News Story
So, today, Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the greatest thing to happen to this town since sliced bread, wrecked his motorcycle and was injured pretty substantially, if reports are to be believed, which, from the similarly inconsistent reports surrounding the details of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death, can be unreliable at best. Surprisingly enough, Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet while riding his bike. It's apparently something that he feels is not necessary and, I would wager, not "cool".

I find it almost unfathomable that someone, anyone, would want to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. How this is explained, I guess, is that it's now up to the individual to decide whether they want to ride with or without a helmet. Fine, I can accept that notion, but doesn't it work both ways? My theory is that a person is probably more likely to suffer some sort of gruesome injury if they do not have a helmet on when they're in an accident with someone else, who in all likelihood will be in a car or truck. So, why not spare that person, regardless of whether or not they are at fault, the trauma of witnessing this spectacle just because the other person didn't want to wear a helmet? I realize that these accidents can be traumatic even if the rider does have a helmet, but from the descriptions of Roethlisberger's accident, which was serious but not fatal, it's apparent that a lot of blood and other injuries can occur.

As for this incident, it didn't take long for Pittsburgh to show its true colors. A maintenance man in the building asked a co-worker of mine why she wasn't glued to the television because of this tragedy. He appeared on the verge of tears. Meanwhile in Iraq, people are being incinerated by roadside bombs, and nobody gives it a second thought. Ben Roethlisberger has an accident, from which he'll live, and it's as if the world has fallen apart. Please.