A society so wrapped up in fault
A law firm announces today that it has been retained by several families of those injured in the Va. Tech shooting. That signals a possible lawsuit against the state.
Just 24 hours ago I had a conversation with a friend, who asked, "Since when did we as a society get so wrapped up in the concept of 'who’s fault was this?' "
Is every situation, she reasoned, something where a clear finger of blame can be pointed at someone or something? Is there an instance where stuff happens, things that no mortal being could anticipate, prepare for or prevent? Is it that people are quick to look at blame to have something to pin their anger on?
September 11. Virginia Tech. The I-35 W bridge.
Perhaps it's because people want to have something concrete to hang onto, to pin hurts or blame or frustrations or anger toward, she said. If a university administrator allowed Virginia Tech to happen, someone injured in the massacre could say it was that person’s fault. Perhaps it’s easier to blame a person rather than God. Or blame a person while they blame God too. (My personal belief: we live in a broken world. As such, tragedies, from our human perspective, happen.)
Comments (3)
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"Perhaps it’s because people want to have something concrete to hang onto"............... yeah it's called greenbacks !!
Posted on September 7, 2007 7:54 PM
"Since when did we as a society get so wrapped up in the concept of 'who's fault was this?'"
No telling. However... I know for a fact that Americans were fond of lawsuits at least as far back as 1838. That's when Charles Dickens visited America and got a lot of his inspiration for the book "Martin Chuzzlewit." That book contains some extremely unflattering images of Americans. Ones that are extremely familiar to me today, and that include a fondness for taking people to court over rather surprising things.
Funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same. :
Posted on September 7, 2007 8:20 PM
This (VA Tech potential lawsuits) is no different than the estate of a lung cancer patient death suing a tobacco company for that person's death because said person smoked!
The difference I see between the aforementioned and the VA Tech tragedy is that the Kane Report placed blame at the administrative level at the University. Thereby opening the path for potential lawsuits.
I guess I am viewing this a little differently that the others here.
Shalom
Posted on September 8, 2007 8:58 PM