Not My Fault:
The 'Blameless Generation'
By Emmett Burnett
Wouldn’t it be refreshing to see someone admit he made a mistake, exercised poor judgment, or was just plain wrong? Don’t hold your breath because we live in a blameless generation.
It’s never anyone’s fault. President Harry Truman had a plaque on his office desk inscribed with “The Buck Stops Here.” President Obama’s plaque reads, “The buck didn’t stop here but you should see the buck I inherited from Bush, now that was a mess.”
Not being accountable is nothing new. The problem started “In the Beginning” with Adam and Eve. When God confronted Adam about eating forbidden fruit, [Genesis 3:12] Adam replied, pointing at his wife, “Not my fault, it’s that woman you gave me!” Adam suffered terrible wrath and damnation. And when Eve got through with him it was God’s turn.
Recently I witnessed a father dictate strict instructions to his four year old, “Son, do not climb in the backyard tree unless I am with you.” Of course as soon as dad turned his back, the lad shot up the oak like a squirrel on steroids.
“Son! What did I tell you about climbing that tree!?” the angry parent said.
“Not my fault,” the youngster replied. “The wind blew me up here.”
In this case the parent showed the young fellow the error of his ways – including a “switching” with a branch pulled from the forbidden tree. Many of us need a lesson, too.
As I write this a TV info-commercial is on for a diet program. Its message sympathizes with overweight people, “Let us help you because it’s not your fault, struggling to lose those holiday pounds.”
Holiday pounds? This is April! What did y’all eat for Christmas? A reindeer?
But oh no, nothing you did caused that Seasons Greetings gut. On New Year’s Eve, the refrigerator door flew open; a ham jumped out, shoved a gun in your face and shouted “Eat me!” You had no choice.
I’ve been in the “Not Skinny” category, too, and like you it was not my fault. I blame the ineffective exercise bike I installed a handlebar basket on to hold sandwiches while cycling.
The trouble with the ‘Fraternal Fellowship of No Faulters,’ is they are organizing. United whiners have discovered there is power in pouting.
We see it in the Occupy Wall Street movement, which temporarily disbanded for the winter, preferring the safety and warmth of mama’s basement to cold New York City Parks. But they will return.
“We’ve only just begun,” one protester shouted to a reporter. “We are the 99 percent who have nothing and demand more!”
He continued, clutching his iPhone 4S, while sipping a $4 dollar cup of Starbucks coffee.
We see it with New Orleans hurricane victims continuing to receive government aid for a storm that occurred seven years ago. Earth to Katrina deadbeats: The winds have died down; you can come out now.
And we see it with ObamaCare. Don’t work? Don’t contribute? Don’t worry. It’s not your fault and the government will take care of everything. The same people giving us the Post Office, Form 1040, and Amtrak will direct your gall bladder operation.
The blame game must stop. It’s time to shine, not whine. I wanted to write more about this topic but the weekend was really hectic. It’s not my fault.
(Burnett has been a freelance writer in Mobile for more than 20 years. For more information, visit his website.)
