Ignorance, sensationalism, and videotape
March 8, 2010
I have tried, several times, to think of an intelligent way to put forward what I’m about to say. Intelligence has taken a short break, so I’m just going to lay out what irritates me in simple point form.
-The attitude that we need to be protected from ourselves.
If I want to cross the road, surely the responsibility can be put on me to ensure that I cross in a safe manner. But should I choose to cross at a time when a little red man is illuminated, then I can be fined $58 for the privilege of thinking for myself. Does this mean that, should I be required to think for myself during the crossing (under strict green man conditions) because of a certain nufftie making a left hand turn, that I can bill the boys in blue for my time?
-General sensationalism, as so perfectly defined in any given showing of a current affairs program.
BIG FAT “I’M BIASED” WARNING
When an employee is killed or injured, the responsibility falls on either his own head, or, much more likely, his employers. When a contractor dies, the responsibility is on himself. As soon as you are your own boss, you have to assess the danger, you have to find (and finance) the safety equipment, and you are entirely responsible to find out all of the information regarding the work you are about to undertake.
So the unfortunate truth stands as such: no matter how inept or poorly trained to undertake a particular task (insulating roofs would be a good example) a person is, the consequences of the tasks rests on either them (in the case of a contractor) or their employer (for an employee), and not on the minister for the environment. No matter how inept he may or may not be at rolling out a scheme.
-The attitude that kids need to be shielded from all forms of danger.
Skateboards hurt. Gravel rash hurts. Falling from a tree hurts. Football hurts.
Let’s face it, life has a whole buttload of hurt, and that’s an essential life lesson. Fun hurts, more accurately. So it really ticks me off when The Man shuts down slides, flying foxes, steep hills and anything else that might hurt little Johnny should he take a little tumble, and his parents take legal action… please. No wonder people take to drugs and alcohol so readily. They’ve been bored since childbirth.
We’re headed in a bad direction. Life has consequences, really big ones. Our actions cause ripples that spread out across society. But the more that we shield ourselves and our children from this, the bigger and more horrible the shock of responsibility will be.
These are my irritations. Oh, and Ford Territory drivers. But I’ll get to them later.
