Responsibility

As an adult, I like to think that I am big enough, and ugly enough to make decisions that affect my own life without interference from people who have no idea. For example, as a lone worker, I have to make decisions about what is reasonable to carry out my job, if I slavishly follow the 'elfin safety' rules, I could end up in a situation where I could actually be killed by the safety equipment I am meant to wear. I know this sounds bizarre, but a fall harness will kill you (rather unpleasantly) if you are left to hang in it for more than 15 min. A straight fall may also kill, almost certainly injure, but in either case I will not be left hanging to die slowly. This is MY choice. I would cheerfully sign a 'blood' chit and absolve anyone else from responsibility. In day to day life, we all make decisions that affect ourselves and others around us. Some are even life or death; driving, for instance. If you cause an incident, you may actually be held responsible, even forced to accept responsibility. Except, of course you won't. Unless you do something spectacular, like falling asleep at the wheel and causing multiple deaths on a railway, any old nonsense can be offered up in mitigation. A drug addict who steals, uses their addiction as the excuse for, not the cause of, their crimes. Religious nutters can immolate themselves and many around them, but it's not their fault, they are only doing god's will. Only, of course they are not, I mean, if god is so all powerful, surely a bit of smiting is not beyond it's power. Obvious really, no god, no smiting. And our 'leaders' cheerfully abet this, even enforce it. More and more, our individual responsibility is being eroded and we see it as a good thing. However, it isn't. More and more our personal honour  is being devalued. We are incapable of making correct decisions, apparently.