Are you responsible for gambling with another persons life?
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court says yes.
Back in 1947, James Malone, 17, and William Long, 13,played a version of Russian Roulette during a sleepover.
Malone stole a revolver from his uncle and Long sneaked into his fathers room and got a bullet.
They put the cartridge in a chamber, spun the cylinder and then took turns pointing the gun at each other and pulling the trigger.On the third try, Malone put the gun to Longs head, pulled the trigger and the gun fired, killing Long.
Malone was convicted of second degree murder even though he said he hadnt intended to kill his friend.
The case,Commonwealth v. Malone, eventually went to the state Supreme Court where justices upheld the conviction.
They ruled:
When an individual commits an act of gross recklessness without regard to the probability that death to another is likely to result, that individual exhibits the state of mind required to uphold a conviction of manslaughter even if the individual did not intend for death to ensue.
Lawmakers and school administrators better pay heed to this and similar nationwide decisions.
Reopening schools to in-person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic istantamount to Russian Roulette with the lives of students, teachers and families.
Every day with this virus in the physical classroom is like spinning the cylinder and pulling the trigger.
You might survive, but every time you enter the building your chances of getting sick increase untilthe law of averages will come for someone perhaps many someones.
The safest course is to continue with distance learning in the fall despite the numerous academic problems with that method of instruction.
With Coronavirus cases rising byabout 50,000 a day in the United States, there issimply too much virus out thereto ensure anyones safety in the physical classroom.
Students inevitably will get sick and spread the disease to adults teachers and their own families.
We cant take such chances with peoples lives.
But dont just take my word for it.
Decisions makers are taking the possibility seriously enough to try to change the laws to reduce their liability.
They want to ensure they wont end up in court if they reopen schools and people get sick.
In May,Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for schools to be legally protected from lawsuitsthat could arise due to resuming classes.
Along with fellow Republican Senator John Cornyn, McConnell proposed new liability laws protecting schools and businesses from Coronavirus-related lawsuits.
McConnell told reporters:
Can you image the nightmare that could unfold this fall when K-12 kids are still at home, when colleges and universities are still not open? That is a scenario that would only be further aggravated in the absence of some kind of liability protection that reassures school administrators that they can actually open up again Without it, frankly thats just not going to happen as soon as it should have.
The Kentucky Senator went on Fox News in late April saying that such legal protections would be necessary for Republicans to even consider any new Coronavirus relief bills.
And its not just lawmakers.In May, 14 college presidents from around the country teleconferenced with Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos asking for the same thing.
According to those who were either on the call or were knowledgeable about the conversation, the college presidents said they needed to know their institutions would not get sued if people got sick which they thought was almost a certainty.
One way the federal government can help is to have some kind of liability protection, said University of Texas at El Paso president Heather Wilson, who was on the call. Wilson is a former Republican congresswoman from New Mexico.
Big business is also calling for liability protection. Groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have been asking to be freed during the pandemic from being held liable if workers, customers or others get sick on their property. Notably, a lawyer for Texas Christian University told senators such a situation is foreseeable, perhaps inevitable.
All of which begsthe question of what we mean by safety.
Is it our responsibility to make sure customers, workers, students and teachers are safe from the virus? Or is it our responsibility to make sure businesses and schools arent sued for taking chances with our lives?
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Get our best delivered to your inbox.
There are things we can do to increase safety.
We should not reopen schools until the county where it is located reports zero new Coronavirus cases for two weeks. That would be taking safety seriously.
And it shouldnt be too much to ask because other countries have been able to do such things.
Other nations have been able to test for the virusand identify those who have the disease. They have been able to trace these peoples contacts and isolate them from the rest of the population.
But that requires a vast expansion of our testing ability through coordinated federal action.
The problem is our lawmakers dont care enough to do this.
Nor are they willing to provide us with federal relief checks, personal protective equipment (PPE), protection from evictions, and universal healthcare so that were can weather the storm.
Itsmuch easier to protect business from consumers and protect schools from the kids, teachers and families who make up the community.
Some will say the danger is overblown.
Children, in particular, are less susceptible to COVID-19 than older people.
And while its true that young people have shown fewer symptoms andinclude the lowest numbers of deaths, this virus has been around barely more than a year. We simply dont know much about it and its long term effects.
A recentstudy from the journal the Lancetfound that teenagers are just as susceptible to the disease as older people.
Researchers found few children 5-9 (the youngest included in the study) who had contracted the disease but those ages 10-19 were as likely to contract it as people ages 20-49 and more likely than adults older than that.
Soeven if young people remain mostly asymptomatic, it is entirely possible they can spread the disease to older people who have a more difficult time fighting it off.
Theonly consensus about children and COVID-19 is that we dont know enough about how it affects young people.
We certainly dont want to end up like countries that have opened schools too quickly with too high infection rates.
In May, two weeksafter Israel fully reopened schools, there was a COVID-19 outbreak. There were at least 130 cases at a single school. Students and staff were infected at dozens of schools causing a rash of renewed closings.
We should not be taking chances with schools.
Any action comes with some level of risk, butwe should err on the side of caution.
Our government needs to serve us.
Representatives who do not serve our interests need to be sent packing.
And anyone who gambles with our lives needs to be held liable.
Anyone who demands we place our heads against the barrel of a loaded gun as a prerequisite to jump start the economy, needs to be held responsible for that decision.
Thechances of dying during the first round of a game of Russian Rouletteusing a standard six-shot revolver is 1/6. With each pull, the chances increase 1/5, 1/4, etc.
The average number of consecutive pulls before the gun fires is 3.5.
We know more about that than the Coronavirus.
In effect, we dont know how many chambers are loaded, but we know there are bullets in the gun.
There are too many hidden factors to be able to say for sure what our chances are exactly. And in the presence of such ignorance, we should assume the worst.
Thats exactly what decision makers are doing by trying to protect themselves from responsibility.
We should take that as seriously as a loaded gun put to our temples.
More here:
Do Not Play Russian Roulette With the Lives of Our Children and Teachers - Common Dreams
- Football Players That Like to Gamble - The twelfth Man Times - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Wakefield taxi driver refuses to return to work after council stops him from putting up partition screen - Yorkshire Live - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- APPG calls for gambling ad ban and in-play prohibition - iGaming Business - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Silver bullets of nitrous oxide found in Lucan and Clondalkin - FM104 - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Wearing a Mask to Your Poker Room: What to Expect - PokerTube - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Finest Live Dealer Online Roulette Sites to gamble this summer - Tunf.com News - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Massachusetts weighs banning poker, craps and roulette - Yogonet International - June 21st, 2020 [June 21st, 2020]
- Top Gaming Industries On the Rise in India in 2020 - Oracle Globe - July 7th, 2020 [July 7th, 2020]
- Here's who has the best odds of winning the Stanley Cup in 2020 | Offside - Daily Hive - July 7th, 2020 [July 7th, 2020]
- Watch: Wild Highlights of the NASCAR Races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Essentially Sports - July 7th, 2020 [July 7th, 2020]
- Betzest Expands Offerings With Evolution Partnership - Inkedin - July 7th, 2020 [July 7th, 2020]
- MGM Springfield gives sneak peek at COVID-19 protections ahead of July 13 reopening - MassLive.com - July 7th, 2020 [July 7th, 2020]
- Evolution Gaming Strengthening Its Position in Colombia via Extended Business Partnership with Rush Street - GamblersNews - July 7th, 2020 [July 7th, 2020]
- Ohios gambling sites may have had to reduce occupancy but that wasnt reflected in June revenues - News 5 Cleveland - July 7th, 2020 [July 7th, 2020]
- Four casino innovations that failed to hit the jackpot - European Gaming Industry News - July 7th, 2020 [July 7th, 2020]
- Letter: Take a spin at playing the Trump Roulette game - STLtoday.com - July 7th, 2020 [July 7th, 2020]
- 'People are willing to play Russian roulette with their familys lives': Doctor slams behavior in US - FOX 2 Detroit - July 7th, 2020 [July 7th, 2020]
- Coronavirus Live Updates: US and World News - Up News Info - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- MGM Springfield prepares for reopening; union expects not all workers will return right away - MassLive.com - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- Roulette Myths - Common Myths About Roulette That Gamblers Believe - BestUSCasinos.org - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- Encore Boston Harbor Opens With Safety Precautions After Coronavirus Shutdown - msnNOW - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- MDH: Don't even think about holding a 'COVID party' to get exposed - Bring Me The News - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Will the schools open? Behind that unanswerable question lies a national catastrophe - Salon - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- 'People are willing to play Russian roulette with their familys lives': Doctor slams behavior in US - FOX 10 News Phoenix - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- How to Play Roulette and Always Win - TheUSBport - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Planetwin SKS365 signs with LiveG24 for live games - Yogonet International - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- The Complete Guide to Scout's tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 36+ - Fantasy Football Scout - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- The 'Flight 93' election has ended in disaster - The Week - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- For Teachers and Families This Is Not a Game - LA Progressive - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- What Are the Most Popular Casino Games in Canada? - The Game Haus - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- How Has Hollywood Permeated the Online Casino Industry? - LA Progressive - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- 90 Day Fiance Happily Ever After Recap: Drive Me Crazy Like A Roulette Wheel - Reality Tea - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Teenager was a victim of 'Russian roulette,' which he was playing with four others, authorities say - Winston-Salem Journal - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Derren Brown to celebrate 20 years on TV with live stunt this summer - RadioTimes - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Coronavirus will be the only winner in this 2020 baseball season - San Francisco Chronicle - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Tamar Braxton, 43, Hospitalized After Being Found Unresponsive Thursday Night - Women's Health - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Online casino sites: why these are the UK's best online casinos - Telegraph.co.uk - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- A week into Encore Boston Harbors reopening, the states eastern casino looks to the future - MassLive.com - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Zidane, Ronaldinho, Juninho Five iconic footballers and their signature moves - The Football Faithful - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Live casino: Replicating the land-based experience is no longer enough - Casino Beats - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- What is Pa.s favorite snack food? The answer from this study shouldnt surprise you - pennlive.com - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Massive Growth in Social Casino Games Market Industry Size, Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecast 2025| Zynga, Tencent, Scientific Games Corporation,... - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- Roanoke schools' digital 'town hall' will address school reopening questions Thursday evening - Roanoke Times - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- Memories of 'Russian roulette' for family as lorry and car crashed into home - Burton Mail - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- Methamphetamine arrest in Roulette - The Wellsboro Gazette - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- Review: The Rental, a thriller starring Dan Stevens, is worth the stay - San Antonio Express-News - July 22nd, 2020 [July 22nd, 2020]
- Letter: The right thing to do - Anchorage Daily News - July 24th, 2020 [July 24th, 2020]
- NJ teachers add updating wills to back-to-school to-do list amid pandemic | Opinion - NorthJersey.com - July 24th, 2020 [July 24th, 2020]
- Teens are 'playing "Russian roulette" with their lives by taking 20 hits of hippy crack a day' - Brinkwire - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Casino Games with the Best Odds - UnderScoopFire - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Teens are playing Russian roulette with their lives by taking 20 hits of hippy crack a day - The Sun - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- How Tech Has Improved the iGaming Market - UKTN - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Preferences of polish people if it comes to gaming - Spiel Times - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- What Manitoba casinos will look like when they reopen - CTV News Winnipeg - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- West Virginia: pandemic closures end Lottery's 17-year streak of topping $1B in annual revenue - Yogonet International - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- ZAP tweaks proposed merger of housing and planning departments - Austin Monitor - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Mobile Roulette And Blackjack, A Successful And Modern Version Of These Fun Online Casino Games - South Florida Reporter - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Everything you should know about Roulette House Edge - Business MattersBusiness Matters - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Rihanna trivia: All you need to know about her favourite food, drinks and more - Republic World - Republic World - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Paul Andersen: As city life wanes, it's 'to the mountains!' - Aspen Times - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Jim Cramer: We Have Now Developed a Truly Roulette Market - TheStreet - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Spintec's innovative roulette on the Riviera - Casino Review - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- 'What they did to him was injustice': Mother reflects on Dallas officer killing young son 47 years ago - WFAA.com - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- 32 things that were true of NFL teams a year ago that is no longer true - Turf Show Times - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Letter: Refusing to wear a mask is like playing Russian roulette - STLtoday.com - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Spintec Integrates Live French Roulette Table with Stand-alone Play Stations - European Gaming Industry News - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Other Voices: Playing the Pandemic Roulette | General Aviation - Aviation International News - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- Best 7 Online Casinos for Real Money 2020 - Roulette and Slots - July 30th, 2020 [July 30th, 2020]
- Marvels Agents of SHIELD season 7 episode 10 review: Inhuman roulette - Culturess - August 1st, 2020 [August 1st, 2020]
- BetConstruct strengthens live casino offering with Hi-Lo addition - Casino Beats - August 1st, 2020 [August 1st, 2020]
- DraftKings Casino App in PA Designed with the iGaming Player in Mind - PA Online Casino - August 1st, 2020 [August 1st, 2020]
- Joel Cummins Covers Journey, Wilco & Elton John 'Live From The Living Room' - JamBase - August 1st, 2020 [August 1st, 2020]
- What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus Right Now - The New York Times - August 1st, 2020 [August 1st, 2020]
- 5 things to expect of new online casinos - Business MattersBusiness Matters - August 1st, 2020 [August 1st, 2020]
- Electronic Table Games (ETG) Market 2020; Region Wise Analysis of Top Players i - News by aeresearch - August 4th, 2020 [August 4th, 2020]
- EPA transition back to the office alarms employees | TheHill - The Hill - August 4th, 2020 [August 4th, 2020]
- Signatures submitted for Colorado initiative allowing voters in Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek to vote to expand gaming types and... - August 4th, 2020 [August 4th, 2020]
- Why internet speed is crucial for good online gaming and how to improve yours - Easier - August 5th, 2020 [August 5th, 2020]
- Indias New Education Policy takes the bullet out of the old, Russian roulette-like system - ThePrint - August 5th, 2020 [August 5th, 2020]
- Can Video Roulette Be Replicated on PlayStation? - Mighty Gadget - August 6th, 2020 [August 6th, 2020]