It's their fault

By Rennie Phillips

We have a close friend who, when something would happen, their patented response was "She did it!" All the blame went onto someone else. Not most of the blame or a little of the blame but all the blame went somewhere else. Never said "it might have been my fault" or "it might have been a little my fault." It was their fault.

Nothing new. Clear back at the beginning Adam said it was Eve's fault. It was Eve who gave him the apple to eat so it was her fault. But one breath later Eve said it was the serpent's fault. Pass the buck. Look the other way. Wasn't me! Blame the moon and the stars or some politician or no one in particular but blame someone else.

Right now the U.S. is facing a huge opioid epidemic and it seems like no one is accepting the blame. Seems like from the media the brunt of the blame seems to be directed at the doctors and health care providers for writing uncalled-for scripts or prescriptions. Could be true. I would imagine part of the problem is that some are wanting to capitalize on opioids and fill their own pockets. Pharmacies? Drug companies? Politicians? Doctors? Seems like the best solution would be to simply say we have a problem and we don't know whose fault it is but let's get together and fix it.

In a month or so we will have an election and hopefully elect some good politicians. But for the past several months and the next month all we'll hear is what each candidate will do as well as whose fault it is for the mess we are in. Most of them are pointing the blame as to whose fault, but at the same time taking credit for the good that's happening. Sad but true. Accept the credit for the good but pass the blame onto someone else.

One politician comes along and promises a pie in the sky for everyone who lives in the voting area they want to represent. Jobs for everyone, free education, tax cuts just for you but tax the other guy, raise the minimum wage, fix the roads and bridges and on and on. No mention of how in creation all this is going to get paid for. That is, unless the blame goes on the rich cause they can afford it. Tax them because they are rich. Kind of a Robin Hood approach. Take from the wealthy and give to the poor. It's their fault you are in the predicament you are in. Notice it's their fault.

A company comes along and produces a chemical that makes our lives so much easier. We just assume it's safe so we go to using it. Thirty years or even more later we find out it causes cancer, especially in some people. I would imagine the chemical company knows about the carcinogenic aspects of the chemical but they are afraid to accept the blame. So they act dumb or blame someone else, even the user. Somethings wrong when one has to deny guilt about it being harmful so as not to accept the blame and get sued for millions. It wasn't me, it was something else or someone else.

Part of passing the buck or blaming someone else would seem to be our not wanting to hear the truth and accept the blame and the responsibility. Probably all the above. We don't want to hear the truth for sure. And we for sure don't want to accept the responsibility. It's a lot easier to simply pass the buck or blame another. When we accept the responsibility then we are responsible for the wrongs that were committed or the harm done or just the misinformation and on and on. We are responsible for righting the wrong but also for apologizing to those harmed in the incident. We have to take a piece of humble pie and eat it in front of others and maybe even the world it seems like.

So where does this leave us? For many it would seem like they will need to get off their high horse and admit they just might be wrong, or at least a little bit wrong. I honestly wish this would happen but in all reality I don't think it will. It seems like for some their only view of earth is from their perspective and theirs alone. Sad but true.

But for some there is hope. John Wesley would take inventory of his daily activities at the end of each day and decide where he could make improvements or where he could change for the better. Same for us. Only way we can change is to take a kind of self-inventory and see how we truly are doing? What do I need to change? Have I harmed anyone or hurt anyone's feelings today? Do I need to apologize for a wrong done today?

Now don't just start puking up stuff from 20 or 30 or 40 years ago. Sometimes it's best to leave a sleeping dog just lay there. Some of the stuff that happened to us way back when is best left way back when. Sometimes the one we hurt has moved on so let it alone. Sometimes we need to get it off our chest so go find a good dog that will listen and tell him or her all about it. But then there are times when we need to find a real good friend and unload on them. See what they think. Enter your prayer closet and try that.

The real key is don't go around pointing your finger and blaming everyone else except yourself.