McLawsuits

Overlawyered.com reports that the "Public balks at obesity lawsuits." It turns out that upwards of 9 out of 10 Americans disapprove of recent lawsuits against McDonald's alleging that the Golden Arches caused plaintiffs' obesity. I'm not altogether surprised. It is, in fact, a rather shocking abdication of personal responsibility for anyone to even try and blame fast food merchants for their obesity. Many factors combine to cause the problem, to be sure, but the last time I checked, Ronald McDonald wasn't exactly going around dragging customers into their stores and forcefeeding Big Macs down their throats (although you never can tell about that crafty rogue known as Hamburglar).

I am happy to see that most people disapprove of these lawsuits, as it's good to know that our blame-shifting society hasn't completely tossed aside all sense of personal responsibility. On the other hand, as evidenced by the topic being taken up on Overlawyered, this can only serve to help damage the already flagging reputation of the legal profession. It is somewhat disheartening that I will automatically, by virtue of my membership in the profession, have the actions of the glorified ambulance chasers who took on this frivolous case imputed to me.

A friend of mine has an equally frivolous suggestion as a counter -- he jokes that he'd like to hire me to sue the plaintiffs in the obesity suits for raising the price of his value meals to pay for defending against firvolous lawsuits. Though he said it in jest, it'd be fun if somehow someone could pull off such a suit. It would perhaps at least give plaintiffs in frivolous suit some pause.

It seems more likely than expecting people to start taking responsibility for their own actions again.

I'm also pleased to note that Overlawyered referenced this article at the National Review website by James Justin Wilson, who is the most recent person to hold the post of editor-in-chief of The Michigan Review, a position I held from 1996-1997 during my undergraduate days at the University of Michigan (Ben Kepple, of Daily Rant fame, was my right-hand man, and later succeeded me in the job). It's always good to see a Review alum make good.