A country suffering from compensation
No area of human activity has been spared the paralysis that has accompanied this rising tide of claims.
Schools, churches, local authorities, farms, open-air concerts, whatever, are all hit in a big way.
Pubs, clubs and hotels are sued by people who fall off stools; supermarkets are sued for trivial injuries by fallers.
The compo culture means we are all prevented from engaging in activities we enjoy.
The culture of dependency has reached the stage where people are no longer willing to accept responsibility for their actions.
When accidents happen, as they always will, many people now embark immediately on a hunt for a scapegoat.
They never ask themselves what they could have done to avoid the accident in the first place. Hardly ever will they hold themselves responsible.
When I was a child and tripped over something in a shop or anywhere else, usually I was asked by my parents: "Why were you not looking where you were going?"
Today's children are frequently asked by their parents whether there were witnesses. Where will it all end?
Cllr Noel Collins,
St Jude's,
Midleton,
Co Cork.
