Accountability

[speedog]

Accountability for one's own actions - seems that the world we live in is understanding this less and less these days.

In the past week, two dead snowmobilers and people are upset that these guys were allowed up there. One of the widows is pointing fingers at the town of Revelstoke saying they are not taking ownership of the problem. What gives here? No forced these people to go up to that mountain and it is not within the jurisdiction of Revelstoke. Where's the personal accountability here in ignoring posted warnings and placing one's self in possible danger's way?

Also this week, a teenager killed while skiing at Panorama on a school ski outing. Parents signed the waiver saying their son was an intermediate skier and are now saying he never skied in the mountains and this wouldn't have happened if their kid had been on a green run. Last time I checked, blue runs (where the kid died) were intermediate runs and they signed off on the waiver as him being a intermediate skier. Better yet, his buddy asked him why he wasn't slowing down and he said he liked the thrill of going fast. Again, where's the personal accountability here?

Last up this week, the Chestermere park fight where a whole bunch of teenagers from a Catholic school met during the lunch hour and a fight ensued between several teenaged girls. Parents are now upset that the school was looking after their darlings better? The teenagers agreed to go off the school's premises to a nearby park and I don't believe it's the school's responsibility to run all over hell's half acre to mind these kids. Again, where's the personal responsibility here? Were the parents even half aware of what was going on on-line before hand and if they were, did they address those issues at that time?

Really, I don't get it? Why are so many so easily able to point fingers at others instead of sifting through the garbage in their own back yards. Yeah, the above three situations suck because people were hurt or died, but no one forced the affected people to do what they did.

Personally, I can think of a situation about 2 years back where my teenaged son was hit by a car while riding his bicycle. Thank god he wasn't seriously hurt - just a bruise and some paint scrapes on his bike, but he was mostly at fault and I even made the driver of the car very aware of that fact. My boy was riding too fast on a sidewalk and drove out across an alley which had bushes lining it obscuring the driver's view. Number one, son shouldn't have been riding on the sidewalk and certainly not at the speed he was going. Number two, my son claimed he couldn't see the car, I called BS on him because we returned to the spot and the car would have been easily visible through the bushes - my son's speed combined with his inattentiveness was entirely the contributing issue. Yeah, it scared the hell out of the driver and the driver offered to repaint the scratches on my son's bike, but that didn't happen - they are now war wounds to remind him of his very close call.

Personal accountability - the parents/spouses in the aforementioned incidents need understand what this is. Yeah, a loss sucks but place blame where blame is due.

[RickDaTuner]

Blame america and their Sue happy ways, throw the media in there as well.

Sociology would point fingers to population numbers and our ability to acquire needs in a relatively easy fashion.
As we grow more and more in technology we become less in tune with our humanity and take on a synthetic existence.
This leads to a detachment of what is right and wrong.

Maybe this is just the communist in me talking

[cet]

I completly agree. People these days look for any excuse to blame anyone other than themselves. You can even see it with numerous threads here. I also think it's one of the reasons so many "nanny" laws are being written and passed.

[JfuckinC]

I hate when people around me aren't accountable for their actions. It really gets me going. Everything you stated is true and its sad a lot of people can't see that.

[baygirl]

I think my biggest pet peeve is people who do not take responsibility for their actions. That being said, right now the widow of the snowmobilier and the parents of the teen are grieving, and part of that process is anger, and it is easier for them to be angry with outsiders, then with their loved ones who have died.

[RecoilS14]

Originally posted by baygirl
I think my biggest pet peeve is people who do not take responsibility for their actions. That being said, right now the widow of the snowmobilier and the parents of the teen are grieving, and part of that process is anger, and it is easier for them to be angry with outsiders, then with their loved ones who have died.

As i agree with you 100% on this, I have to make one point.

Anger is normal, sure; but when people go to jail or lose vast sums of money because they were fingered, blamed, and for lack of a better word, convicted of being at fault. I don't see how it is fair to blame others when the dead have no say in their accountability.

Most people don't want to think that their loved one(s) were/are stupid enough to get in harms way. Most people do want to think that someone else is always at fault for any kind of incident.

Finger pointing usually comes first, then comes the law, then comes the bullshit, and finally instead of a single tragedy, you get multiple lives wrecked or destroyed.

It really is time for everyone to man the fuck up, and not just on accountability, but for everything. Too many weasels and wannabes these days.

[ekguy]

I have found the lack of accountability to be a lot worse in Alberta than any other province I've lived in. I've lived in more than half the provinces.

Seems there's always someone pointing a finger where it shouldn't be out here.

Another thing I don't like is how they are tearing apart parks with fun stuff and building the safest, most boring parks I have ever seen.

Went out to Vulcan last summer and not far from there there was a park, like we all used to have when we were kids, real monkey bars, merry go round or whatever those things are called.

We are creating a pussified society. When I grew up and I did something dumb on my dirtbike and hurt myself ridiculously my dad always knew I was to blame and no one else.

People need to realize that most bad accidents happen because the person it happened too wasn't being responsible and not the fact that the city, school, or whatever else wasn't keeping an eye on that person or group constantly.

[can't hide]

If people stopped expecting everything to be catered to them and stopped with the demanding attitudes that they are owed something all the time or that their time/money/selves are soooo much more important than everyone or anyone else that attitude might change.

I don't have much hope for that. All I can do is continue to be patient, be curtious enough to give my full attention to people that are helping me and try my best to keep myself accountable for my actions.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Kloubek]

I agree with the OP - it is total bullshit.

With this said, I think it is natural human reaction to try to find blame in the face of tragedy. The cases you mention are ones where people have died. Well, it is more difficult to pin responsibility on someone who no longer exists.

Further to that, family members inherently want to believe their family can do no wrong and is perfect. It is the same syndome as the mother who thinks their child is beautiful when, in fact, they have been repeatedly hit with the ugly stick.

[darkkent]

why would people take responsibilty ?

we are constantly taught be our legal system, celebrities and media that if you do something wrong it's always someeone elses fault, or if you look hard enough for a loop hole you'll be able to avoid consequence.

[DeeK]

I've said this on here before, but I'll say it again in this case.

When I was growing up we were taught to stay the fuck off the road. Nowadays, you see signs up in every community that says "slow down for the safety of our children". Don't get me wrong, I'm all for those signs, but it seems like because those signs are in place people let their children roam free all over the streets. Then when something happens, they blame society for not parenting their children better, while the parents were non-existent in the parenting process.

[QuasarCav]

This will be our downfall in WW3.

[R154]

Why would anyone take responsibility for anything when you dont have to?

Survival of the fittest has been offset by bleeding hearts. We've done it to ourselves... now we have to sleep in it.

[Dilmah]

Originally posted by DeeK
I've said this on here before, but I'll say it again in this case.

When I was growing up we were taught to stay the fuck off the road. Nowadays, you see signs up in every community that says "slow down for the safety of our children". Don't get me wrong, I'm all for those signs, but it seems like because those signs are in place people let their children roam free all over the streets. Then when something happens, they blame society for not parenting their children better, while the parents were non-existent in the parenting process.

Strange you say that, I thought 20-40 years ago it was a God given right for Canadians to play street hockey and when a car came along the car had to stop until the kids moved the nets from the middle of the street... Maybe you didn’t grow up in Canada.

As for being accountable, just read some of the threads people post. I got coffee spilled on me and I want a new phone, I got a ticket for doing nothing and I want people to feel for me, my bracelet broke and my Dad is too lazy to fix it for me...:cry: :cry: :cry:

[Tarrantula]

Originally posted by QuasarCav
This will be our downfall in WW3.

You mean MW3?

haha, all jokes aside..

I agree with the OP, there needs to be a "I call bullshit" veto that could be applied to some of these recent accusations.

[ekguy]

Where does this sense of entitlement most people from Calgary seem to have come from?

I have seen so many people in this city act like they are automatically entitled to things just because...

[speedog]

How bad have things become? Bad enough that we had to fill out a three page acknowledgment of risk form for my grade six daughter last fall for a kite flying day they were having at their school. Three pages just in case she happened to step onto to the city's grass field that lies right next to the school's grass field - form was required because the city's field was considered off site to the school. Complete BS, but it exists because of situations like the Edmonton skiing trip.

Sense of entitlement - here's one for ya. Last spring, my son's grade nine class had a band field trip planned with the requirements being that you attended class regularly and not be caught doing anything illegal on school grounds. One grade nine girl was not allowed to board the bus that morning, the girl then contacted her mother who then tore a strip of the band teacher for not allowing her girl to go. Now her daughter skipped classes and was caught smoking dope in the school and yet she should be entitled to go on the trip regardless of the rules broken? What gives here? What is this girl being taught by her mother besides that you should be entitled to anything you wish despite your actions.

[speedog]

And this is not just a Calgary or Alberta thing. It's much, much bigger than just here. Don't kid yourself if you think it's just a Calgary or Alberta thing.

[cet]

Wasn't there a story a copule of years ago where the father of a young hockey player was going to take either the team or the league to court because his son didn't make the top division team? No wonder a lot of kids these days have a sence of entitlement when the parents the parents teach them valuable lessons like this.

[R154]

Why are you so surprised? Have you seen mtv recently? It might be a running joke, but that channel is totally a microcosm of society and where its views are moving at large.

You cant really blame any one person or ideal. You can take a stand, but this is a movement that has been established on the backs of apathy.

Were waking up late, from the nightmare that is over protection. Might as well add in our outlandish and silly usage of the judicial system.

Kids used to learn that jumping from the monkeybars onto concrete resulted in an injury. Now-a-days kids are bubblewraped and told explicitly not to venture to far, fore evil demonds lurk.

I dont think the world is anymore dangerous then it was before... its just that kids and adults are so much more sensitive about the "what-ifs" and the importance of its "awareness" that the forget to educate, and let kids be kids.

When I was a kid, I knew if I ran across a busy street, I might get smacked by a car, so I looked twice, made sure, then moved my ass. These days a kid will just crawl across a street because they KNOW a driver will slam on the brakes, potentially get rear ended, or drive off the street before they punish the little shit for his false sense of safety. Thats true stupidity. I dont mean to sound callous, but sometimes I wish a kid would. The potential punishment might be worth it, just so that parents know, that their children their dearest little balls of luuuuuurve, are not infailible when pitted against a car, and thusly should be informed that they are to be ever vigilant about objects that weight 3000% more then them.

On a crusade to bubble wrap the earth we've completely lost touch with what its like to explore, and learn about the world through life experience. And replaced it with synthetic virtual worlds that mimic these scenerios from the comfort and safety of a couch.

I weep for the kids of the generation below me, but not nearly as much as for the world my grand kids will have to endure.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[darkkent]

Originally posted by ekguy
Where does this sense of entitlement most people from Calgary seem to have come from?

I have seen so many people in this city act like they are automatically entitled to things just because...


keep in mind that alot of these " calgarians " you speak of moved here from elsewhere in Canada. so were these people pricks before they moved here or was it calgary that did it to them ?

[ekguy]

I don't know but the attitude of most Calgarians is already have more than thy neighbor. Basically I find that this city is now full of pompous assholes who just strive to show off their money.

And talking about sense of entitlement I was driving in Chap, and some guy in a giant suv backs out of his driveway not looking at all and causes me to slam on the breaks to avoid hitting him, I honk, he gives me the finger I say learn to drive so he spits on my car...

He obviously felt entitled to back out of his driveway without caring if people were driving on the road he had to back out on...I hate this city with a raging passion now because it's a city that almost makes it feel like you can't and shouldn't be nice to your neighbors...There's been more than one thread about shitty neighbors on here too...

[03ozwhip]

what i chalk the accountability up to these days is money. MOST people arent stupid, as for the people in the OP you cant tell me that they didnt know what or where they were going and if any of it was going to be dangerous. theyre fucking ski-dooing in the mountains!

the ski-doo case has all the workings of a lawsuit for negligence on Revelstokes part even though it has nothing to do with them. the families will mourn, but what is it really about? compensation...

not only that, compensation from a party that has nothing to do with the area, let alone the people that died in this case. how can anyone in their right minds even consider to accuse someone else for their own retarded actions? exactly the purpose of this thread. they dont want to be held accountable for their stupidity and want to deflect the negative attention off of themselves and cash in on it.

thats my theory anyways. you all might disagree, but i think for the most part and not with just this case, money is what people are after as the end result. fuck who died, whos gonna pay me for them dying? fuck off.....