An astute reader pointed out that I took a rather unsupported opinion in last week’s column regarding the legal system in the United States. My brief opinion was centered on the need to rectify “Kevin Strickland” like cases with less political and legal wrangling for unjust verdicts. My USA homerism allowed me to blurt out that the United States has the best legal system in the world, or words to the effect within the context of that overall position.
In retrospect that opinion was largely unfounded by most measures of people that know such things. If I had chanted USA, USA, USA at the end of the opinion, it may have had mitigated the seriousness of the claim, but I didn’t. I’d like to say I was drunk, but I was sober. Foley has me on a holiday schedule and it’s got me writing columns sober and this is what happens, mistakes get made.
Anyway, I’m changing my opinion. After a brief Google search and reading some articles by smart people, we may not have the best legal system in the world. Most of the things I read gave that nod to Denmark, Norway, or Finland. I’m not sure what you should chant when Denmark is good at something, but feel free to insert your chant here.
I could not resist. One chant that Denmark has employed in past support for their football (soccer) team is, “We are red, we are white, we are Danish dynamite.” Honestly, that could use some work, in my uninformed opinion. I’m ranking USA! USA! USA! higher on my “chant rating” scale. You do you.
If you think medical records technology is cool, you might like this. If you think the government produced a vaccine to track and control you, you’re not going to like this.
I was astounded at the technology of the vaccine documentation rollout. My primary medical providers are in the University of Kansas system. They have a process called MyChart which is their medical records portal. I had an email advertisement last week that said I could upload my COVID vaccine details to the site and they would issue a QR code that would allow it to be on my phone for easy access when it is requested (and yes, it’s going to requested). I thought that sounded cool and got my trusty little COVID card out and prepared to put the information in the website database.
Instead, it asked me to click a tab and “check” my status. After just a few moments, the portal had gone out and retrieved my vaccine dates, numbers, and types from the state or national data base. My vaccine and booster were done at a Hy-Vee grocery store and Walgreens store in Missouri, yet that information uploaded within seconds, and issued a QR code immediately. It is amazing and scary technology. Like most advancements made by man, I suspect this type of data and presentation of data will make our lives easier and more difficult all at one time.
If you’re already worried about the role of Big Brother, this is scary stuff. I don’t see anyway we’re going backwards at this point. Better find an exceptionally large bunker if you don’t want to be part of this new wave of “advancement.”
Honestly, we are doing the Danish a disservice by giving them kudos for their legal system. They’re currently sitting atop the world rankings by having their name literally affixed to a pastry. They are the XEROX of desserts. How can that be topped? Not sure being known for legal justice can beat having an entire food item named after your country. Nobody chants for a good pastry though. Anyway, carry on.
(Guy Speckman can be reached gspeckman@me.com or watching Danish Court TV with a Danish pastry)
