Understanding the American Way.

The new year greets us here in Olympia with a fascinating part of American life: The Rezone Opponents Go To Court.
I’ve been always very curious of this sort of behaviour and never quite undestood it fully. Back in Germany we made fun of Americans suing over spilled coffee. And we laugh even more when they actually win.
When I was working for a large international retailer in Seattle, I was invited several times to be part of class action suits against my own company. Tempting it was, since the outcome promised lots of money - as usual, but I never joined in. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something fundamentally twisted, weird and wrong about suing my own company.

One notion goes, that if we feel not taken care off, not heard we have the option of working the system to get what is rightfully ours. Proponents of the “i’ll-sue-you” way of life  would certainly reference our “freedom of speech” and our advantage over other countries, where people are oppressed or even persecuted for choosing the “not-approved” thoughts and beliefs.

Good, on paper this pencils out, in the policial playbook, this is an useful “last-resort” weapon to pull the trigger to protect you.

Now, I’m trying to think this thought all the way through to the end…trying to find the other side of the coin.
Does this mean, I could get sued for anything, anytime by anyone?
I suppose, if I don’t behave, I could. Could I also use this powerful weapon to get my way in return?

Could I in return sue the “rezone opponents”?
Finding grounds and reason seems in this day and age only a matter of money and the right lawyer, right?

Does the continues war over the isthums, that “sacred ground”, as some call it, effect my business negatively?
Would there be a way of quantifing this? Perhaps I could talk to other business owners, gather their signatures and tally the acumulated losses. Pick a number in the millions to sound important.

Some people consider the downtown neighborhood  their “sacred ground” worth a politcal stage play where casulties are accepted and potentially even encouraged. But it’s also a neighborhood where few people live, many do their business and fight for their livelihood. For us, real shareholders of this neighborhood, we might envision something different for our downtown? I wonder how we can get our voice heard…

But don’t worry, I won’t sue anyone in the process - I’m German.