JUST A RANT

It’s been some time since I wrote anything for the paper, so I thought it was about time that I put pen to paper so to speak and do a bit of a rant. I don’t know whether it’s my age or just that the whole world around me is gradually going nuts, but I notice that no one seems to have any regard for any kind of rules or authority anymore. I tend to drive at what some used to consider just a bit on the fast side, you know, just over the legal limit. Not much, but if the limit is 100, then I like to set my cruise on about 108 or so. But now instead of keeping up with the traffic, I seem to be gumming up the works. Guys, girls, old men and old women are streaming by me like I’m a clot in an artery. Nobody signals or shows any kind of common courtesy for the other drivers on the road. The goal is to get there as soon as possible no matter what the cost or consequences. The other day I was driving east on the Anthony Henday when a young lady (I call her that for lack of a better word) was trying to merge into my lane from the right. She made no attempt to speed up or to slow down as we approached the point where the two lanes merged. I was unable to move into the left lane because of other traffic so I held my course just to see what she was going to do. She continued to hold her speed up till the time when a collision was almost imminent, then at the last moment, she slammed on her brakes and pulled in behind me. She then proceeded to pass me while giving me the one finger salute for taking the lane that she thought was rightfully hers. It’s not just traffic either, it seems to me that people feel that they are somehow entitled. It doesn’t seem to matter whether or not that whatever they are doing is dangerous to themselves or others, It’s their right to have what they feel is coming to them by whatever means required to get the job done. Take for instance snowmobilers, this year we lost 22 people in avalanches due to the fact that they were in areas that they were warned not to be in because of the high risk of avalanches. We lose thousands each year due to drug overdoses and auto accidents. We lose many more in quad accidents, Seadoo accidents and motorcycle accidents. Nobody wants to wear seatbelts nor for that matter buckle in their kids, wear helmets or obey the speed limits. We just keep burying the dead and mourning the loss of our children. It seems that the majority of the populous feel that rules are not only there to be broken, they are also silly and restrictive. The truth is that rules are there to protect society from harm. These rules when followed, allow us to do the things we like to do but within guidelines that keep deaths down to a dull roar. Seatbelts historically save lives as do helmets and following the rules of the road. Last week the latest victim was claimed by a drug overdose. A normal, everyday, nice, 14 year old died after ingesting an overdose of Ecstasy at Rock n’Ride, West Edmonton Mall’s youth party that happens every Friday night. Drugs apparently run rampant at the venue but everyone appears to be powerless to stop this kind of garbage from happening. Well meaning parents continue to send their children and the drug dealers that frequent this place are more that happy to ply their trade in child maiming drugs. Can we stop this from happening? Of course we can, but unpopular steps have to be taken, steps that society seems to think are unfair to the poor criminal, steps that would curtail the freewill of children and steps that would put the onus on parents to control their kids and become responsible as parents. But parents too feel entitled to a certain life style and kids just seem to get in the way. Rules and responsibility, bah! Who needs them. Life is short, who cares about consequences. Besides, punishment is for the victim, not the criminal.