As I read my copy of the morning paper, I am very sorry to hear of another person drowning in Nova Scotia… BUT WANTING TO FENCE OFF THE DEEP END OF THE SWIMMING HOLE IS FUCKED UP !
Its time for common sense to be brought back to the forefront of what is partly wrong in society! The deep end was marked by a rope. The deceased, who was not a good swimmer decided to go beyond the marker. That is a choice people, if he’d have drowned & there was a fence, then what? Fill the waterhole in? Build a roof over it?
Should the Government go around Nova Scotia & fill all lakes, streams, rivers, pools ponds etc to a 3 or 4 foot depth ?
What will we do about the ocean? Put a huge wall around the Province at the 3ft-4 ft level? What about the tide?
Maybe, just maybe, we could ‘use a bit’ of common sense, & look at the fact a person who wasn’t a strong swimmer, shouldn’t have been out there in the first place. I am very sorry a young man has died, but putting up a fence in one spot doesn’t make any sense. Learning to swim, IMO, does. —More
This article appears in May 27 – Jun 2, 2010.
I couldn’t agree more – I had the same reaction while reading this article. Not only common sense, but also personal responsibility, is key – Government legislation and a fence aren’t the only ways to solve problems 🙂
LOL! You expect common sense from people in general? government? Come on, seriously.
For sure! If you do unsafe things you can get injured. It’s sad, but a reality. That’s a little ridiculous. Teaching kids to swim is so important, it’s a life saving skill. Is there still mandatory swimming lessons for kids? There is in NB – and in those classes they also teach “don’t go beyond your comfort zone in the water”. It’ll only give them basics, but hopefully they learn the lesson to BE SAFE!
The nanny state is just making kids dumber IMO. But the emotionally charged folks will say:
Save the children! If it will save one just one child no matter the cost, it’s all worth it!
Next it will be putting fences around bathtubs.
Or enforcing water wings on people who aren’t properly liscenced (for a fee) to swim in open water.
Common cents? You mean a penny for your thoughts.
Common sense from officials? Those same officials who had a suicide fence put up on the bridge instead of funding more resources that people in need could use.
This guy fenced off the deep end of the gene pool by removing himself from it.
always swim with a buddy…one who can save you if need be. hey doc: the boy likes john marston
At the risk of sounding like Kay, our province and its inhabitants have a bad habit of expecting and depending on government to fix every single problem that occurs. If coyotes maim a singer, kill them; if a person drowns through self-negligence, close the water area; if someone doesn’t like a certain product/service, it’s banned; some kid dies b/c its parents bought it an ATV and let it cut loose, it’s the government’s duty to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
It’s getting a bit tiresome to have everything outlawed, banned, abolished or killed because small portions of the public cannot heed advice and take responsibilities for themselves/ourselves. The government is elected as an administration and government but people like to think it’s a babysitter and even lifestyle coach.
It should not be the province’s fault and majorities should not suffer because handfuls of citizens cannot take a few moments to mind their surroundings, avoid a wild animal or even read hazard signs.
I don’t think that it’s just our province, NGF. It’s something that is happening all over the country. We coddle kids and people far too much now.
PG— Thanks.
NGF: it is not just Nova Scotians with these expectations. It occurs in other provinces so perhaps it is more a reflection on today’s society than Nova Scotian society.
I hear you both on that. My experience is limited to our provincial politics so I am missing some points related to other provinces’ issues.
One thing that spurned me about NS was the ridiculous ATV legislation. A whack of parents buy their kids machines they don’t need, kids get injured or killed, and its the government’s job to do something about it. Like … some thinking before hand would probably result in ATV riders not being dead…
The coyote cull was another. Just a vote-buyer from the people in rural areas I believe. Here’s a tip: don’t go near wildlife and keep an eye on your own damn kids.
Yeah, I agree with the bitcher. And I agree with ‘Nice Goin’ Fat’ also. If you can’t take care of yourself and keep yourself alive because you’re too curious, stupid, or brazen, good riddance to you.
Unfortunately Darwinism isn’t PC 🙂
Exactly, More, exactly!
Try the Darwinisms out on the grieving lad’s family and friends. I’m sure the trite remarks would be as much appreciated there as they are here. But while we’re at it let’s not forget the infallible part of the youthful psyche that diminshes as we get older. This is not the first or last tragic outcome of the adolescent brain making poor choices.
Unfortunately, in rural Nova Scotia, you have to legislate intelligence, especially when it comes to ATVs.
I think it’s too many years of inbreeding.
common sense o.p., is the operating word here. most pweopls don’t use or even know what the hell it is. and these are the fools, that manage to fuck things up for everyone. but wait now, i know of people, who actually used good judgement, and still got into some kind of shit, some very serious shit indeed. and it was not because of themselves.some things just fucking happen, unfortunately, to shitheads, that really deserve it.
Where’s the story located?
Wolfville I believe.
Yes, It was the Wolfville area.
When I read it in the horrid there was no commenting on the story (surprise ,surprise) & the entire thought of put up a fence, just kinda made me flip.
I don’t agree with those of you who are showing a lack of remorse & I do understand the family is going through a tough time, I know because like many others I have had family members die.
But the deep area was marked & it had the usual marker of a rope across the deep end, so you would have to make a conscious decision to go beyond it.
I’m just sick & tired of those who want every little iota of life to be while the “nanny” state holds your hand.
I believe we have too many ‘rules’ we should be allowed to make choices, if you really want total ‘Nanny state’ control you can experience it now, right now in Singapore…go there & try it out, if your even slightly independant you’ll come home to NS & never want that to happen to you again !
Common sense is not that common people. I see it everyday! Sigh…
The woman had just lost her 18 year old brother in a terrible accident when she gave that interview. Most people are in shock and not on their mental a-game after something like that happens and part of the process of trying to make sense of the sudden death of a loved one is looking for a reason why it happened and in some cases, for some people, assigning blame. I’m guessing that in a few weeks when the shock wears off and this woman is thinking more clearly the idea of fencing of part of the resevoir won’t seem like such a great idea or a practical solution to help keep swimmers safe.
yea O L as far as trite remarks not being appreciated by the family my answer is : Duuh you think Sherlock ! When sensitivity and decorum become the norm here i will say my last un PC post and move on bye bye now bye bye 🙂
Spunky you got a good point…Its probably time it be relabeled to ‘uncommon sense’
Thankfully, some people have come up with some interesting instructional diagrams that illustrate some common sense.
http://www.cracked.com/photoshop_119_instr…
thanks doc, i might hang some of those signs around the shop
The decline in common sense marches hand in hand with the near total evasion of anything like personal responsibility. The flip side to the manny state, is the cult of litigation. Since the individual cannot be held to blame for their actions, surely somebody must. While I empathize with the family of the young man who died, I hope his sister’s distraught interview was not a prelude to a lawsuit.
yep creeping socialism is at hand and all who buy into it deserves the consequences!
Creeping socialism isn’t at hand…..it’s already entrenched. Kids not being able to wear scarves to school…..I could go on. It’s gonna get worse folks….you’ve just elected the worst possible choice for things like this, and they’ve already started. It’s only going to get worse.
Hindsight is 20/20…
It really doesn’t matter who is in power. Whether the politicians pimp themselves out for big business or big labor, it makes no difference. We will still get a slice of every dollar we earn skimmed off the top just as slick as if the Corleone family were running revenue canada. Even if you can be bothered to scribble an X on a piece of paper every couple of years the real power rests with the nomenklatura, the unelected bureaucrats, senior civil servants and public sector trade unions who are accountable to no one and who only lose their positions of privilege when their larceny and incompetence become too grotesque to ignore any longer.
Now, let’s see how long it takes for an operative from the feds’ new Extraordinary Commission for the Propagation of Truth – Internet Division, to chime in and tell me how wrong I am.
what people didn’t see that Obama would sacrifice the future for the “audicity to hope”
Don’t get me going on the future. In 10 years we’ll have Cypriot & Bosnian peacekeepers on the streets of Hull. In 25 years the Islamic Republic of Mississauga will announce that it now possesses nuclear weapons.
Don’t mind me folks, I drank 3 peppermint Mocha Frappuchinos in a row and now I’m writing obtuse prophetic quatrains that may make perfect sense in hindsight, someday. Think I’ll change my name to Nostra-dinkus.
actually Israel (i mean the U.S.) will have long since nuked Iran and that threat will be over and done with …. yeah that’ll go over well ; were all gonna die !
They should put a 10 foot wall around all water bodies and along the entire coastline of Nova Scotia in the name of safety. People should also be required to wear helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads at all times – while cycling, running, walking, skipping, etc. Speed limits should be reduced to 10 km/hr, even on highways. Remember, if it saves just one person’s life, it will be worth it!
And as for the “inappropriate comments,” some may ask the question if I were to die a stupid death, how would I feel about people making fun of me? Answer is I wouldn’t care, I’d be dead! And the rest of my family tends to have a good sense of humour. By the way, with all the dumb and risky things I sometimes do, I fully expect to die a stupid death.
i tell you self responsibility is no longer taught in the west.it is always someone else’s fault from gambling machines to drowning. all i hear is whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!