The Dog Days of Summer

Here's something new. I shouldn’t be surprised at this; after all we live in a country made famous for the people responsible for the lawsuits that made warnings on coffee cups saying “HOT”. Isn’t that a no-brainer? Unless you specifically requested iced coffee? However, this has reached another level. A level that I would like to label the Dead Fish Circle of Hell. This is where we will send everyone who does things worthy of being slapped with a dead fish. These idiots form a special subset of society; I think I see here the results of over-permissiveness in our youth.

I’m not saying corporal punishment is good, and I’m not saying that we should send all our kids to reform schools. I’m just saying that it’s a good idea to teach our children that their actions have consequences. If you’re in a position that this lady was, I can see where you would be upset. Rightfully so. A 4 week old puppy should not be taken from his mother. You would be correct in seeking recompense, in reporting the breeder to the PETA folks, and the local sheriff’s office. You would even be correct in filing a lawsuit for full refund plus the cost of the vet bills. I think that most of us would also agree that hitting the breeder repeatedly with a dead puppy is going over the top.

Who can we blame for this sort of behavior? Do we blame the schools for teaching that as long as their self-esteem is high it doesn’t matter if they can’t read or add? Do we blame parents for putting kids in daycare so that they can work to feed their families? Do we blame the docs for over-prescribing meds and diseases? Yes and no. The relevant thing to do is to start holding society responsible for their actions. If you get road rage, you should be held accountable. If you scream and lose your temper at a retail clerk because your credit card has been declined, you should be made to apologize. If you haul off and beat a woman with a dead puppy, well, I’m not sure what the appropriate response is. But I’m also pretty sure that it’s not going to be applied.