# Laura Bush Opens Up About Why Crash Wasn't Really Her Fault **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 28, 2010, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617 "2010-04-28T13:09:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/101 "2010-05-04T05:00:31Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Jesus Christ, what a stupid fucking thing to say. You ever kill anyone? If I did, I wouldn’t feel sorry for myself. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/102 "2010-05-04T07:29:20Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It doesn’t alter the fact that Laura Bush killed a guy by her own negligence and doesn’t give a fuck. I think it’s obvious she _does_ give a fuck, or it would be if you weren’t blinded by your own bias. Just because her husband was a historically crappy President, it doesn’t mean she’s pure evil. Do you even post anything besides recreational outrage anymore? It’s getting tiresome. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/103 "2010-05-04T07:30:44Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > If I did, I wouldn’t feel sorry for myself. But you would feel a hell of a lot of _guilt_, which was **Labrador** ’s point. No have decent human being who accidentally kills someone experiences no consequences. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/104 "2010-05-04T07:39:51Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > But you would feel a hell of a lot of _guilt_, which was **Labrador** ’s point. No have decent human being who accidentally kills someone experiences no consequences. Yeah but we’re talking about consequences imposed by the system in which we live. She wasn’t _punished_ for unintentionally killing a person. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/105 "2010-05-04T07:48:56Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Yeah but we’re talking about consequences imposed by the system in which we live. She wasn’t _punished_ for unintentionally killing a person. You were talking about whether or not you feel sorry for her . . . personally, I feel sorry for her that she has to live with the guilt of killing someone, all because of a moment of distraction or carelessness when she was a teenager. Of course, you’re entitled to _not_ feel sorry for her . . . but I don’t see why you should be “outraged” that some of us do. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/106 "2010-05-04T07:56:26Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > You were talking about whether or not you feel sorry for her . . . personally, I feel sorry for her that she has to live with the guilt of killing someone, all because of a moment of distraction or carelessness when she was a teenager. I suppose I was wrong to say that I don’t feel sorry for her _at all_, because it is unfortunate that it happened. But any sympathy I have for her pales in comparison to the sympathy I have for the person she killed. I’d rather accidentally kill someone than be accidentally killed. > [@tim](#): > > Of course, you’re entitled to _not_ feel sorry for her . . . but I don’t see why you should be “outraged” that some of us do. > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I’m pretty outraged that people who I otherwise consider reasonable posters on the board are attempting to excuse Laura by saying “Well, she was 17. Who ISN’T irresponsible at 17?” and that they feel sorry for her. I’m not outraged simply that someone feels sorry for her. I’m outraged that someone feels sorry enough for her to paint _her_ as the victim. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/107 "2010-05-04T08:04:14Z")
_Is_ someone saying that she’s the real victim, or that they feel _more_ sorry for her than for the guy who died and his family? I didn’t see that in my quick read-through of the thread. But if anyone is saying that, then yeah, I have to agree that that’s completely crazy. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/108 "2010-05-04T08:08:12Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > _Is_ someone saying that she’s the real victim, or that they feel _more_ sorry for her than for the guy who died and his family? I didn’t see that in my quick read-through of the thread. But if anyone is saying that, then yeah, I have to agree that that’s completely crazy. No, your read-through was accurate. Nobody said that she’s the victim. But I’ve seen several posts that, to me, implied we should just excuse her because she was a crazy 17 year old and, after all, who _isn’t_ crazy when they’re 17? It’s all just created an atmosphere where I think people really are treating her as if she’s the poor, poor victim. And btw, I’d be outraged if someone said that they felt more sorry for her than her victim, too. Edit: And by outrage I mean internet outrage. The kind of outrage that makes me jump into a hornet’s nest on the SDMB without losing any sleep over it later. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/109 "2010-05-04T09:04:41Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Edit: And by outrage I mean internet outrage. The kind of outrage that makes me jump into a hornet’s nest on the SDMB without losing any sleep over it later. Yeah, I know what you mean. For what it’s worth, I was really mostly posting to give **Diogenes** shit for _his_ outrage, rather than you. No doubt his is “internet outrage”(\*) too, but for whatever reason he was pushing my buttons tonight. (\*) Outrage might not even be the right word in his case. Cynicism? Whatever you call assuming Ms. Bush doesn’t even care that she killed someone, that’s what I found objectionable. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/110 "2010-05-04T13:25:00Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Yeah but we’re talking about consequences imposed by the system in which we live. No, we aren’t. You’re free to move the goalposts all you want, but that isn’t what we were talking about. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/111 "2010-05-04T13:47:53Z")
An 18 year old kid that I personally know wrecked his car and killed his best friend shortly after they started college. The only thing that I felt, and continue to feel, for everyone involved is sorrow. Laura Bush made a stupid mistake a very long time ago. She didn’t mean to hurt anyone. The OPer is taking quotes out of context and demonizing someone who doesn’t deserve it. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/112 "2010-05-04T15:44:09Z")
Well said, **PunditLisa** , and I agree. Making a mistake, even one with horrible consequences, does not make you a bad person. The woman who would have become my sister-in-law got herself killed when she was 19 by making a mistake while driving. The other driver was fine, but if it had worked out the opposite way, it wouldn’t have made her a bad person. She was a wonderful person according to everyone who knew her. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/113 "2010-05-04T16:33:12Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > You were talking about whether or not you feel sorry for her . . . personally, I feel sorry for her that she has to live with the guilt of killing someone, all because of a moment of distraction or carelessness when she was a teenager. > > Of course, you’re entitled to _not_ feel sorry for her . . . but I don’t see why you should be “outraged” that some of us do. And how interesting that she, at last, feels free to discuss that tragic event. Just in time to flog her new book! Our Dear Laura will be on [Oprah](http://www.oprah.com/index.html) this afternoon. Discussion of this old tragedy will allow her to avoid questions on more recent events. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/114 "2010-05-04T16:35:54Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > And how interesting that she, at last, feels free to discuss that tragic event. Just in time to flog her new book! > > Our Dear Laura will be on [Oprah](http://www.oprah.com/index.html) this afternoon. Discussion of this old tragedy will allow her to avoid questions on more recent events. Yeah, I’m sure she makes every effort to bring this up herself, and that the interviewers would never think about asking her about it. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/115 "2010-05-04T17:55:49Z")
Kinda like how the Pope is probably happier to talk about his Hitler Youth days than he is about the more recent molestation coverup days. If I were Laura Bush, I too would prefer to talking about killing someone in my youth than about what a historical tragedy my husband was as the worst fucking idiot President in history. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/116 "2010-05-04T19:28:31Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Laura Bush made a stupid mistake a very long time ago. She didn’t mean to hurt anyone. The OPer is taking quotes out of context and demonizing someone who doesn’t deserve it. If you had bothered to read the OP, you would have noted that the Pitting is not for the act of a very long time ago (the accident) but for the act of not so very long ago (the offering of facile excuses). ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/117 "2010-05-04T19:31:57Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > If you had bothered to read the OP, you would have noted that the Pitting is not for the act of a very long time ago (the accident) but for the act of not so very long ago (the offering of facile excuses). Which part of her post indicates to you that she didn’t read the OP? ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/118 "2010-05-04T20:08:31Z")
This is kind of beside the point, but, from the article, > [@](#): > > A copy of the book, scheduled for release in early May, was obtained by The New York Times at a bookstore. I wonder, why did the NYT reporter include this sentence? Is he pointing out that Laura Bush’s publisher couldn’t be bothered to send a copy to the NYT for review? Just curious. Maybe I’m reading snarkiness where there is none. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/119 "2010-05-04T22:55:22Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > No, we aren’t. You’re free to move the goalposts all you want, but that isn’t what we were talking about. Sure it is. When I say that there were no consequences for her killing a man, I think it’s pretty fucking obvious that I’m talking about punishment. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617/120 "2010-05-04T23:01:27Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > (\*) Outrage might not even be the right word in his case. Cynicism? Whatever you call assuming Ms. Bush doesn’t even care that she killed someone, that’s what I found objectionable. I don’t think that she doesn’t care. She probably cares a lot. If I killed someone I know it would have a huge impact on me. I don’t think **Dio** is saying she doesn’t care, either. We’re saying that she’s escaped consequences. Not “consequences” like feeling sad over what you’ve done, but as in she never had to pay for what she did. It seems that you guys are saying that everyone who commits manslaughter should just be free to go their own way if they feel sufficiently bad about it afterwards. In fact, that’s exactly what I’m interpreting your meaning to be. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laura-bush-opens-up-about-why-crash-wasnt-really-her-fault/537617.md?page=7)