Did you ever notice that people act more out of a sense of entitlement than accountability? Certainly everyone is entitled to have his/her needs met, but not at the expense of others. If only we could hold ourselves more accountable for our actions and accept the consequences that result from the choices we make. When I read the headlines in the newspaper every morning, all I can do is shake my head and turn the page. Somehow when bad things happen, responsibility is first to leave the scene. “Why did this happen?” has become the runner up to “Who’s fault is this?” And then comes “Who is going to pay and how much?”

Consider that notorious coffee spill from a while back. Stella Lieback was burned by scalding hot coffee in 1992 as she was trying to remove the plastic lid from the Styrofoam cup at a McDonald’s drive thru. The basis of the legal action that ensued was that the cup was not labeled “hot”; as this surely would have prevented the spill. McDonald’s was in trouble again when it was discovered that the frequent consumption of those golden delicious French fries along with two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun, can cause weight gain. How could over 1 billion served have been fooled for so long? A multi-million dollar class action lawsuit representing tens of thousands of people who claimed deceptive advertising led to their obesity was filed but dismissed in 2005 as unfounded. To ensure that other popular food chains do not engage in such trickery, New York’s Board of Health unanimously passed a law that requires these establishments to list the number of calories next to each menu item. Personally, this has caused much confusion at Starbucks since the price is not that much lower than the calorie count. If we can’t be held accountable for our own well-being, we certainly cannot be expected to be accountable for our children’s. Did you know that amusement park rides can be dangerous and even cause death! They don’t show that on the commercials.

In 2004, seven year old John Kelly Cassara was permitted by his mother to go on a boat ride through an old mill by himself. She thought nothing of this decision until the rickety boat returned to the front of the mill unoccupied. Park security contacted the police who found her son dead at the bottom of a narrow passageway. A lawsuit was filed against the amusement park.

Parents who do not look out for their own children, still expect others to. Dennis Rivera, age 5, was sent to the principal’s office and handcuffed by a school safety agent after hitting his teacher and assistant principal during a temper tantrum. This child had tantrums in previous weeks. The child’s mother claims that her son is now afraid to go to school and suffers from psychological damage. That may be, but how does that entitle her to millions of dollars in cash and prizes from the NYC Department of Education? So when is it your fault? For starters, it’s your fault for not knowing that coffee is hot and can burn you. You should know that McDonald’s French fries are so fattening that they can cause you to gain weight. But most of all, it’s your fault for relying on the judgment of others over your own, if you even care to make one, especially when the outcome is ultimately yours to live with. Money may not buy happiness, but it sure does seem to replace a lot of sadness. As long as it’s okay to hold someone else accountable, some people will always feel entitled to act as they please.