quote: Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common Sense.Mr. Sense had 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 value lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge). His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place - reports of a six-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. Mr. Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Finally, 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 finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was 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 two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone...
reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate Agreed, this was stupid. The point could and should have been made without draconian measures. However, I do think the point still needed to be made -- don't force attentions on someone who doesn't want it -- instead of the more traditional "oh, boys will be boys" that sometimes translates later on into date rape.
teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch Don't know the details, but I dislike any zero-tolerance policies.
a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student Again, dunno the details. I still see stories about teachers duct-taping kids, but I also know that some parents overreact even when provided with proof that their kid is a juvie.
Mr. Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student The incidences of children developing Reye's Syndrome from aspirin usage is rare, but it's also fatal. I have no problem with this policy.
but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Torn on this one, personally, but it's not related to the aspirin rule.
Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband They're not. They just can't be the sole symbol of morality in a public school or courtroom.
churches became businesses Can't help with this one.
and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Here, I agree. Punishment should be cruel and unusual, it works better.
Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge settlement. And this is the one I'll argue about, every time I see it, because it continually pisses me off.
She did not sue a big corporation for her own carelessness in the hopes of a fat paycheck. She sued for her medical bills after they refused to pay them. The jury decided, after hearing about the 700 similar cases in the previous 10 years that McDonald's always settled without changing their policies, and after hearing testimony from a McDonald's quality assurance manager who said they were aware of the risk of serving dangerously hot coffee and had no plans to either turn down the heat or to post warning about the possibility of severe burns, even though most customers wouldn't think it was possible. McDonald's consistently keeps its coffee at 185 degrees, approximately 20 degrees hotter than at other restaurants. Third degree burns occur at this temperature in just two to seven seconds, requiring skin grafting, debridement and whirlpool treatments that cost tens of thousands of dollars and result in permanent disfigurement, extreme pain and disability to the victims for many months, and in some cases, years.
All she wanted was her medical bills for the third degree burns on her groin, thighs and buttocks that required skin grafts and a seven-day hospital stay. The jury chose to award two days worth of coffee sales ($2.7 mil) as punitive damages against a company that refused to acknowledge or change dangerous practices. This amount was later changed on appeal to $480,000, although none of these cute little e-mail postings ever mention that part.
If Mr. Common Sense is advising me to let big companies do whatever they want without fear of accountability, Mr. Common Sense can take a flying leap.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I'm starting to learn that the "test cases" hawked by either side in these debates are pretty much always way more sensible and complex than they seem to be from the sound bites.
Posts: 1539 | Registered: Jul 2004
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