What Outrages Us? PF Warning.

[Flick James]

I was listening to the Adam Carolla podcast recently, and he was talking about something that I've often thought about. One of those unfortunate things about current society that seems to suggest that we are doomed.

It has to do with what our society gets outraged about. It seems our outrage is either horribly misdirected or just outright vacous.

For example, in 1988, a Libyan named Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was found guilty of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, bound for JFK Airport from Heathrow, that killed 259 passengers and crew, and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland. He was imprisoned and then released in 2009 because he was sick, apparently "at death's door," and given a "compassionate release" because he was supposed to be weeks from dying and would probably not live to see if his second appeal of wrongful conviction would be successful. First of all, boo-f**king-hoo. Then he should have died in prison. Were the 270 people who died let out of the ground? Who the f**k could justify such a decision?

Then he was returned to Libya to a hero's welcome when he got off the plane, as if he were The Beatles arriving in America in 1964. Can you imagine the horror of the relatives of those people he killed seeing that? Where was the outrage? Where were the loud-mouthed celebrity activists then? Where was the outrage from the people? We heard a little bit about it and then it just got largely ignored in favor of the latest Hollywood break-ups.

It is now over two years later. Gadaffi is dead and this piece of s**t who was on death's door is still alive. Not dead in prison where he should be. Alive with his family in Libya. Do we even hear about this? Is there any significant outrage?

Of course not. No, instead these are the kinds of things we get outraged about:

Mel Gibson yelling at his wife.

Alec Baldwin yelling at his daughter.

Whether or not Kim Kardashian married for ratings or not.

What Ashton Kutcher broadcasted on Twitter.

A joke Kathy Griffin made about Bristol Palin.

THOSE ARE OUR HEADLINES!

We have no problem demonizing and shutting down businesses with Occupy Wall Street riots, but we don't really care about a man who killed 260 people in a deplorable act of hatred being released from prison and being treated to a hero's welcome, do we?

Where have our priorities gone as a nation and as a society?

Sorry, I'm in a bit of a bad mood about it and just felt the need to vent.

     What you're feeling is called "righteous indignation", and you have no need to apologize.
As a nation, we're a mess, with no moral center, except a vague concept that says that everyone has a "right" to whatever they want to have a right to. We tell our children that to stand for something is to be intolerant, that some nebulous "somebody" MIGHT get offended by our words, much less our actions.

     Y'know one of the reasons I came to Texas? It's because this is one of the few places you can still shoot some joker for breaking in your house. I don't own any guns, but I like the common sense concept that if someone breaches my door, uninvited, particularly if he seeks to do me and mine harm, he's got one comin'. It makes me sick that, in some places (4-X, my home state of Ohio) criminals have successfully sued decent citizens who were defending themselves.

     How can we teach the next generation right and wrong when we've got a system that says that the individual gets to decide what that means?

    We need less law, and more justice, less tolerance, and more common sense.

Well said. Well said indeed.

I hope Rev doesn't take offense by this, because I do have a genuine respect for the law community. However, it can't be denied that a portion of the problem stems from many decades of certain types of lawyers exploiting and manipulating the law to create precedents that eat away at the fabric of justice. I would never deny anybody their due process, but it does get ridiculous.

As for the criminals that successfully sue their victims, I hope you don't come to my house. I won't give you the opportunity to sue me if you catch my drift.

[InformationGeek]

And they have to SING their speeches! While dancing! And they gotta have stupid haircuts and tight,flashy clothes!

" I'll bomb Iran, because I can-I'll do it-Myyyyy Waaay!"

American Politicians Have Talent

OH!  I'd watch that show!  It be the only piece of reality TV I ever watch...

[Rev. Powell]

I hope Rev doesn't take offense by this, because I do have a genuine respect for the law community. However, it can't be denied that a portion of the problem stems from many decades of certain types of lawyers exploiting and manipulating the law to create precedents that eat away at the fabric of justice. I would never deny anybody their due process, but it does get ridiculous.

Not sure exactly what decisions you're thinking of, but judges set precedents, not lawyers.  A lawyer may be forced to offer a dubious theory if his client has nothing else to go with, but it's the judge's duty to shoot it down if it's worthless.   

BTW though I'm a licensed attorney I don't practice trial law, so I'm not offended by attacks on trial lawyers.  I have plenty of criticisms of them myself and I'm a proponent of tort reform.  The only thing I've ever done is wills and contracts.

[Flick James]

I hope Rev doesn't take offense by this, because I do have a genuine respect for the law community. However, it can't be denied that a portion of the problem stems from many decades of certain types of lawyers exploiting and manipulating the law to create precedents that eat away at the fabric of justice. I would never deny anybody their due process, but it does get ridiculous.

Not sure exactly what decisions you're thinking of, but judges set precedents, not lawyers.  A lawyer may be forced to offer a dubious theory if his client has nothing else to go with, but it's the judge's duty to shoot it down if it's worthless.   

BTW though I'm a licensed attorney I don't practice trial law, so I'm not offended by attacks on trial lawyers.  I have plenty of criticisms of them myself and I'm a proponent of tort reform.  The only thing I've ever done is wills and contracts.

Poor choice of words on my part. What I was trying to say is that lawyers of the ilk I'm referring to seek to manipulate the law in ways as to have precedent established that allows for things like perpetrators of breaking and entering to successfully sue their victims, and other scenarios that undermine the justice that is the intent of the legal system.

[Flick James]

I hope Rev doesn't take offense by this, because I do have a genuine respect for the law community. However, it can't be denied that a portion of the problem stems from many decades of certain types of lawyers exploiting and manipulating the law to create precedents that eat away at the fabric of justice. I would never deny anybody their due process, but it does get ridiculous.

Not sure exactly what decisions you're thinking of, but judges set precedents, not lawyers.  A lawyer may be forced to offer a dubious theory if his client has nothing else to go with, but it's the judge's duty to shoot it down if it's worthless.   

BTW though I'm a licensed attorney I don't practice trial law, so I'm not offended by attacks on trial lawyers.  I have plenty of criticisms of them myself and I'm a proponent of tort reform.  The only thing I've ever done is wills and contracts.

Oh, and in regards to tort reform, I am in agreement with you. No system is perfect, but in my opinion the benefits of tort law certainly outweigh it's shortfallings, all things considered. About the only argument that tort reform advocates use that carries any weight in my opinion is when referring to healthcare costs and insurance rates. That is a mess, and an area in which tort law does appear to be inefficient and drive up insurance costs. I can see that as a problem. I don't know what the solution is, but I don't believe tort reform is it.

[Allhallowsday]

MEL GIBSON yelled at his girlfriend...

[Leah]

Celebrities getting all of the attention. I call them Attention Whores, pretty explanatory. TALK ABOUT OTHER s**t, LIKE THE REALITY WE LIVE IN!!!!

[The Gravekeeper]

Celebrities getting all of the attention. I call them Attention Whores, pretty explanatory. TALK ABOUT OTHER s**t, LIKE THE REALITY WE LIVE IN!!!!

But that doesn't sell as well! It doesn't present a false reality where people can be spoiled twits with no consequences, nor does it sell the idea that "success" is measure by how much expensive stuff you can cram in your oversized suburban home/high-price apartment!

[Leah]

Celebrities getting all of the attention. I call them Attention Whores, pretty explanatory. TALK ABOUT OTHER s**t, LIKE THE REALITY WE LIVE IN!!!!

But that doesn't sell as well! It doesn't present a false reality where people can be spoiled twits with no consequences, nor does it sell the idea that "success" is measure by how much expensive stuff you can cram in your oversized suburban home/high-price apartment!

Just what I need before a bed!

[Leah]

Where have our priorities gone as a nation and as a society?

Blame Technology, and mostly on Reality TV, that really makes the majority of teens more selfish and lazy. Thankfully, I don't watch these, as they are: Jersey Shore,.....That's all I got. Video games are also to blame, but I matured away from this. Quite Frankly, crap has ruined our society.

[The Gravekeeper]

Where have our priorities gone as a nation and as a society?

Blame Technology, and mostly on Reality TV, that really makes the majority of teens more selfish and lazy. Thankfully, I don't watch these, as they are: Jersey Shore,.....That's all I got. Video games are also to blame, but I matured away from this. Quite Frankly, crap has ruined our society.

I think that's too narrow a view to account for everything that's going on. Video games have been around since the 70's (possible a little earlier), and reality TV has been around since about the 80's (even longer if you count game shows). I think there's a lot more going on than what we're being sold that's changing our cultures.

[Rev. Powell]

Where have our priorities gone as a nation and as a society?

Blame Technology, and mostly on Reality TV, that really makes the majority of teens more selfish and lazy. Thankfully, I don't watch these, as they are: Jersey Shore,.....That's all I got. Video games are also to blame, but I matured away from this. Quite Frankly, crap has ruined our society.

I think that's too narrow a view to account for everything that's going on. Video games have been around since the 70's (possible a little earlier), and reality TV has been around since about the 80's (even longer if you count game shows). I think there's a lot more going on than what we're being sold that's changing our cultures.

Who says culture's changing?    I've noticed that most people are shallow my entire life.  I can only assume they were the same in my parent's day, and in Abraham Lincoln's day, and in Mozart's, and in Jesus'...

[RCMerchant]

I Think,as a whole,people are good.
Mobs**t sets in sometimes-but...I dunno...I try to like folks.
Thats coming from an evil guy like me.
You gotta believe in something.
I believe you gotta try.
Im so depressed sometimes...but only at circumstances...not so much at other people.

[Leah]

Where have our priorities gone as a nation and as a society?

Blame Technology, and mostly on Reality TV, that really makes the majority of teens more selfish and lazy. Thankfully, I don't watch these, as they are: Jersey Shore,.....That's all I got. Video games are also to blame, but I matured away from this. Quite Frankly, crap has ruined our society.

I think that's too narrow a view to account for everything that's going on. Video games have been around since the 70's (possible a little earlier), and reality TV has been around since about the 80's (even longer if you count game shows). I think there's a lot more going on than what we're being sold that's changing our cultures.

Who says culture's changing?    I've noticed that most people are shallow my entire life.  I can only assume they were the same in my parent's day, and in Abraham Lincoln's day, and in Mozart's, and in Jesus'...

no, what I mean is that the grass isn't getting cut, the exquisite china isn't getting washed, the bedroom is becoming more dirty, and the kids are getting obese. These things are mostly the response to modern technology.