This letter is in regard to the front page article found in the July 5 issue of The Garden Island, titled “Kaua’i man sues over jump injury.” I am a 30-year-old primary school teacher. I have taken a year long
This letter is in regard to the front page article found in the July 5 issue of The Garden Island, titled “Kaua’i man sues over jump injury.” I am a 30-year-old primary school teacher. I have taken a year long sabbatical to travel the globe, to learn about different cultures and peoples. The final leg of my journey was Kaua’i.
I wanted a gentle transition back to mainland U.S.A. But, even in paradise, I was smacked in the face with the absurdities unfortunately being woven into our culture. I was appalled to read the mentioned article. I had forgotten how irresponsible Americans can be. It is a terrible tragedy Mr. Landsell has become a quadriplegic. I cannot possibly understand what his life is like now. I do wish Mr. Landsell and his family peace on their difficult journey of accepting his life now. Their acceptance of this reality is not an easy one. Yet, painfully true, he did have a choice. I am shocked at the number of people in our society who simply do not take responsibility for themselves and their actions. If individuals are unable to accept the truth, then how can we as a society expect corporations, government and particularly our children to own up to consequences? We have forgotten the responsibility of our actions have consequences. These consequences are ours, not others when the outcome is bad. Unowned behaviors affect not only the individual but society as a whole. Individuals suing because of a mistake they’ve made affects everyone. Why didn’t Mr. Landsell check the depth of the water before diving in? This unfortunate, yet avoidable consequence has changed his life forever. Now he wants to blame the state and property owners. He made the decision to jump, not the property owners nor the state. Don’t we have enough rules, regulations and especially fears imposed upon us because of others’ failures to accept personal responsibility? Sadly, people are finding blaming an easier method than accepting responsibility. We blame teachers, yet fail to look at our parenting skills. We blame government, yet we have voted them in. We blame each other, yet refuse to see it takes two, etc. I hope the point is understood. It is time for everyone to wake up, take responsibility (especially when it is not a good outcome) for themselves and their actions. Remember what you learned in kindergarten? If you spilled it, you clean it up. Help may be needed, but it is the sole responsibility of the individual to clean the mess. It is very basic, but not always easy. There are freak accidents. Tree limbs falling, earthquakes, etc. These are no one’s choices, simply situations to be dealt with. When a choice is available, the results are the individual’s to be dealt with. We may not always like the outcome. We sometimes wish we could go back and change things. The truth is we must accept things and stop blaming.
JENNIFER L. WURST Bridgewater, N.J.
