[StBernard] Re Chalmette Refinery Lawsuit

[Westley Annis]

"Everybody jump on the lawsuit bandwagon. I'm so sick of this." --Mr/Ms.
Anonymous.

Jer Responds: Whoa!~ Nobody's job at the refinery is at risk here. (well,
not exactly and I'll explain).

Yes, they do all this. However, the first measure of a "good neighbor" is
safety to the community. This goes BEYOND JOBS, BEYOND DONATIONS TO SCHOOLS,
BEYOND COATS, AND BEYOND PR at festivals.

It goes to the heart of Safety - "accountability and responsibility".

I can preach all day long on how good a model citizen I am. However, if I go
off the handle and punch someone because I had a "bad day" or if my
neighbors get huge rats and a contamination of roaches because I don't have
the responsibility and ultimately I am accountable for my bad actions, I
must then be liable. If I'm not held accountable and therefore responsible
for giving you rats in your kid's playroom, then I go unscathed and
therefore am with impunity to damages your family incurs due to my
negligence. Your family can get diseases, rabies and bites because I'm a
model neighbor being nice to you, show up at festivals with elation and a
good community member, etc.

Many times, I can recall this junk on my cars and having to hack at the
throat and nose due to someone who normally is a nice neighbor. I can't
recall a lawsuit, but I had to ingest the blunt of someone else's lack of
safety. To this day, I can blame my respiratory issues to 40 years in
Chalmette swallowing chemicals that are not a natural ingestion activity.

Chemical companies, refineries and many industrial corps KNOW that they will
not go too long before it happens (not if, but when). They take out huge
amounts of insurance. The local governments want their taxes and donations
beyond what is normal for citizens to experience at some point living in the
community. Some of these companies existed before populations were built
next to them. This is true. Land near these carcinogen-producing neighbors
(ask those who have brain, lung, and other cancers who do and have suffered
to death because they chose to live in Chalmette) were cheaper to these
modest income homes. It made it attractable but had to make a decision of
the tradeoff (housing for health).

Yes, it's a litigious society. Lawmakers have made attempts to limit
liability and lawsuit rewards because of frivolous and needless suits. There
is always abuse in every aspect of our society. Yes, a correction to these
are always needed.

But, thinking about those who actually suffer trumps "free coats, free
parades, donations to festivals -- anytime and anyday. Nothing, but nothing
(not even a job) can be superior to the health and safety of those who want
to live in a society where they worry about their future to be there for
their children, or if the child him/herself would be with them to make it to
college age.

It's a choice good folks have to make. Is a job more important than health?
Sometimes, they have to work sick in a refinery, increasing the risk of
years being stolen because of that decision, unfortunately.

Yes, my choice not to be a lawyer turned out to be a good one. From what
I've experienced, while there are some good lawyers, there are more bad ones
increasing in this past 30 years since the outcome in winning overrides
professionalism and ethics. There is NO denying this. Like government, one
starts out to make the significant difference but corrupts as time evolves. 

It's the nature of the society today in which we live. As a Catholic, I know
that the minute I walk out of the confessional booth, the corruption
escalates until the time I go back believing and pledging to God that I have
sinned and will sin no more (or "avoid the near occasion of sin").

I feel your misery, Mr/Ms. Anonymous.

However, the choice (though not an easy one) is to continue to breathe
other's mistakes, find another job that is not affiliated with dangerous
employment, find another venue of living, or sue but still breathe in
other's mistakes.

--jer--