Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Daily Briefing for Tuesday, March 27, 2012

This Really Bothers Me.

I'll be the first to say it.  I don't know all the facts.

Nonetheless, I'm going to weigh in on this.  I think you'll understand why shortly.

Today, a class-action lawsuit was filed by 126 former NFL players against the National Football League.  In their lawsuit, the players allege that the NFL withheld information that showed that concussions were dangerous to NFL players.  As a result of the NFL not sharing this information with the players, they allege they have been permanently damaged.

Huh?

Let me see if I understand this correctly.  In order to get to the NFL, the typical player spends much of their childhood and college years playing football.  Anyone who has played college football will certainly attest to the fact that it is a violent game.  There's a reason you where pads.  There's a reason you wear a helmet.

Dozens of college and professional football players havebeen paralyzed over the last 34 years.  Add to that the countless broken bones, herniated discs, blown out knees, torn ligaments, and other associated injuries.  Football players have to know that there are a number of risks when playing the game.  In fact, in their own lawsuit, the plaintiffs state “The NFL[‘s research on concussions] is completely devoid of logic and science. More importantly, it is contrary to their (the NFL's) Health and Safety Rules aswell as 75 years of published medical literature on concussions."

Despite the "75 years of published medical literature on concussions,” you mean to tell me these football players had no idea that concussions were dangerous?  That it was up to the NFL to disclose, and not to themselves to do their own research, the risks of the game which they were playing?

Yeah, I know.  This is a preparedness blog.  Why am I talking about this?

Think about all the stories we discussed this blog over the last year or so.  Think about all the stories you read from various websites.  Think about all the postings you see on Facebook about this issue or that issue.  Think about all the chatter you see on the various talking head shows on cable news.  I'm guessing most of you have consumed a tremendous amount of data and news over the past year.  Much of the news contradicts other new stories you've read.  The economy is getting better; the economy is getting worse.  Kony 2012 is a great idea; Kony 2012 is a bad idea.  Obamacare will save us money; Obamacare will cost us money.  The list goes on and on.

At the end of the day, friends, it is up to each and every one of us to do our own due diligence.  We have to decide for ourselves who is telling us the truth, and who is not.  We have to decide who has the agenda, and who is simply telling us the facts.  In the end, we must take responsibility for our own fate.  We must be willing to challenge the conventional wisdom.  We must be willing to do our own research.  We must be willing to ask “why” and to “prove it” when something is asserted as truth without reference.

I'm not insensitive to the plight of football players who have suffered traumatic injuries as a result of their sport.  I simply find the claim that "the NFL didn't tell us concussions were dangerous” reflects poorly on those who are playing the game.  At what point was it the players’ duty to research and understand the risk, which, according to their lawsuit, was known for over 75 years?

When it comes to preparedness, we are responsible for own fate.  We must do our own due diligence.  We cannot simply sit back and claim that it's the government’s responsibility to take care of us.  Note that is not a political statement; even if we wanted the government to do that (which I don't), it would be a logistical impossibility.

Do your own due diligence.  Take control of your life and future.  Just because I, or anyone else, tell you to be concerned about something, do not accept it at face value.  Do your own research.  Reach your own conclusions.  If you disagree with my assessment or conclusions, say so.  You may very well educate me in the process.



Standing My Ground On Stand Your Ground

Looks like the guys as Reason magazine have been reading my blog (I know, wishful thinking on my part), but I must say their conclusion that the Stand Your Ground law likely won't apply in the Martin/Zimmerman fight sounds a lot like what I said over the weekend on that particular issue of the case.



Is Gold Money?

First, let me say that if you told me five years ago we'd be debating whether gold is a good investment and whether it's money or not, I would have told you to get your tin foil hat adjusted. 

That being said, I'm much more hesitant to jump to conclusions these days about matters of finance, politics and news.  Time doth make monks of us all.

Jerid picked up on this story from ZeroHedge (again, are you reading ZeroHedge from time to time?  It's part of that due diligence I mentioned earlier).  Regardness of what your position is on whether gold is money, it's clear that the world is turning to it as a safe haven asset.  Plan accordingly.

3 comments:

  1. My Dad died of ALS and dementia -- best evidence is that it was brought on by multiple concussions and head trauma. He had polio in his legs as a child and though he regained the ability to walk, he had a tendency to fall and fall hard.

    Regardless of due diligence and all that, I can't watch football anymore. Frankly, it should be banned. We know that multiple head traumas can be devastating in the long run. I've seen the ugly result -- it needs to stop.

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  2. Theron, it's ironic that we cheer for linebackers putting big hits on running backs, causing all sorts of orthopedic injuries over the long term for both players, and yet we're quick to criticize that athlete for smoking weed or abusing pills.

    I didn't know your dad had passed. Sorry to hear that. He was a professor at UGA, correct?

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  3. Clayton State. Mom was at Ga Tech. (I started as Tech, finished at UGA. Grad at Vandy.)

    Maybe "banned" is too strong. But what we know now, team owners ought to bear some long-term responsibility, given how much they profit. I heard about the Saints thing -- an extreme version of a common practice, it would seem. So much money to be made, and many of the players come from nothing -- it's a tough bargain.

    I don't want to deprive anyone of their livelihood, but what I've seen is pretty tough. Maybe technology can save us - who knows?

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