Common Sense

The importance of personal responsibility

August 23, 2007

Neil Cavuto

Word of warning, what I'm about to say is going to annoy people. Maybe really annoy people. Maybe so much so they will never watch me again.

So be it. I want to talk about two words. Two simple words. Personal responsibility.

I fear, as a country, we've forgotten those two simple words. Easier to shift blame. But I fear the "shift" has hit the fan. And it's getting expensive.

Expensive, because politicians are scrambling to bail out homeowners they say were duped into signing stupid mortgages. At the same time we're bailing out folks who rebuild the same damaged home, the same way, the same construction, just to do it all over again, when said rebuilt home suffers the same fate.

I'm not saying there aren't duplicitous lenders. Or uncontrollable acts of God. But I also know we make our own choices. Just like we should read our own mortgages. It just amazes me that for those who didn't read the fine print, the rest of us have to pay the big bill? Or for those who opted not to get flood insurance, the rest of us are flooded with bills.

Look, disasters happen. And we help. That's human nature. That's human decency. What is perverse nature, and indecent, is someone taking advantage of that kindness.

In the case of homeowners who rebuild in the same risky areas with the same risky construction, without the risk of their own money. Or in the case of homebuyers who clearly didn't read what they were getting into, looking for our money.

Bad on them. Bad on us. Personal insult. Not personal responsibility.