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Chit Chat / Re: R.I.P Steve Irwin
« on: September 07, 2006, 08:47:23 PM »
I understand John's "live by the sword, die by the sword" take all to well, but the term "accident" is vague.
I do agree that Steve Irwin died doing what he loved. If only we could all do that. I don't know any dead people who died doing what they loved, so that's a lost concept on me. I'd be happy to die that way, and I do hope that he died a happy man.
The bottom line is that he died as a result of the risk involved with the job. Firefighters, policemen, pilots, soldiers, doctors, nurses, construction workers, electricians, shrimpers, deep sea divers, etc. all take that risk. It is not for us to say that a person is being reckless when he/she undertakes such a job: if a person is cognizant of the risks and is competent, the risk may be minimized- but there is still a risk that defies cognizance and competence.
My Mom got quite ill and almost died because she got an infection from a patient. Is that an accident? She was doing her job, with all it's risks, and there was an unfortunate consequence to that risk that almost cost my Mom her life- even though she was cognizant and competant. (edit- she's still alive and is 76
)
I do agree that he should not have pulled the barb out. THAT was a mistake. But I'd gaurantee that most anyone would do the same- it's an automatic refex. And there is no guarantee that he'd be here today if he'd left that barb in for the surgeons to remove. As we know, surgeons operate with a knowledge of risk as well.
Very sad.
Steve Irwin could very well have been a hamburger flipper, and lived a long life. Instead, he took a different path (the path less travelled?). He lived by the sword, and we are all enriched for it.
I do agree that Steve Irwin died doing what he loved. If only we could all do that. I don't know any dead people who died doing what they loved, so that's a lost concept on me. I'd be happy to die that way, and I do hope that he died a happy man.
The bottom line is that he died as a result of the risk involved with the job. Firefighters, policemen, pilots, soldiers, doctors, nurses, construction workers, electricians, shrimpers, deep sea divers, etc. all take that risk. It is not for us to say that a person is being reckless when he/she undertakes such a job: if a person is cognizant of the risks and is competent, the risk may be minimized- but there is still a risk that defies cognizance and competence.
My Mom got quite ill and almost died because she got an infection from a patient. Is that an accident? She was doing her job, with all it's risks, and there was an unfortunate consequence to that risk that almost cost my Mom her life- even though she was cognizant and competant. (edit- she's still alive and is 76
) I do agree that he should not have pulled the barb out. THAT was a mistake. But I'd gaurantee that most anyone would do the same- it's an automatic refex. And there is no guarantee that he'd be here today if he'd left that barb in for the surgeons to remove. As we know, surgeons operate with a knowledge of risk as well.
Very sad.
Steve Irwin could very well have been a hamburger flipper, and lived a long life. Instead, he took a different path (the path less travelled?). He lived by the sword, and we are all enriched for it.
No matter what, my daughter's birthday is an extra special, lucky, awe-inspiring, beautiful, never-to-be-repeated, most beautiful day. 
All I know is that our food supply stinks. With how many millions of people to feed on this planet, it seems implausible that all those food needs could ever be bet using industrial, man made, invented foods. Yet it is the only answer. How can food suppliers protect the public? Nobody knows.