My ex-husband also shot someone while he was bird hunting

Sometimes a news story can bring something back in a flash.  It was 1984 and my ex- husband was out in the Chinese countryside hunting for the fun of it, just like the Vice President.  In my ex-husband’s case however, there was no quick, convenient solution.  He was punished.  The apology alone was not sufficient.  A college student at the time, he of course wasn’t responsible for any public statement like Dick Cheney.  For me, the difference in how they were treated is illustrative of how Americans learn protocol.

The scenarios were remarkably similar.  Like the Vice President my ex was bird hunting with a bunch of his friends and accidentally shot a 17 year old boy.  This boy went to hospital, had an operation and he was OK.  He lived a fine, healthy life afterwards.  But my ex-husband had to confront the consequence of his action –

1.      He was sent to a jail for 56 days, where he was sentenced to hard labor. 

2.      Lost his right to gain a Bachelors Degree Certificate.  This even though he was a top student in his class.

3.      He was sent to a remote school to be a teacher, while all his classmates took positions in big city colleges and universities.

4.      His family paid all the medical bills for the victim.

He was punished for what he did.

Is it right to shoot someone, even accidentally?  No.

Is it wrong to shoot someone?  Yes.  Period.

Must there be consequences for the things we do - of course.  This is what every mother would tell their children “you are responsible and accountable for what you do and you must think before you act.”  Without any consequences, our actions can become lawless.

My ex - husband still lives in China.  I talked to him recently about the incident:

“That accident and all that I had to go through made me think.  It was horrible at the time, but it forced me to grow up and I definitely became a better person for it.”

For him the incident pushed him to confront himself.  In the case of Dick Cheney, the incident pushed him to confront the media.  Underlings handled the press while his “story” could be assembled.  One gets the strong feeling that Cheney had no personal consequences and therefore no personal learning or growth, as a result of his action. 

Watching it all unfold I was stunned by the reaction from the American public.  The general public accepted Cheney’s statement on Fox News.  How can Americans be so forgiving?  At least Cheney should pay the victim’s medical bill.  The insurance company shouldn’t take on someone’s accountability caused by such a flagrantly inappropriate action.  Writ large it is an indictment of the American society.  The top of the building isn’t straight and the whole construction is crooked.  We live in a nation of people who can avoid responsibility through the convenience of insurance.  As a result we are all infantilized.  We don’t grow.

Comments

[Helen Wang]

Hey Vida,

This is hiralious!