the rules matter

[gurdonark]

This last week or two, two terribly tragic events have taken place, each involving multiple deaths at nightclubs. One, in the Chicago area, involved deaths in the aftermath of a curious disturbance, in a club that had already been ordered to close down. Another involved dozens of deaths in a Rhode Island club, in which a heavy metal "lite" band began a pyrotechnics display, apparently without a pyrotechnics permit, which tragically turned into a fatal fire. I feel so badly for all the people involved, and for their families. The time for assessing how these incidents happened will be something best handled by courts and administrative bodies, not Fox News or weblogs.

But I cannot escape the feeling that we live in an era in which everyone is through special circumstances "exempt" from the rules which apply to everyone else. I don't mean that literally. Instead, I mean that we live in a culture in which traffic regulations, health and safety regulations, environmental regulations, and consumer protections are all treated as mean-spirited formalities, rather than protections against tragedies. I'm not ready to say why things happened to all those people this week. But so many problems in this life could be solved if people just did what they teach kindergartners to do. It's become prudish to say it, but I can't help but feel--why can't people just follow the rules?

Comments

[dabroots.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I don't know that it's an era, but there seems to have been a carte blanche to walk over ethics set in place, not that long ago. I cannot put my finger on it, and don't know that anyone can put a finger on it, but something is askew.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think that it is a time when "carte blanche to trample ethics" seems to be the norm. Maybe part of what is missing is the notion that ethics rather than technicalities should be the basis for rules.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_riomaggiore/]

maybe it's the cavalier attitude and feeling of being invincible and even being above the "law," all with the perspective that laws, rules and regulations are meant for someone else--with the feeling that "those" who made them don't know what they are doing.
a disregard for the heath, welfare and well being meant to be a protection of the freedoms we so flippantly assume with a cavalier attitude of thinking that we "don't need no stinking rules."
who knows for sure?

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Yes, those are good points. The assumption that the rules-makers must be ignorant or wrong is a key element--we see this problem over and over. Everyone is smarter than the fire code, everyone is able to get by without the health code....

[texas-tornado.livejournal.com]

"why can't people just follow the rules?"

Not knowing all the facts, of course....BUT it seems that in the Chicago incident, GREED caused those deaths. 'Epitome' had been given violations countless times but the owners kept it open, undoubtedly for money. Sure hope the owners feel it was worth it, AND that they have the money for some law suits sure to be filed....

As for Rhode Island, I think it's the fault of the band. No, the club had no license for pyrotechnics, but it is also stated that the owners had NO knowledge of such a show being put on. That was backed up by another club owner who stated that he had no idea that 'fireworks' would be a part of the show just last week. Now, should the owners have noticed that pyrotechnics were being assembled and put into place and questioned it? Probably so...

Such tragedy.....

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

In both instances, and other, similar situations, I'm very disappointed that people are willing to "cut corners" with other folks' lives.

[amatrixangel.livejournal.com]

I'm very disappointed that people are willing to "cut corners" with other folks' lives

Sounds like a euphemism for Dubya (and the military)

:/

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

For W., for Saddam, for the Russians, for the Chechens, for McDonald's, for an entire world that will let a continent die of AIDs, for China, for
Israeli and Palestinian hawks, for the French in the Ivory Coast, for Australian immigration officials, for the fellow in Kansas City a short while back who actually shorted chemotherapy drugs to dying people to make money, to those who continue to suppress aboriginal rights on three continents, and the list goes on and on.

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

People have to *care* first, before they can follow anything. They have to extend enough compassion toward their fellow humans to appreciate why such safety restrictions are in place.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I am with you on this one. There's a massive compassion shortfall right now, and it seems to cut across party lines, across faiths, and across international boundaries. It certainly cuts across little nightclubs with code violations.

Re:

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

It's scary as hell, too.

[laruth.livejournal.com]

Well said.