Measured response to personal tragedy
Friday, March 30, 2007 How heart-warming it was to read, in today's Telegraph, that the parents of a 24-year-old man "unlawfully killed" by carbon monoxide poisoning have no plans to sue the hotel where he was staying or take further action over their son's death. According to Howard Tomlinson, father of Edward who died while on a gap year in Lebanon, "Clearly we are extremely saddened by Ed's death. But we are not angry and we have no personal vendettas. We hope that as a result of this verdict there will be a tightening of safety practices in hotels to stop this terrible tragedy happening again. We also hope that all travellers will be better warned, both by travel agents and hotel owners, about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning."
I have no idea how I would react if my own son died in such circumstances, but in an era when people are actively encouraged to seek retribution (financial or otherwise), I admire Mr Tomlinson's measured response to such a personal tragedy. I am not defending those who are guilty of "gross neglect" or wilful criminal behaviour, but accidents happen and sometimes we have to accept what has occurred, learn from it and move on without playing the blame game and putting even more money into the hands of m'learned friends.
Reader Comments (3)
how refreshing. it's nice to see some people still have dignity.
I am very much concerned about the way the Nanny State is trying to control our lives. I am not against adults being warned against possible dangers, but it is up to the individual to choose how they live their lives, providing they do not interfer with other people. I also agree that children do need protection but adults should have choice.
Sincerely
Rachel Vroom
A good article today on this very subject in D. Express by Michael Nicholson - "What a nanny state we are in". The article cites a growing number of 'ordinary' activities which are dying out because Health & Safety regulations either ban them or make huge insurance premiums unaffordable. These activities include: changing light bulbs (falling down in the dark on gloomy stairways is apparently preferable for residents); keeping an allotment (someone could fall over a potato); bring-and-buy sales; bonfire night on the local green (naturally); conkers and most threatening of all horse- chestnut trees (how have we survived?). Add to that Christmas lights which are now too expensive - as they have to be installed by a certified electrician - that many local shops are apparently not able to afford them this year.
NOW - if you have bothered to wade through that small sample list: here is the nub, for me anyway. It seems to me reasonable to suggest that none of this is about Health & Safety, but something far more sinister.
I call it a DE-CONSTRUCT. What might that be? It's the only thing that makes any sense to my thinking. Take all the tiny things that go to make up a way of life; mainly quite small things such as keeping an allotment; making a cake for the local WI; putting up Christmas lights; having a community party on Nov. 5th -
enjoying an evening with a pint and a pipe, or a fag in your local snug. Little things. All representing a tiny part of the comfort zone; the givens; the little things we take for granted as just part of ordinary life.
Then change them, bit by bit, month by month.
Change the comfort zone and the freedom to choose. Who does this? Is it the insurance companies? If so, there should be swift political intervention (sorry, that was a small joke); if it comes from an "unknown place" such as the EU - that too should be accountable via our MPs. If it is part of a wider agenda which wants to airbrush out civil liberties however small, and esp. for middle England, then we should be battling for an uprising.
The danger is that we sit bemused and wondering.
Isn't it odd? What can we do? What a pity? What - no lights this year .. can't fathom it out. Whatever next?
Wake up time. This is not what it seems; I believe strongly it is a de-construct and as such we must be aware of every tiny element that is added to it. We then have to decide what action we can take, and if there are genuinely ANY politicians who are willing to take this seriously and in context.
Who manipulates "Health & Safety"? Who are the accountable people behind it? It's time we knew, and thoroughly de-constructed their so-called authority.