Am I the only one not surprised it's come to this?

[dflprincess]

Some background. Lake Minnetonka is a very large and popular lake on the western edge of the Twin Cities Metro area. (I've seen film of what it looks like on a weekend - nearly as inviting as driving I494 at rush hour). On the Fourth of July there was a boat rage incident. Apparently two guys on different boats got into it. One guy wound up in the water and it is alleged that the second guy drove his boat over him. The guy who landed in the water drowned.

If that isn't bad enough, when the water patrol got to the scene it is being reported that other boaters refused to get out of their way despite pleas from the water patrol that there was someone in the water. At the time the water patrol didn't know if they were looking for someone in the water who was injured or a body. According to the Star Tribune, at one point six people jumped on the patrol boat to futher impede its progress. A lot of these oafs who wouldn't move had their boats tied together and were settled into what they thought were good spots to watch the fireworks and they weren't moving for any reason.

Naturally, there has been a lot of hand wringing in the local media over this. Even the right wing types have be sighing and wondering whatever happened to "Minnesota nice".

I am not surprised. This seems to me to be the next logical step in a country where greed is a virtue and the only person who counts is ME.

Don't raise MY taxes I don't have a) any kids in the schools b) elderly parents who need help with prescription drugs c) a disability that prevents me from working. Ihave health insurance through my job, why should MY taxes pay so you can see a doctor.

Now its I'M not the one in the water why should I lose my primo spot for the fireworks so someone else can be helped?

I'M never going to be homeless, jobless, without insurance or in the water, why should I care about you?

I am saddened by the behavior of the other boaters, but not shocked. We have become a nation with the social conscious of a two year old. How can anyone be shocked when people act the way they've been encouraged to behave?

[LiberalLibra]

1. The majority of jerks acting like this are neo cons too and....

...I fear that until it hits some of them between the eyes there is no way of stopping it either.

[olacan]

2. How

do you know this?

[jiacinto]

3. Well

Princess, this mentality is all too common today. And you make some good points here. People want everything for nothing.

[leftofthedial]

4. People in this country need a wake up

All through the day
I me mine, I me mine, I me mine
All through the night
I me mine, I me mine, I me mine

[Eloriel]

5. You're so right.

And I probably shouldn't but I can't help myself, because I was so moved and inspired by it. Here's an excerpt from Dean's Announcement speech which I believe is a perfect antidote to the problem you've described:

It is that ideal, the ideal of the American community, that we seek to restore.

An America where it is not enough for me to want health care for my family but the obligation, and responsibility of every one of us as American citizens to insure that each one of us has health care for our families.

An America where it is not enough for me to want good public schools and a better life for my children but an obligation, and a responsibility as citizens to insure that every child in America may go to a good public school and have the opportunity of a better life.

An America where it is not enough to protect my rights under the law but where it is a duty and an obligation for each of us as Americans to make sure every American is equal under the law.

An America where it is not enough to proclaim the words freedom, self-government, and democracy, but where it is a duty and a responsibility to participate together in common purpose with the sacrifice required of each of us to give those words meaning.

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6396

We HAVE to put a stop to this madness. Greed is NOT good. Selfishness and narrow self-interests are NOT the best of what we are and can be. Im inspired just reading this. It's such a simple, unassailable (IMO) declaration of what liberalism and the Democratic Party has always stood for. If people who call themselves conservatives or Republicans can't buy a government role for some of those ennumerated principles, they still have no leg to stand on in opposing their manifestation via their precious market forces. And, in many ways, those principles are the best of true conservatism too (REAL conservatism, not fake, neo-con conservatism).

The story you describe is horrible. I can only conclude that there must've been some heavy drinking going on. I don't know whether to hope that when they sober up they'll feel remorse, or hope they'll never quite remember exactly what went on -- of course the latter assumes they even have consciences, which sounds somewhat in doubt.

Eloriel

[ward919]

6. "The tone is set at the top"

Plain and simple. We are a war-mongering, self-centered, selfish, hypocritical, ungodly people and we have a leader who lies, cheats, and steals. What more can you say? Remember they tried to blame Clinton for the moral lapses of society during his terms in office. Surely, Bush has more influence over this nation than "trailer-trash" Clintons.
Remember, "What will we tell our children?" Well, we just tell them the "adults" are in charge.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi olacan!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: