Discussing
Stuck on a plane: where's the leadership and compassion?

The safer we are, the more fearful we become and the more laws and regulations we pass. This reminds me of California's mandatory sentencing laws or the 3 strikes and you are out laws. Although the guidelines were well intentioned when passed, instead of creating less crime it's filled the prisons to bursting, increased the recidivism rate dramatically, taken wise discretion out of the hands of the judges and puts it in the hands of the state. It also reminds me of the excesses of school zero tolerance drug and weapon laws where kids are automatically expelled for having a tylenol or carrying a plastic knife in their lunch boxes. It takes responsibility and discretion out of the hands of the principals and puts it in the hands of the state leaving no room for common sense. These are called Nanny Laws.

Here's what Jesus had to say about slavish unthinking compliance with laws. "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

"He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep!"

Your absolutely correct. We don't need any "passenger bill of rights" if we behave with common sense, compassion, and initiative. People need to wake up and stop being sheep led astray by the powers that be that have no interest in a person's welfare. It was not like this. Now due to the masses' apathy, the powers are out of control. Ultimately God is in control and we as the masses can reclaim that Divine control over our lives and stand up to man made control that is created from selfishness and disconnect with God and selves.

that is ridiculous. and yes, i believe that people would rather slavishly follow rules than do any real thinking on their own. mostly because so many laws are in place that will probably get them in more trouble should they desire to do any thinking.

This is the nature of any large bureaucracy, whether in the public or private sector. If there is no rule or procedure authorizing someone to act, then most people will refrain for fear of being told they shouldn't have. Also, if there is not a person explicitly charged to relay the information to someone who could make a decision, nobody will make a decision. We do need, in many areas, to restore a sense of discretion, and that reasonable exercise of that discretion will NOT be penalized. Of course discretion WILL be abused, anything good will be. That was how we got into this mess of making everything mandatory.