What happened to sh*t happens?

I have one of those bizarrely clear childhood memories of reading an article in the newspaper that claimed that "sue" was American's favorite word. At the time, I took it as a fact. As though it were a study or a measure of our speech. I realize now that the article was probably an editorial or an opinion piece and not actually a measure of what American's favorite word is. (That didn't stop me from repeating that "fact" to everyone who would listen for the next two weeks ... I became oddly obsessed with this idea.) But, I would probably agree with the point of the article if I could re-read it now. Because we love to sue people. We love to make people pay monetarily for screw ups. Our judicial system even criminally charges people for some stuff that I just ... don't get.

Because here is the thing. Sh*t happens. It does. People make mistakes. Car accidents: mistakes. Doctors misdiagnosing someone: mistake. Even bar fights gone wrong: mistakes.

Now, I am not saying if someone is drunk driving, or being horribly negligent or in any way malicious, that they shouldn't be punished for it. But there are a lot of instances where something that is a total accident ruins peoples lives because they get nailed for it in court.

I think my view on this relates back to my religious views. Stay with me here. I just don't think people should be judged on individual actions (often done in the heat of a moment, etc.) so much as their overall moral character and the arc of their life. Because, some people have hard lives which force them into situations that other people wouldn't find themselves in. So, just as I don't think that people should be judged for eternity on whether or not they are saved, or whether they covet their neighbors wife, or steal, or even kill (accidentally) I don't think that should always send a person away for life either.

I realize that our judicial system can't get into the business of whether or not people are fundamentally good or not, but the people that press charges or choose to sue can. There just seems to be a lot more of "an eye for an eye" than "turning the other cheek" these days ... that's all I am saying.