Keller @ Large: Take Personal Responsibility

BOSTON (CBS) - "Personal responsibility."

It's a phrase we hear quite a bit, sometimes more sincerely than others. People who truly do take personal responsibility for things usually don't talk about it, they just take it.

By contrast, when a politician or corporate executive says they "take personal responsibility" for some foul-up, what they really mean is someone else was guilty, and they should get credit for enduring their foolishness, but none of the blame for what happened.

But the true meaning of "personal responsibility" comes into focus whenever there's a hit-and-run incident. Accidents do happen, and you hope that every young driver is still taught that when you cause an accident, you have to stop and face the music.

That lesson may have eluded now-former Patriot Brandon Spikes, under investigation after his damaged car was ditched suspiciously coincident with a hit-and-run that put three people in the hospital.

And it apparently wasn't on the mind of the 45-year-old creature arraigned on motor vehicle homicide charges Monday for the alleged hit-and-run killing of an eight-year-old Mattapan girl over the weekend.

The alleged perp covered his face in court, where his lawyer said "he recognizes this type of incident was an accident. Nothing that was done was intentional."

But a cousin of the little victim noted that "if it was an accident, there's no need to hide. Look at him. He ran off ... You don't just hit somebody and leave the scene."

No, you don't, if you have any personal responsibility at all.

And too many people, it seems, do not.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.