Duty of Care and the media

In 1928 a Mrs. Donoghue was served a bottle of ginger bear at a bar in Paisley Scotland. The bottle contained the well rotted corpse of a snail and Mrs. Donoghue spent several days in hospital. She sued the manufacturer of the bear and the case (which is known in legal legend as the “Paisley Snail” case) was finally decided by the House of Lords in 1932.

Their decision created the modern concept of negligence, by setting out general principles whereby one person would owe another person a duty of care. Before the Paisley Snail decision courts had ruled that there had to be a contractual agreement between the parties in order that a tort action be taken. Since then however courts have generally held for the concept that any one who produces a product owes it to future users to assure that there are no obvious defects or errors and omissions that could negatively impact the user.

While the original concept pertained to goods and manufactured items I’d like to see the concept expanded to thoughts and statements that commentators and writers knowingly issue when they know the statement is untrue. Today if the media lies and demeans me as an individual I can sue for libel, but what if the untruth is a lie directed to the public at large. If the writer (or commentator) knowingly evades the truth, or does not provide an honest and complete version of events should they not be responsible for their product?

Two thousand years ago Marcus Aurelius said “If it’s not right do not do it, If its not true don’t say it”. Those words are just as important today as they were in his day. Perhaps we should apply the concept of Duty of Care to those who try to influence society by distorting or ignoring truth.

Please comment…I’d like to know if my thoughts have merit.

A Thought

I declined the opportunity to watch the annual State of the Union message because it’s my belief that it has become a political event that allows the President to strut and posture his ego before a large and captive audience. As a report to the people and as a governmental policy statement it has become a useless moment in time strictly because is neither reports to the people (the owners of this Republic) or offers an accounting of any governmental activity. Instead of watching the event I spent that evening in amateur radio, listening to people connect and relate around the globe and never once bringing politics into the conversation. It was a refreshing way to spend an evening.

By design, people I work and relate with occupy a wide range of political and social opinions and conversations with them can be active and informative and I learn more by considering their opinions than I do reading about and listening to political creatures and their party positions.  Lately even my liberal friends are expressing doubtful thoughts about the direction politics and party in power are taking the country. For the most part their concerns are that the branches of government are no longer operating as the Founders wished and that the President seems to feel that it is in his interest to run the country by executive action rather than working with the Legislative Branch. In the past 4 years he has issued about 1,000 Presidential Orders that seriously impact on each and every one of us. In contrast the most any previous President seems to have issued is less than 90 such orders over an 8 year period.

I do know that the plethora of executive orders is having a large impact on individual activity and the future direction of the country and my present wish is that the next President starts his administration by cancelling all executive orders issued by his predecessor. In the meantime we should all be aware of the content and scope of the orders that the President is so freely issuing. Interestingly enough the White House is still required to list those orders and a simple Internet search can provide you with reams of reading material. Material that the media seems to think we are too dumb to comprehend or to disinterested to be concerned about.

In theory we are still a republic and as such each of us has a vested interest in the conduct and future of our country…it will make us better citizens if we individually kept an informed eye on the antics of those we have elected.

Ice and political science

The US Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Star being sent to the Antarctic to rescue the two ships trapped in the ice sheet, a Russian "research vessel" and the Chinese icebreaker that was sent to rescue them.  Just in case the global warming crowd doesn't know, the Polar Star burns 49.5 gallons of fuel a nautical mile. (Based on a carrying capacity of 1.4 millions gallons and a cruising range of 28,275 nautical miles).

The scientists that believe that the planet is irreversibly warming are now four ships and a helicopter into fossil fuel use trying to extract themselves and their ships from the expanding ice sheet at the bottom of the world. I don’t have enough information about the other ships to even estimate the total amount of carbon being released in the process, but the irony being released is off the charts.

Just Asking

The people who closed off public roads leading to public parks and memorials; the people who shut down privately owned and operated businesses because they were leasing space from the government; and the people who closed off over a thousand square miles of the Atlantic Ocean did so because they wanted to throw a temper tantrum.

The same people who refuse to talk to anyone with a different opinion unless the other party gives in to them before the conversation.

Believe it's a good idea to be involved in your health care

So tell me...why is this a good idea?

Not in my day

A student in Bryant School District in Arkansas brought home a worksheet that presented her with a scenario that referred to the Bill of Rights as “outdated” and that as part of a special committee she would need to throw out two of the Amendments.

The worksheet was handed out to Sixth grade students in a History class. According to the girl’s mother the young lady had not received any government or civics classes and this was the first assignment dealing with the Constitution or Bill of Rights.

 The reference to this education atrocity noted that the school district used the controversial Common Core curriculum. Common Core is an educational philosophy that pushes political liberalism, centralized government, minimizes family importance and denies any place for religion in an individuals life. 

Families need to be aware of what the younger generation is being taught in school and respond if those values conflict with their family beliefs. In Pennsylvania a few weeks a go a father was arrested for asking, at a public meeting, questions about the Common Core studies program in his kids school. All he did was ask a question, apparently without causing a scene, and was detained and charged with disorderly conduct and assaulting a police officer.

A peaceful question about a public policy was encouraged in my day, but apparently "those in authority" in today's world cannot abide anyone questioning their decisions.

Keeping up with the children

I was talking with a friend when he mentioned a conversation he with his granddaughter a few months ago. During his conversation he asked what was important about the date of February 20th.

The little girl told him it was "President's Day"

Thinking he would get an answer concerning Washington or Lincoln he asked "What does President's Day mean?"

The answer she gave him was " That's the day President Obama steps out of the White House and if he sees his shadow we have one more year of unemployment"

If the story is true I can only say that's a wise (and cynical) child.

Where reason is not understood

Yesterday in the "progressive" country of Dubai a court entered a guilty sentence against a Norwegian national that serves as nothing more than an illustration of how badly the religion of Mohammad can distort reality.

It all started when a 24 year old lady from Norway went to Dubai on business. Since Dubai is, by Muslim standards a very liberal country with a record for allowing its citizens great latitude she didn't anticipate any problems during her business trip. Unfortunately she went out one evening and  ended her day by being raped by a local. When she reported the crime to the police they not only arrested the rapist they also arrested her. He was charged with having a carnal relationship outside marriage and for the consumption of alcohol and was sentence to 13 months in jail. She was charge with the same crimes and has been sentenced to 16 months in jail.

Under Sharia law the lady is guilty of being female and was treated more harshly than the low life that made her a victim. And yet our political bosses say we need to treat the followers of the "religion of peace" with dignity when those very "peaceful" people are unwilling to act as responsible adults and to show respect for people.

It is an extreme statement...but I think I learned all I need to know about Islam on 9/11