that's too far above their class (?/!. It never made it to the 'hood in Chicago.
Silvrlady
Waylon, Larry King's got to retire...even some leftist show I was watching recently said 'look at him! He's so old and doddering...'...the poor guy's somehow had an amazing career but...'enough, Larry', don't you think? Leave while you're hot. Maybe that's why they do so many KING RETROSPECTIVES...reminding people when he was viable?
Also, the pandering ..the amount of time spent on M Jackson's death and the aftermath, the Natalie Holloway, Lacy Petersen, Kim Kardashian, Lesbian Country star ridiculous subjects he chooses just to get ratings...and still his ratings are falling.
I used to cringe watching him in Europe (you watch what you can get in English, believe me) to think that Europeans and Asians were thinking this is a fine specimen of American journalist or a good example of what Americans are interested in!!
He really need look no further than his own.
Z, I guess Larry King is still Ted Turner's man in Hollywood. If he went who would replace him Keith Olbermann or ED Schultz?
Waylon
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