R.I.P. Mr. CS
A friend sent this to me in an email, it really hits home for me.
Obituary of the Late Mr. Common Sense
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was,since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain
why the early bird gets the worm
Life isn't always fair
And maybe it was my fault
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.
Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Tylenol, sun lotion or a band-aid to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; His wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
17 comments:
Mrs. Merv Gazinski of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma ,purchased a new
32-foot Winnebago motorhome. On her first trip home -- from an OU football game, no less -- having
driven on to the free way, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly
left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a
sandwich. Don't look so incredulous. Remember, we're talking about Oklahoma
here......Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and
overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not
putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's
seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her --
(You
are sitting down, right?)$1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago
actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs.
Grazinski has any relatives who might buy a motor home........
There are many more cases like this
And if you ask me the number 1 problem is the judges.
You may say the lawyers or even the person bringing the lawsuit, but the judges using a little common sense could just toss this kind of crap out of the court could they not? Problem is it's only getting worse.
Great post, RT, and one that completely matches my mood of the day!!
Just a side note to HB's comment: the problem with civil liability torts is not the Judges (necessarily) but the tort system as a whole. As "felony stupid" hasn't yet hit the Penal Code as an adjudicatable crime, we haven't removed the legal "right" of a person to sue another person or company for negligence when that first person was too stupid to understand the simple laws of physics or failed to adequately judge the consequences of his or her actions. Until we change Civil Law to take into account "assumed risk activities" BEFORE judging negligence or fiscal responsibility for consequences on the part of a supplier of something that was used beyond its capabilities or outside its intended use, we will be stuck with these ridiculous judgments and the unbelieveable fact of people getting rich after being "felony stupid."
Assumed risk activities include, but are not limited to: smoking, drinking alcohol, hot coffee, or any beverage which blocks your field of view while driving, breaking into someone's house and finding yourself locked in, laying in the middle of a busy street, driving with your feet, not driving at all (auto pilot), throwing a drink at your boyfriend, having children and training them to be just as stupid as you are, having children and choosing not to train them at all, injesting dog food, Comet, gasoline, golden seal, or anything found in a backyard shed or garage, walking or running down or up stairs, wearing shoes without adequate traction in the wintertime, and assuming that the curve you're approaching at 75 mph does not have a decreasing radius.
Oops, here I am on my soapbox again... how did I get here??? *sheepishly steps down*
So what are you saying, I'm slow remember, I was saying the final judgment in the cases is where it could stop couldn't it, why do they let the morons win when it is obvious that the morons themselves are to blame and the cause of their problem in the first place.
I just want to put in my two cents here...
I want to find something simple to sue for lots of money over! I don't mind getting a small burn, or looking like a silly flamin' moron on TV. Give me some cash!!
That's all I had.
Oh and good post RT. I agree with large parts of it...
The court system should be loser pays all the cost, that would stop a lot of it.
The jury system is another problem. How can people who don't care or don't know the law apply the law fairly?
Daughter wrote about it not to long ago
http://daughterofnight.blogspot.com/2007/04/todays-foray-into-madness.html
Jen: four words: Banana peel + grocery store
HB: The Judges have to follow Tort law, whether they think the plaintiff is a moron or not. True, Judges have immunity, which means that they can do whatever they want, to a point. But immunity aside, it's the system that's broken. Sadly. :-(
I have a great banana peel story, but I'm afraid to tell it.
It need A LOT of appreciation.
:)
Jen, I sure would really, really, really APPRECIATE hearing that banana peel story. (is that enough appreciation?)
Appreciation, that's my middle name Jen.
So, this one time I was really REALLY sick to my stomach and I had to drive myself to the hospital. I don't remember who was riding shotgun, but whoever it was couldn't drive because of something or another. So, I drove myself to the hospital while I had to pull over to throw up blood every so often, and when we got into the parking garage I commented on how I was impressed that we had made it to the hospital without killing ourselves or anyone else.
In retrospect I should have kept my comments to myself, but that's how it goes when you're not feeling good...
I finally found a parking spot, and I pulled into it a tad too fast, AND MY FRONT TIRE SLIPPED ON A BANANA PEEL. I hit the car in the spot next to us.
*laugh*
I kid you not!
My car slipped on a banana peel... I got out of the car, walked to the front tire, saw the banana peel just behind it, and knew I must be having a bad day!
That's my banana peel story.
I'm sorry.
I'm already laughing.
It was kinda funny.
Or.. maybe you had to be there?
I must say I have never heard of a car slipping on a banana peel, must have been a sign.
Yeah, but of what?
;)
Woah that is a really good post! That has made me think in a very different way I must say.
Jen: LOL, never saw THAT coming :)
Just for the sake of liability, I was in no way suggesting that you drive your car into a grocery store to run over a banana peel. ;)
Lindsay: Glad you enjoyed it! It makes me think the world is going in all the wrong directions :(
:)
Sorry to make banana peel lite on your serious post.
No big peel, if I didn't like it I would have told you to split. :p
*laugh*
You got me all giggly now!
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