What Ever Happened To "Accidents"?

           Why are some people so quick to place blame on others for events that could not have been prevented? Don’t we all have “accidents,” or find ourselves in situations beyond our control? Why are we bent on making someone pay for every “mistake” that affects us?

            A Warren woman recently sued Radio Shack on Parkman Road N.W.,
 claiming that she was assaulted and threatened at gun point during a recent robbery. She is seeking $25,000 in damages, citing that the defendants (company) were reckless and negligent in failing to provide adequate security from “criminal intrusion.” Not in any way to minimize her trauma, but what about the employees, and the store’s loss?

             How could one find Radio Shack responsible for someone robbing them? How much security, if any, can a business have to make it “thug proof?” The lady was caught in an unfortunate situation, but so were the employees. Are they going to sue Radio Shack as well? Who is Radio Shack going to sue? There’s blame in this case, but it’s not with the business.

            Things happen in life that have no rhyme or reason. We call them accidents. I just learned that an 83 year old woman is suing Apple for $1,000,000 after “smashing her face” on a glass door at a Long Island, NY store. She claims that she didn’t realize she was walking into a wall of glass. Again, we feel sorry for the lady, but how is this Apple’s fault? Stuff happens, with no justification to blame or “sue” anyone.

            Certainly no rational attorney would take this case---or would he? Yes, Derek Smith, her lawyer defends her by citing that “Apple wants to be cool and modern, having architecture that appeals to the “tech crowd.” Thus, the “defendant was negligent…in allowing a clear, see-through glass wall and/or door to exist without proper warning.” How could anyone with common sense justify such a suit? But, sorry to say, greedy lawyers know how the system works for people who will do anything for another buck.

            On a weightier note, the issue of malpractice insurance for physicians is a growing concern. Premiums seem to be “going through the roof,” causing some local doctors to close shop or move. Lawyers and insurance companies blame each other for the crisis. Both are making exorbitant amounts through the increasing number of people suing their doctors. This adds tremendous pressure upon physicians to “practice perfectly.” While no one would tolerate ineptness, doctors are as human as anyone. Patients need to realize that when considering a law suit. Doubtless, there are legitimate malpractice events, but frivolous claims place everyone in jeopardy.

            A group of Warren physicians recently took a full page ad in the Tribune addressing this issue. It was done in a very professional manner, but the bottom line was that the craze of malpractice suits is jeopardizing the cost and quality of heath care. Who wants to submit to additional “tests” for every little thing? But I understand the mentality of the doctor, who is covering himself against possible legal repercussions. If the trend continues, I wonder how many physicians will “risk” serious procedures.

            Today’s Ziggy cartoon has him sitting in the examination room; his doctor appears, and says, “How about some surgery? I’m feeling lucky today!” Cute quip, but not really funny.         

            Doctors get sick, and funeral directors die. Who’s fault it that? It’s a fact of life, with no one to blame. Life is not fair---stuff happens! As a rule, insurance companies do not cover “acts of God,” a term for natural unpreventable disasters. The desire to sue others who have no ill intent is just another form of selfish entitlement. Suing one’s mother for $100 on a TV court show illustrates the pitiful condition of a greedy and misguided society.

           

The Marvel of Sowing and Reaping

            It’s seed time! Farmers are preparing their fields for the coming harvest. I gladly anticipate the locally grown fruits and veggies that will soon appear. Meanwhile, it’s a treat just to view the colorful display of luscious produce at the local supermarket. 

            As I munched on some imported grapes the other day, I thought, “What a gift to humanity.” This delicacy is a result of the divine process called “sowing and reaping.” To this day, farming is still governed by unchanging laws. Preparation of the soil is essential, along with sowing the proper seed. No farmer has ever sown wheat, and reaped watermelons! The nature of the seed is the nature of the harvest; i.e. whatever is sown is reaped.

             Significantly, the farmer reaps more than he sows. Just one kernel of corn planted will yield a whole stalk, with several ears, each having multiple kernels. He’s then able to sustain his own needs, taking the rest to market. Such a positive, abundant increase is tremendous indeed.

            Life in general is a result of sowing seed. Not only is it the “principle of production” in the vegetable kingdom, but in the animal as well. The male seed (sperm) meets the female egg to initiate conception.  Each of us became a unique human being through that process. How marvelous and miraculous is this divine gift of life!

            Sadly, these graces can be easily abused and misused. The fire in my furnace serves me well; but if it escapes into the basement, it will burn down the house. It’s alarming that 41% of births are to unwed mothers. What does this say for marriage in general, and the hardship of young mothers and children in particular?

            What about so-called fathers, who are nothing more than “sperm donors?” Have they considered the awesome responsibility of bring children into the world? Has someone told them that it doesn’t take much to father a child, but it sure takes character and grace to be a father to a child? This kind of “sowing” has misrepresented the divine gift of sex.

             The family is being reinterpreted, and those who uphold traditional marriage are considered old fogeyish and politically incorrect. That’s nonsense, and further explains why our country is headed for destruction. We are sowing the seeds of our own demise.

            Believe it or not, there are definite distinctions between male and female, other than the basic equipment. It’s well known that a young lady looks for a loving, secure relationship; thus, she will “play” with sex to get love. A young man, however, in a hormonal sweat, will play with “love” to get sex.  Therefore, premarital sexual encounters come short of true commitment to marriage and family, leading to unhappiness and assorted heartaches. This is an unwarranted use of the “seed.”

            Even in our daily interaction, we cannot escape this principle. For instance, each time we open our mouths, we influence someone either for good, or for bad; either we build them up, or tear them down. Words are powerful, being used to curse or to bless. It’s been truly said that, “There’s been more deadly wounds inflicted by the edge of the tongue, than by the edge of the sword.”

            We must reclaim our homes as havens for planting the seeds of truth and character. The airwaves must be monitored, and used for positive, wholesome purposes. A child’s Bible story book and other classics would be great assets for a daily share time. Children must be warned that the seeds of profanity, disrespect, and other forms of “wild oats,” can only reap an eventual whirlwind. This is a monumental task, but we need to get started.

            No one changes overnight. All of us are today what we have been becoming. In other words, we are now living the harvest of seed sown in the past. A sobering thought indeed.

Does the Compass Still Point North?

           “There are no absolutes!” This is a recurring theme by those who see everything as relevant in the world. If there are no absolutes, then how can one make such an absolute statement? Even the famous atheist Richard Dawkins is now “fudging” on his dogmatic denial that God exists; it appears that he’s changed to an “agnostic” position, which says, “I can’t prove that God doesn’t exist.” Yet, the sun still rises in the east, and sets in the west; two plus two is still four, and the 24/7 time frame has not changed.

            As a Boy Scout, I learned that a compass always pointed north. That same device in my car has rescued me when lost on a country road.  There’s something to be said for the standards in life that can be safely and consistently followed.

            The Global Positioning System (GPS) has proven to be phenomenally accurate for directions worldwide. Could such technology not reveal the possibility that there’s an infallible source of truth for man to follow? Is it just possible that the Creator gave us a Manual to go along with the product that He made?

            I think this is what our forefathers had in mind when they embraced the Bible as their moral compass. It was not just something preached at church, but sworn upon in the courtroom as well. In fact, it was the main textbook of traditional education before 1800, when so-called public schooling began. That’s why colleges like Harvard (1636), Yale (1701), Princeton (1746), etc. were established to train leaders and ministers of the Gospel.

            Even when the colonies began to project public education, the combination of religious and non-religious instruction was not an issue. In the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Congress declared that, “Religion, morality, and knowledge, was necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind.” Even in my early years, the Bible was read daily in the public classroom.

            In fact, it was Noah Webster, producer of the American Dictionary (1828), who considered education “useless without the Bible.” He further stated, "In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people..." That sounds like “heresy” to our pseudo-sophisticated society.

            What Valley native doesn’t know of William Holmes McGuffey, who gave us the famous “McGuffey Readers?” He was born in 1800, growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, and becoming a “roving” teacher at age fourteen. He helped to initiate one-teacher schools, eventually becoming Professor of Languages at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

            In 1835, he was asked to compile a six-book series of graded Readers for primary education. These would become the standard school texts for the next century. The McGuffey Readers reflected the author’s personal philosophy and experience as a “frontier schoolteacher.” They taught the basic academic subjects in a way that encouraged moral character. He instilled the importance of understanding religious values by using stories of strength, courage, and truth. He also addressed a variety of subjects, drawing moral conclusions about “lying, stealing, cheating, poverty, teasing, alcohol, overeating, skipping school, and foul language.” The appeal was not only to the student’s “head” (knowledge), but to the “heart” (character). I wonder, did we give up too soon on The McGuffey Readers?

            In light of our nation’s moral toboggan slide, we need God-fearing leadership on every level. Let’s fight for the right to do right! If we don’t use our freedom to defend our freedom, we will lose our freedom. Solomon advises, “Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set.” (Prov. 20:28)             

            Our children need to be reminded that the compass still points north.