"Sure it causes cancer, but it's fireproof!"

Okay. So, it's been about a week now. And most of the people who have an opinion on the SOTU have made their opinions known. But with all the attention being given to the major points of the speech (privatizing Social Security, elections in Iraq, Syria and Iran, tax cuts, gay marriage...), there are a few minor points which no one is talking about.

Every pundit in the US has focused on the impending battle over the future of Social Security, yet no one is talking about this little gem from the SOTU:

Small business is the path of advancement, especially for women and minorities,
so we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest
job-creators from junk lawsuits. (Applause.) Justice is distorted, and our
economy is held back by irresponsible class-actions and frivolous asbestos
claims -- and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms this year. (Applause.)

"Frivolous asbestos claims." That's right. The President believes that our legal system is tied up with too many lawsuits related to asbestos claims. And apparently, this phrase was not made up on the spot. He began the year talking about it. Apparently, the President is very concerned about the rights of companies, businesses, and corporations who spend years knowingly poisoning their employees. He made it the highlight of a recent visit to Michigan. So, clearly it concerns him.

WTF? Uh, last I checked, asbestos causes cancer, as well as a host of other ailments. And we've known about it since the 1970s. Numerous companies knew this and did nothing about it, knowingly exposing their employees to hazardous conditions. And thousands upon thousands of people have been affected by this utter lack of humanity. And if the inhumanity of allowing people to be slowly poisoned doesn't move ya, just imagine the enormous medical costs of treating the asbestos related illnesses. But we need to do something about these frivolous asbestos claims.

If companies are not aware that asbestos in the workplace might be endangering their employees, it's negligance and justice demands compensation. If companies are aware that asbestos in the workplace might be endangering their employees, than justice CERTAINLY demands compensation. Either way, I can't see how asbestos claims could be frivolous. Are there really THAT many people who completely fabricate asbestos claims? Seriously. Show me some data, facts, figures - whatever. No one with any common sense would think that individual Americans should be stripped of their legal rights and that companies should be further insulated and protected from justice.

Insurance agencies ... I'll say that again ... INSURANCE AGENCIES, and the American Insurance Association have put together "fact" sheets such as this designed to - SHOCKER - distort the truth and convince people that it's better for everyone if we protect companies from any liabilities that may arise from asbestos related injuries or illness. The amount of misinformation, half-truths, and inaccuracies put out by the Insurance industry is stunning. But not surprising. Oh, and almost every "fact" put out by the INSURANCE INDUSTRY has been repeated by the President. Just in case you were wondering where he's getting his information. And we all know he thinks that the intelligence he gets is "pretty darn good."


For some accurate statistics and facts, you can look here or here.

Clearly, the problem is not individuals seeking compensation, but instead companies seeking protection from the law. Yeah, they want to make trial lawyers out to be the bad guys here, but let's not forget that trial lawyers ONLY make real money if they win their cases. Seems to me that "junk lawsuits" aren't the real problem here - it's junk business practices that need to be fixed.

So, there you have it. On one side, massive corporations and insurance companies. On the other side, individual Americans. Whose side are you on? Because, as he made clear in the SOTU, I know which side the President is on.