Let me use this thread to vent a bit about personal responsibility. Conservatives, whether they be far right wing repubs or middle of the road conservatives keep harping on personal responsibility claiming America's greatness comes from this spirit. Personal responsibility can be a smoke scream for personal advantage and personal prejudice. When people have systematic advantage, it is quite easy to solidify this advantage by claiming that any changes from it will be against personal responsibility and un-American. Sound familiar? What is left unsaid is the system advantage is also to be left untouched which makes it easy for those with advantage to hide behind it.
Let me use an example of a confrontation I had recently as an example. Some golf courses don't put out water anymore claiming they will get sued if somewhat gets sick from the water. Now it is much less work and less costly for such courses to not have to put out water and do it correctly and safely, but in very hot weather, no water can lead to dehydration and possible health crisis. Dehydration is subtle and can sneak up on you, so just telling people with a small sign that there is no water on the course will not instill the appropriate danger into many golfers. Add to that, the golf courses want fast play and have marshals out thereto keep people from going slow or returning to the clubhouse as a routine. Now if someone were to get sick from dehydration on a course without water, just whose personal responsibility would have been violated. I think golfers are not thinking that they are risking their lives when they go out golfing, and the course should know when conditions are too dangerous to allow folks out without water. I thing the community standard should be that you put safe and clean water out or do not let anyone out without making sure they take water with them.
Personal responsibility can be looked at narrowly or broadly. The failure of social conservatives to look at it broadly is annoying to me, and often hides the personal advantage that these conservative types have had over others which they wish to maintain. It is not just with the business of golf as my story shows, but many other areas where a narrow view of personal responsibility can be used as an excuse for a tainted or poorly constructed social system. The healthcare reform debate in American in general can often be seen paralleling this golf course story. Comments?