What's the number for 911?
72
have Americans lost all self-control?
I recently read an article written by a person who had moved out of America seven years ago and then recently came back for a visit.
He said how his family had taken him to dinner in New Mexico and since they didn't finish their bottle of wine, the family asked for a cork so they could finish it at home. The waitress disappeared only to emerge a few minutes later to announce: "The bartender says he cannot cork the bottle because it constitutes an open container, and open containers couldn't leave the premises. That's the law.
Americans rely too much on being taken care of?
Now before anyone jumps on me and tells me: "Yes, that's the law. No open containers on the streets and especially in vehicles." I must tell you, I know perfectly well that is true. The laws are there to protect us, right?
We all do need laws, to a certain extent, but maybe far too many people rely on laws, the government and our courts to take care of them. While doing this, maybe we relinquish the right to take care of ourselves?
I know, underage drinking can be a problem, but the statistics reveal that raising the drinking age has not necessarily put an end to this problem. It also seems, from when I was a teen, that when forbidden to do anything, it all of a sudden became popular to do just what was forbidden. But parents certainly should always be sitting their kids down, the ones who drive especially, and talk about alcohol use and abuse. No, it seems to be easier to just let Big Brother government lay down the law, sometimes literally. How does a kid learn to become responsible for their own actions and shouldn't parents lay down the laws at home?
I own a scanner and night after night, I hear police pulling over cars where the driver has lost their license for DWI and there they are, drinking, driving and no license. Well if that person is not in jail, they go out anyway and drive under the influence. So apparently that certainly wasn't a deterrent to pull their license and let them go home.
another fine story
Then. later on, I read a story about a young woman of 20 who is suing a bar in her hometown for allowing her to drink. She claims she went into the bar, played pool, bought drinks, drank too much, attempted to drive home and got into an accident which left her a paraplegic. She claims it's the bar's fault for not carding her. I fail to understand how a person's lack of self-control and accountability is a bar owner's fault.
People need to make their own choices. Especially adults. I have written books and hubs and blogs about how I detest the rules in nursing homes, rules designed to protect the elderly when, in fact, those rules take away all of their freedoms. Nursing homes should be accountable, themselves, and not hire abusive workers and they certainly should be decent enough to not misuse their power over the residents.
Can morality be legislated? I dare say, I doubt it. As an adult, I would prefer the choices we once used to enjoy as responsible adults without law, after law, to dictate to me how to conduct my adult life.
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Great hub Bobbi. Amazingly, as we become a more technologically advanced society, Americans become dumber. Too many people rely on litigation to solve their problems because personal accountability is a lost ideal.
This is exactly why I would love to implement a "Mandatory Sterilization Policy" in America. I truly believe certain people should not be allowed to breed, kind of like the drunk 20 year-old who sued the bar. (a bit tongue in cheek, but an interesting proposition at least)
This reminds me of how much drinking was a problem and money maker for gangsters during the prohibition era. Yes, forbidding something makes things worse, quite often.
We have a drinking age here in B.C. of 19. Alberta it is 18. The idea is if you are old enough to fight for your country...
I think it doesn't matter how old the person is in that such idiots like the person you describe will continue to drink and drive.
No, morality cannot be legislated -- or it can, but not enforced. And I do wish those legislators and would-be legislators who insist on everyone living according to how the legislators think we should would just figure it out. There are more important issues for them to concern themselves with, so perhaps they should get to it. You cannot protect idiots from themselves, nor society.
I agree that there are too many restrictive laws that are quite useless, often go unheeded or make the problems they're trying to address worse.
The example of the people who continue to drive after losing their licenses due to previous DUI violations shows the absurdity of thinking that a mere law will get drunk drivers off the road.
Voted this hub up and interesting.
Witchu all the way, Bobbi. Having spent my life in advertising, (ie I have an understanding of what it can, and can't, achieve) I continue to be dumbfounded at the profligate waste of taxpayers money on ad campaigns designed to lower the road toll, promote responsible drinking, teach wife abusers not to, etc etc etc.
Worthy causes all. But people learn behaviour from their peers, not from TV ads. Many of the target audiences for these campaigns aren't at home when the ads run. And if they were, does anyone seriously think a person doing the wrong thing is going to have some kind of Halleluja moment, watching an ad?
Research proves the ineffectiveness and irrelevance of these campaigns. But governments have such a need to be 'seen' to be doing something about (insert issue here) that they continue to waste resources on mass media (where voters will see their efforts)that could be much better put to use on targeted social programmes that could actually help.
Fact is, most of don't need to be told how to behave more than once. Continually showing pictures of the damage done as a result of idiotic behaviour (eg road carnage) fails to have any effect on people whose belief in their own invincibility gives rise to their dumbness in the first place.
As the wise man said, "You can't fix stupid".
Why then should taxpayers be expected to pick up the tab for government sanctioned attempts to fly in the face of this reality?
Hi Bobbi: Missed you lately. It's amazing how many of these idiotic laws also benefit the government or big business. It would seem eminently more sensible to allow folks to take the wine with them rather than force them to drink it and leave pissed...or leave what they had paid for, and it ain't cheap. I like the Spanish way, actually. You are given a bottle and only pay for what you drink...the wine is then corked and provided to the next customer at comida. Works well.
Anglos...I'm one and we're shit! Bob
Interesting points of view. I feel there are too many Laws to protect us on the books...However I do feel in a Bar, if the person looks "Looped" and is still insisting on that next drink, they should be shown the door, and maybe even asked who can be called to pick them up and take them home.
Moderndayslave: Really, I agree, protecting us from ourselves is a bit much. Thanks so much for commenting.
cooldad: Well, OK, one idea anyway. I'm not sure society would agree and many might say 'discrimination' but we certainly ought to be responsible adults, if not, then America should offer better rehab options then instead of the choices that do not work well. Thanks so much for commenting.
FloraBreenRobison: Indeed, Prohibition only led to crime, anytime anything goes to Black Market, it creates criminals, many times of ordinary citizens. Thanks so much for commenting.
lmmartin: I so agree with you. There is much bigger fish to fry than playing our babysitters. Trying to enforce morality is futile, I have to agree there too. Great points. Thanks so much for commenting.
Happyboomernurse: Yes, the short comings of human governments. They can pass a law then never have enough police to ever enforce them. You are right, passing a law does not get drunk drivers off the roads at all. Thanks so much for commenting.
“Can morality be legislated? I dare say, I doubt it. As an adult, I would prefer the choices we once used to enjoy as responsible adults without law, after law, to dictate to me how to conduct my adult life.”
I agree. It seems that we need more laws and regulation because morality needs to be “legislated.” What a nonsensical conundrum. When they removed certain regulations from the financial services industry, which just about did away with the Glass-Steagal Act, the finance community didn’t stray from the reservation, they moved it to the moon…hence, the crazy over-speculation in derivatives and underwriting standards meltdown that led to the 2008 financial crisis.
I wish I had the answer, but I find myself looking back to the days when we actually took pride in being responsible for our own actions. Excellent hub, Bobbi.
writeronline: LOL Now, haven't You just smacked that nail on the head! Votes, votes and more votes. The need to 'appear to be solving a perceived problem' so so true! Playing politics with our lives to gain votes. Thanks so much for commenting.
diogenes: Hi, missed you all here too. LOL Anglos...............love it! So true. We as a species, have much to learn still. Agreed. Thanks so much for commenting.
Genna East: Hi there! Isn't it odd how we, as ordinary citizens, need to be 'looked after' since we are considered 'stupid' too stupid to care for ourselves? Yet, they do not regulate banks, big biz and so on so forth because gee They are the only ones with brains? Well, well, I don't think, in reality, money equals brains by a long shot. Thanks so much for commenting.
Moderndayslave Level 2 Commenter 4 months ago
Great Hub, The nanny state. Protecting people from themselves.