I need to say something...

Three things on the news this morning highlighted something I feel compelled to vent about:

1. Police shot a man who was threatening to shoot them with a shotgun.
   Now, a neighbor is upset that the officers put them in danger by shooting the man.
   
   Hmmmmm... well... now let's see... Yes, there were bullet holes in the neighbor's trailer... but, no one (besides the shotgun guy) was hurt. And, I'm sure if the police hadn't shown up and the crackpot neighbor shot that neighbor and who knows how many other people with his shotgun... they'd have been mad at the police, too.
   
   WTF?
   
   Seems to me, the police were doing their job... and maybe instead of playing the "blame game" and whining about how dangerous the police are, we should THANK THEM for putting themself in danger to protect us.
   
   
2. Chilren's cold medicine is being pulled from the shelves .
   While I am horrified that some children have died due to an overdose of cold medicine (92 deaths are connected to combination cold medicines - 79 of them were due to misuse or overdose)... and it is probably a good idea to make sure the regulations are correct... I don't believe it is all on the manufacturer. There are clear directions, warnings and information on every package. If a child is given too much of the medicine, how is it the manufacturer's fault? Shouldn't the person who administered the medicine be held responsible?
   
   Now, I'm not saying anyone did anything on purpose... of course they didn't. I'm just saying... as sad as it is... that once a person buys the medicine, it's their responsibility to be diligent / judicious about administering it correctly. 79 children died because someone didn't follow and/or read instructions properly... it isn't the manufacturer who is accountable for that. That is called "human error".
   
   
3. Ellen's "dog giving away" drama is over-the-top.
   Two things here:
   1.) She should have read the fine print and this wouldn't have been a big deal;
   2.) But she didn't and that's understandable, too. I mean seriously, how many of you would have made the same mistake? I probably would have... cause I'm not always good at reading the fine print.
   
   Either way, both sides are playing the blame game. Ellen is blaming the dog adoption agency... the dog adoption agency is blaming her. Meanwhile, a little common courtesy and communication probably could have kept this from becoming national news. I don't know what happened... and frankly... I don't care. What I do know is that this IS NOT national news. This is about two parties not being willing to admint there might be some kind of unintentional mistake on both sides, then working together to come up with a solution that is best for everyone. My guess is that dog would have been fine in the home of her hair dresser... if Ellen would have realized what she agreed to... and, if the dog agency could open their eyes long enought to realize there was most likely no malicious intent, everyone could have walked away from the situation happy. As it is... it is simply this: a pissing contest where no one is accepting responsibility for their own actions.

These are just THREE examples of how our society has become "unaccountable". Nothing is ever "our" fault it seems... so many of us are happy "playing the victim" and I'm just OVER IT.

That said... I accept the fact that I'm just as guilty as the next person when it comes to this... but I'm gonna try harder to look in the mirror more. It's time we all made more of an effort to be accountable for our own actions and mistakes... and quit being a bunch of whiny Americans.

END OF RANT.