A Peek Inside the Museum Devoted to the American Consumer

“They called her a pig.”

Every legend has its origin myth, and I was lucky enough to hear Ralph Nader’s myth recently. It might as well be the origin myth for fairness in modern America. The setting was a speech at the opening of a museum in Connecticut that Nader called the first museum ever devoted to law. Consumer law, anyway.

The American Museum of Tort Law might not have a snazzy name, but if you think of it as a museum for little victories by David over Goliath, it becomes a lot more alluring.
Nader1-600x339 Nader’s tale went something like this: Asked why he was so tenacious in taking on companies like General Motors, and he recalled a moment from his childhood. A little girl, then 12, who had been in his class since first grade was suddenly the target of teasing by boys in the class. Nader danced around the insults they hurled at her, until finally, he said, they called her “a pig.” Then, they ran off giggling and Nader watched the girl crumple in sadness.

Nader watched it all unfold, trying to make sense of it. The boys had known the girl for years, and she was kind and pleasant, so this behavior was a shock. When he got home, he told his mother what had happened. Her reply was simple:

“Well, What did you do?”
Nader-6-339x600

Founder of the Consumer Movement

A consumer crusader was born.

“I hate bullies,” Nader went on to say. Now 81, he’s spent most of his life trying to fight them.

Nader is a complicated figure, and you might have a terrible opinion of him. But there is no removing his historical place as the founder of the American consumer movement. He’s responsible for seat belts in cars, along with countless other safety mechanisms in products we use every day. Casual observers probably don’t know that Nader has founded dozens of independent consumer organizations that still operate today. He is at the head of a long family tree, probably thousands of branches deep, that includes people who’ve fought for everything from bank fee transparency to toy safety.

O Nader4-339x600 n Sept. 26, in his little hometown of Winstead, Conn., Nader opened his museum to tort law. It’s a lot more clever and fun than you might expect. Cartoon panels tell the story of landmark cases, like Sioux City & Pacific v. Stout, in which a railroad company was held liable for an injury to a child who played on its equipment, even though the child had trespassed. (The firm knew kids were playing there and didn’t do anything to stop them or protect them, the ruling found). A hot red Corvair, the car that was the subject of the book Unsafe At Any Speed, dominates the central room. You might be inclined to think of it as a sort of presidential library, but it’s not just about Nader. It reaches all the way back a bit into English common law to explain the current state of the American consumer.

Every story is a tale of David versus Goliath.

A slate of speakers opened the place, many listing their favorite Erin Brockovich tale, and all with the same point: The ability to drag a corporate executive into court and force him or her to face public accusations of misdoing is critical to a fair society. Given the recent Volkswagen scandal, it should be clear that the ability of consumers to demand fair treatment from corporations is as important as ever.

Americans’ rights are the envy of the world. They are far from perfect. Class-action lawyers often make millions, while victims walk away with pennies, that’s true. Other victims can’t interest lawyers in their cases if they aren’t worth a lot of money, a real shortcoming in a world where corporations have perfected mass-scale, nickel-and-dime scams.

Nader9-600x339 Still, having someone to call and someplace to go when you’ve been wronged is critical to preservation of the American way of life, and it should be celebrated. More important, the history of concepts of like negligence and accountability should be preserved and understood by future generations. That’s what museums do. If there can be museums for maple syrup and mustard, why not consumer rights?

The American Museum of Tort Law is located on Main Street in Winstead, Conn. It will be open daily, except Tuesdays, from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. It will close for the winter Jan. 1.

This story is an Op/Ed contribution to Credit.com and does not necessarily represent the views of the company or its partners.