Posted on 06/07/2008 4:14:53 AM PDT by SLB
I can’t imagine this man’s terror now that we know he was motionless because he was paralyzed. Absolutely helpless to move himself out of further harm’s way. You have to be without a soul to drive/walk by and ignore him.
I am a certified SABC (Self aid and Buddy care) instructor with the military and was pre-med before I became a minister. Given the situation...I knew that what I needed to do was make sure he had airway, breathing and circulation...and if he had that...and if he was safe staying in the car...to keep him as still as possible until the EMT's arrived.
As my native home, I have to agree about Alabama. Those are good people.
American culture died the day it said, “God is dead”.
Our government is who is enforcing the words, “God is Dead”. Time for a change!
“Many states have “good Samaritan” laws that prevent that sort of suit”
All 50 states now have good samaritan laws. Before you help someone though you must get their consent. If the victim is unconscious it is considered implied consent to render aid
No collective entity has morality, only individuals have morality. So, saying ‘America has no morality’ makes no sense.
That's what I figured when I first heard the story.
They don't sue you for calling 911.
A falsehood apparently started by the police department.
911 calls were made in widely viewed hit-and-run
"City officials later acknowledged that police received four 911 calls."
http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/993582,CST-NWS-hit07.article
It’s a good argument for staying out of the street.
But in the interest of accuracy:
There were four(4) nearly simultaneous 911 cell calls...
Perhaps they thought that if they stopped and got out of their car then they would be beset upon by the residents of this "working-class neighborhood close to downtown".
This was talked about on a drive time radio show in Denver. Typical hand wringing stuff, much like the columnist.
It stopped when the third caller began with “This is a result of the law of unintended consequences.”
He went on to relate how he helped someone injured at a ball game, and then spent the next months in court fighting THE GUY HE HELPED who claimed that what he did unnecessarily put his life at risk. Not actually hurt, mind you, but could have been!
He got off, after spending a bunch of money and time, under CO Good Samaritan law.
What's missing here is a description of the people who live and congregate near where the man was lying. If those people aren't helping the man (who is presumably their neighbor) that says something.
There are plenty of neighborhoods where I would not stop and get out of my car for any reason because those areas are filled with violent racist criminals who hate and prey upon people who look like me. This article ignores this obvious aspect of reality.
The coverage of this incident seeks to indict America (big surprise) but this case seems likely to me to be more about a specific sub-culture of America. I am just sorry that so many FReepers are taking the bait.
Several years ago, I was traveling on Interstate 64 (divided hwy -2 lanes going 65 -HA! 75-80!- each way - it’s 70 now, so fill in the blanks...), alone, when I noticed a car further up, in the break down lane, smoke billowing out from under the hood. No one else was slowing or stopped. A long straight stretch of the hwy, you could see for AGES before you got there. I slowed down, saw what looked like a lady running around the front of the car, and 2 kids. I put my flashers on, pulled over in front of them and got out to see if they were all right.
Sure enough. Mom and 2 daughters, Colorodo plates, (in Indiana), car loaded to the max. Mom didn’t even have a cell phone. (5, 6, 7 yrs ago?... Even then I was stunned she would drive half-way across the country with her kids without one) I let her use mine to call AAA and then waited with her and the girls until AAA got there.
Not one more car stopped... Two women, two little girls. 95 percent of the cars (HIGH traffic rate on 64, rural, have to walk for MILES to find a human dwelling) didn’t even pull over to the far lane, let alone slow down. We spent the next hour and a half watching to make sure a ‘looky-loo’ didn’t accidentally slam into us looking too hard at the mess. That was the third priority. One -check that everyone’s OK. Two -call AAA. Three -make sure an idiot doesn’t kill us all -if I scream “RUN!!” head down the hill toward the wooded area to the side of the road like your pants are on fire. (Four- call home to let everyone there know where I am -yes I have my gun, no,I ain’t afraid to use it, yes, we’re watching the traffic...)
I was horribly disapointed in the human race that day. MAYBE if I hadn’t stopped someone else MIGHT have. Maybe no HE-MAN would because he wouldn’t want to scare the ‘girls’... Maybe the three of them would have had to abandon their car and walked Heaven-knows how far (don’t ask me to do distance, age, weight, numbers or spelling -I TERRIBLE IS DYSLEXIC...) to reach a phone and maybe their belongings would still be in the car when they got back. (Funny, I don’t think it would have taken long for someone to have’checked out’ the car had there been no one there)
As a side note, I spent an hour and a half facing the setting sun, watching for traffic. Being horribly allergic to UVB, I was sick for days after (fever, chills, face swelling, the ‘d’ word, throwing up, migrane...) A pleasant
spring evening, the temp was great and I was ok in my ‘sun’ shirt, gloves & sunglasses, but the sun on my face and throat messed me up pretty good... But I’d do it again...
You can also blame the lawyers.
“Many states have “good Samaritan” laws that prevent that sort of suit.”
actually, unfortunately they don’t work. And even more unfortunately, the more medical training you have, the less they work.
example: if you took a CPR class at the Y, and he dies, you are WAY more liable than someone who didn’t.
Despicable.
Regards,
GtG
I remember the “Kitty” attack on the news and the reactions of my dad and others in Wyoming to the cowards in NYC. My opinion of those who live in the “Big Apple” were formed then and have not changed one bit.
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