[Eric_WVGG]

Is it "blame culture" when some jerk falls asleep behind the wheel, unintentionally kill a pedestrian, and is let off the hook because he wasn't attempting murder?

Is it "blame culture" when someone hits-and-runs a cyclist, posts on Facebook that he hit some dumb-ass guy on a bicycle, that cyclist winds up dead, but hey, he wasn't actually( trying to kill him, and gets off the hook with a $350 traffic fine?

This shit happens EVERY WEEK in New York City. Our cops would rather pretend like they're on The Wire or 24 hunting down drug lords and terrarists than doing basic traffic enforcement. They use terminology like "accidents" because a cabbie paralyzing or murdering a child is difficult to prosecute.

Semantics count. When we say "call it a crash, not an accident," all we're saying is, "figure out whether the person driving the car is culpable before you let him off the hook."

[im4w1l]

A non-blame culture way to look at it would be to ask why people fall asleep at the wheel and try to prevent it from happening. Can we make cars and roads that promote alertness? Can cars detect sleeping drivers and wake them up? Can they detect tired drivers and refuse to start? Why are people driving despite being sleepy in the first place? Are they working two jobs to make ends meet?

I am not opposed to blame culture per se, I think problems should be solved at the most logical level. Sometimes a systematic solution is the easiest, and sometimes removing jerks is the easiest.

[rwallace]

The correct systematic solution would be to outlaw a transportation system that fills our streets with lethal machinery. It's crazy that cars were ever legalized in the first place; it's one of the biggest mistakes our species ever made, and it's long past time to fix it.

In the meantime, we can at least get rid of the laws and customs that make it legal to kill people when your weapon is a car rather than a knife or gun.

[CalRobert]

Sounds like "pointing out a failure to meet one's responsibilities" is just blame in your book. Am I right?

[pyrale]

> They use terminology like "accidents" because [...] murdering a child is difficult to prosecute.

> murder (n) : the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another

Apparently, you are also into redefining words in a way that suits you. What next, they're having a war on pedestrians ? We're letting drivers commit genocide ?

[mturmon]

Depending on the circumstances, second-degree murder (not manslaughter) might be the appropriate charge in the case the commenter raised.

For (much) more, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_(United_States_law)#Deg...

But we're just hopping on a particular word choice. The larger point is that a fine is not the right punishment.

[CalRobert]

When you consider the alignment of cultural, personal, and regulatory forces against pedestrian safety, the former would not be inaccurate.

[eeZah7Ux]

> Is it "blame culture" when some jerk

Right there.