Just got a new heater at Walley-World. I pulled it out, had it set up in minutes (it's just a small space heater), since I'm a grown man and know how to work a heater: 1) Screw in handle on top with Phillips-Head, 2) Plug in, 3) Turn on. But I decided what the heck, let's actually take a look at the instructions. As expected, nothing new about how to use it. HOWEVER, I had to laugh at the warnings that go along with it. Check it out, especially #2:
You might be wondering, "Keith why are you bringing
this up on the Intersections Blog?" Two reasons:
1) This speaks to the utter infantilization of our culture.
If you don't know enough to know that "This heater is hot when in
use," and that you need to "not let bare skin touch hot
surfaces," quite frankly you probably can't read this in the first place. What functioning adult doesn't
know that a heater is hot when in use and you can burn yourself if you place
bare skin on it?
2) It also speaks to the lawsuit craziness of our culture
as well. Why do this company feel the need to put warnings like this in their
instructions? Because either they have been sued, or they're afraid of being sued, by someone who
supposedly doesn't know that a heater is hot when in use.
The Bible, as we've discussed before, says that we're created in God's image, and
as such we're generally responsible for the choices we make. The people who
need to told that a heater gets hot and you shouldn't touch it with bare skin
are children. The politically conservative movement--taking its cues from the
Bible--holds people accountable for the choices
they make. The Liberal/Leftist/Progressive movement does not. It treats people
who ought to be functional as if they're children.
Look, I know it's funny. I got a laugh out of the picture. But it's funny because there's truth behind it.
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