Losing the Pursuit of Happiness in the USA
We all know that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. It was unanimously adopted by the United States Congress in 1776. It declared that all men are entitled to certain inalienable rights, and among these are the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Skip ahead two hundred thirty five years to 2011. Ask yourself whether your fellow countrymen still believe in these rights. I suggest these "inalienable rights" are being lost in our courtrooms across the USA. How can that be? How can they be lost in the courtroom, of all places, where Juries guard our precious rights? How can this happen?
An insidious, long term corporate attack started decades ago, in the early 1980's. It was called TORT REFORM. SInce then it has undergone some name changes, such as lawsuit abuse, and is sponsored by such high sounding names at the AMERICAN TORT REFORM ASSOCIATION. Their mission: to persuade millions of Americans, many of whom will become jurors in civil cases, that it is "unAmerican" to compensate an injured person with money for the loss of their ability to pursue happiness due to severe pain and suffering. The movement has been very successful. It has resulted in thousands of jury trials at which our fellow citizens have been denied compensation for the loss of the pursuit of happiness. Who would support such a thing? Who could possibly refuse REFORM of any kind?
Insurance companies, tobacco companies, polluters, manufacturers of dangerous and defective products, the automotive industry, doctors, and others, to name a few. Also, because it is thought that most trial lawyers are democrats, Republican leaders like Bush and Reagan jumped on the bandwagon. It became a Republican message to sponsor tort reform. Doctors and big money rallied to the cause and continue to do so. Everyone has heard of greedy trial lawyers, and the McDonald coffee case, runaway juries, and million dollar awards. It is urban myth.
Think of it: if a person is in such pain that they cannot pursue happiness, what is the right to pursue happiness worth? Nothing. And the ONLY METHOD TO ENFORCE THE RIGHT IS BEFORE A JURY. And that is exactly what jurors are giving severely crippled, blinded, deafened and handicapped people for their lifetime of pain and suffering. Nada, Nothing, and Zippo. Becuase they think it is the American thing to do.
The next time you are called for civil jury service keep in mind that if a jury won't award an American dime for the loss of the pursuit of happiness, you have corporate America and the Republican party to thank.
