Oct. 05, 2002 - 20:29 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Why Not ?

Accepting the fact that one is responsible for the damn fool thing one did seems to be a lost art. A sense of responsibility is lacking I think, here in our modern, litigious US society.

This morning's paper mentions that an Ex-Smoker wins a 28 billion dollar award from suing Philip Morris. She is 64 years old and started smoking at age 17 in approximately 1955 and was diagnosed last year with lung cancer that has since spread to her liver. TWENTY EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS ! ! ! ! !

Of course for myself there is no dollar amount award given to me that could compensate me for something that shortens my life. My life is so much more valuable to me than any coin of the realm.

This lady sued Philip Morris from what I read in the news for fraud and negligence. I remember the cigarette and tobacco ads of that time and those before. The thing that seemed so ridiculous to even us kids were the ads claiming their product was doctor recommended and associated blather. The attorney also brought in some internal corporate documents purportedly showing that the tobacco industry concealed the dangers of cigarettes with a widespread dis-information campaign that began in the 1950's.

I can visualize Congress working to put the tobacco industry out of business, by causing the levying of fines in the billions of dollars for every smoker shown to have lung cancer. That might somewhat cure the cause.

I don't think this a case of the 'evil nicotine empire' against humanity actually. I think it demonstrates the fact that parents did not acquaint their kids with the need to use common sense when reading ads. Nowadays who really believes the poop commercials and printed ads ?

I could understand these billions of dollars going to our government to use for any number of things -- health care -- education -- roads and highways or any number of needed things that are now underfunded. But I cannot understand any person or family receiving 28 billion dollars for someone having cancer caused by smoking.

I'm thinking, if this is the type of thing done today, maybe I should sue every manufacturer of alcoholic beverages sold in our country for maybe a couple of billion dollars for my heart condition due to my alcoholism. I could also file simultaneously agains the tobacco industry for causing the same ailment.

But then, the family of a person who died due to the obesity caused by overeating could maybe sue the various arms of the food industry for false advertising too. Heck, Christopher Reeves should be able to sue somebody for the fall off a horse that made him a paraplegic. Or the guy who skied into a tree on the slopes, or dove off a rock, hit his head on a rock and became one in a crippled, wheel chair condition.

The bars have been in legal trouble for a long time, being blamed for the overconsumpton of alcoholic beverages sold on their premises. That is a gray area I guess, depends on the involvement of the establishment. I remember drinking on skid row a number of years ago, observing drunks passed out sleeping on or under the table. Someone would come in and get hold of the bartender and he and helpers would go round and seat and prop up those who were passed out. Shortly thereafter a couple of cops would walk in and walk around and then walk out again. But in the upper crust establishments it is often hard to tell who is loaded or just plain damned silly or argumentative because of alcohol or natural inclination.

Pretty soon it might be possible for someone to sue the Pepsi company for illnesses caused by the caffeine in the drink. Or someone able to sue and win because a diabetic deliberately walked into a store and bought a bunch of candy with sugar in it and crashed his car in a diabetic coma.

Anymore it seems that every man Jack of our population wants someone to take the blame for his or her personal foolhardiness. I started smoking at the age of 8 in 1929. Those of our gang knew and told everyone that smoking would "get your wind," "a habit once gained would be with one for life." We knew, and did it anyway. Because we were fools and because we were trying to be "grown up."

It seems to me that every company producing and selling a product and any company providing service should automatically be sued, just on general principals. Why Not ? . . . . . . . .

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