The recent, sudden death of actress Natasha Richardson has once again brought to the fore the champions of government do-gooderism. Not our government, mind you…at least not in this case; Richardson’s accident occurred in that favorite nanny-state-to-the-north, Canada, but what is going on there in the aftermath of her recent, tragic death is emblematic of the efforts of those the world over…including and especially here in America…to save us from ourselves.
To review, Richardson was learning how to ski on a “bunny slope,” a type of ski slope so named precisely because it is so tame. By all accounts, Richardson simply fell, as many do in the course of learning how to ski, and hit her head. While initial indications were that nothing was wrong with the actress just after her fall, she subsequently fell ill and ultimately died after suffering what was later learned to be an epidural hematoma, which is bleeding between the skull and brain caused by a whack to the head.
Richardson’s death, by all reasonable accounts, resulted from an honest-to-goodness accident, but alas, true accidents are becoming rare to the point of extinction. Now, every event, no matter how random or haphazard, has an insidious cause…and more importantly, a responsible party. Latest reports are that Quebec is now seriously considering making the use of helmets mandatory on ski slopes. The fact that Richardson died after a simple fall that could have occurred just as easily on her kitchen floor makes no difference; governments the world over will save us. In associated “news,” much is now being made of Quebec’s lack of a medical helicopter system…without regard to the fact that it was Richardson herself who said she felt fine just after her fall and elected not to receive any medical treatment. No matter – this is about the lack of a helicopter; surely someone will be sued for that…maybe even jailed.
Simple, uncomplicated realities are not allowed to exist anymore. Natasha Richardson innocently fell on an innocent ski slope and innocently died. Sometimes death is just that…innocent. She was not a victim of an uncaring ski resort community, nor a victim of poor medical services; indeed, she was not a victim of anything or anyone on whom blame or responsibility should be placed. We can grieve for the loss of another human being, we can express our sincere condolences to the bereaved…without contriving blame and pinning that blame on innocent third parties. Friends and family should be left to mourn…and the rest of us should simply move on, and be allowed to do so with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that we won’t be held responsible, either individually or as a society, for simple accidents that involve no one other than the victim and his or her personal choices.
Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor-At-Large www.ChristianMoney.com
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