Ignition Switches and Victims
The following segment of text was taken from the Los Angeles Times and requires scrutiny and objective critical analysis. This writer takes exception to the usage of the word victim in this context.
The company was aware of problems with the faulty switches, which can disable the vehicles' air bags, and owes "straight answers" to the families of the victims -- however many they may be.
The company in question is General Motors and the faulty switches are ignition switches that can have the effect of disabling the car's air bags that are supposed to deploy in event of a crash. GM most certainly did not intend for the faulty switches to result in the death of folks who were passengers in GM made vehicles.
A victim is somebody who was harmed by willful or intentional actions or neglect. This standard definition relieves GM of any guilt with respect to being victimizers. Also, half the people who died in these vehicles with faulty switches could not afford a car with nothing but expensive high end components. These type of components could easily turn an $18000 car into a $26000 car.
Also to be emphasized is the higher cost of of stress testing a vehicle sufficiently to ensure that key components do not fail at critical moments when air bag activation can be the difference between life and death.
To all you victims out there: Quit crying! Your mode of transportation would be your legs or a bicycle if the GMs of the world did not try to produce lower cost vehicles so that families of lower means could enjoy the independence of vehicle ownership.
The company was aware of problems with the faulty switches, which can disable the vehicles' air bags, and owes "straight answers" to the families of the victims -- however many they may be.
The company in question is General Motors and the faulty switches are ignition switches that can have the effect of disabling the car's air bags that are supposed to deploy in event of a crash. GM most certainly did not intend for the faulty switches to result in the death of folks who were passengers in GM made vehicles.
A victim is somebody who was harmed by willful or intentional actions or neglect. This standard definition relieves GM of any guilt with respect to being victimizers. Also, half the people who died in these vehicles with faulty switches could not afford a car with nothing but expensive high end components. These type of components could easily turn an $18000 car into a $26000 car.
Also to be emphasized is the higher cost of of stress testing a vehicle sufficiently to ensure that key components do not fail at critical moments when air bag activation can be the difference between life and death.
To all you victims out there: Quit crying! Your mode of transportation would be your legs or a bicycle if the GMs of the world did not try to produce lower cost vehicles so that families of lower means could enjoy the independence of vehicle ownership.
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