9 November—It didn’t take long for the pack of predatory ambulance chasers to pounce after Friday’s catastrophic stampede at the Astroworld Festival rap concert in Houston’s NRG Park. Were the bodies of the dead victims even cold when the always ready, always eager to sue shysters solicited guaranteed lucrative new business from living victims and families of the deceased. We read about the first lawsuits on Saturday.

It’s not that nobody should be made to answer civilly and even criminally for the Astroworld catastrophe, but couldn’t the ambulance chasers—who are first and foremost out for themselves—have allowed the families and victims at least a little bit of time to grieve and recover?

It brings to mind a recent comic strip, with Garfield watching television. “And now tonight’s feature film,” the text in the first two panels reads, “The Giant Bloodsucking Leech Versus the Personal Injury Attorney.” In the last panel, Garfield muses, “This one could go either way.”