- To be a genius … think like a 94-year-old.
- Hm. It seems that being a Nigerian scammer might not be such a bad occupation. Until your neighbors become snitches. (H/T MJR)
- Oh yeah, those smart cities are going to be soooooo beneficial. I’m sure we’ll all be thanking our robot overlords and their bureaucrat assistants. (Tip o’ hat to SC)
- Man. It’s another bizarre highway oopsie in Atlanta. This one did serious damage to a human.
- New report on Orlando’s Pulse nightclub slaughter says at least 13 of the dead multitude died during the three hours they waited for cops to help them.
- C’mon. Get serious. Yes, W’s paintings are oddly compelling. Yes, he’s a nice guy for donating proceeds (never mind that most of these damaged soldiers wouldn’t have been damaged, if not for his wars). But great art it ain’t.
- Until I read the above article on GWB, I had no idea that, among U.S. presidents, Eisenhower, Carter, and Grant were also painters.
- Well, of course dogs and dolphins make friends. What could be more natural?
I knew Eisenhower was a painter, but didn’t know Carter was. (If I’d heard Carter was, I’d have thought he was painting houses for Habitat for Humanity.)
John Goodenough said, “Some of us are turtles; we crawl and struggle along, and we haven’t maybe figured it out by the time we’re 30. But the turtles have to keep on walking.””
AMEN! I understand this emphatically… But, better late than never.
Back seventy years ago on Siesta Key, Florida, there was the “Out of Doors School”. Right on the Gulf shore. At recess the kids would go swimming. Every day at recess time, a dolphin would show up. There were two sandbars. If a kid tried to swim past the outer bar, the dolphin would push the young’un back toward the bar.
The “medics don’t enter until the area’s secure” philosophy is pretty rigorous, and has been for decades. (And has some valid reasoning behind it.) However, at a Texas Concealed Handgun Association conference a couple of weeks ago a presentation by Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training was talking about considering alternatives. One mentioned was teaming medics with LEOs for protection.
We also had a trauma medicine class, and trainers are starting to teach that a couple of tourniquets might be handy for everyday carry.
I can grok medics not going in. Cops not going in and leaving victims with their tormenter for three hours is another matter.
How about training Medics in self defense and arming them. They have an absolute right to defend themselves.
As to cops, they have an immediate responsibility to “charge towards the sound of gunfire”. No ifs, ands or butts about it. If they do not they are cowards and should resign. If they keep going forward while returning fire, they (or anyone else) is a hero and should be honored.
Tahn – Which brings up the question, “What is a hero?”
If their responsibility is to charge into danger, and they are cowards for not going – why are they “heroes” if they perform their duty as they should?
(Not trying to make an issue here, but it’s a question I’ve often wondered about.)
The article about the Pulse nightclub attack reminded me of the Nairobi mall attack a few years back. The police and military were refusing to go in. It was armed civilians that initially began rescuing victims and pinning down the attackers.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/04/westgate-mall-attacks-kenya
Not that I’d ever want to live in or even close to a large city, but if the “Smart” ideas can reduce the citizens’ frustrations of coping with the problems of crowding, it wouldn’t be all bad.
Good question Pat,
My small dictionary defines “hero” as “a person admired for their achievements or abilities”. I would say the “normal” situation for a cop or firefighter is not to charge into a burning building to rescue someone or to charge towards the sound of gunfire, while returning fire. Their ability in achieving such a high level of courage, immediately when it is needed, would be my concept of “hero”, whether civilian or public employee but your question is a good one. What exactly is expected of them, when things go terribly wrong?
“My small dictionary defines “hero” as “a person admired for their achievements or abilities”.”
And that’s what we’ve come to believe about heroes. But many people can be admired for their achievements or abilities who are not “heroes,” but simply living their lives in a morally-productive manner that we admire. Is it us that make them heroes?
“What exactly is expected of them, when things go terribly wrong?”
The best that they can do, and no more. Firefighters know they can only do so much, but it doesn’t help the victim for the firefighter to die also.
I just wonder if the “hero” is not given enough credit for simply doing his job correctly. He’s considered a coward if he doesn’t, but is a “hero” – something more than the average – when he does do it. Yet if he is a _professional_, he shouldn’t expect accolades for putting his life on the line (assuming his job requires that).
It’s not what is “expected” of him that should propel a person to act “heroically;” it’s what he expects of himself, and how he views life from within that urges him to care for others enough to act. I think that’s why we hear “heroes” say, “I wasn’t a hero, I just did what was necessary.” THAT is a person who understands what life means. I’ve often thought about this. Does a “hero” act out of duty or compassion? Or, in some cases, both?
(And what we think of his actions does not make him a coward or a hero; it only makes us judgmental.)
“judgmental” seems to be somewhat of an epithet, that we use when we make a “judgment” too quickly. We all make decisions and opinions about others, often too fast and with too little knowledge. I cannot disagree with you though Pat. We should not make quick decisions about others, especially based on second hand evidence.
Still, for police to wait 3 hours before entering an area where others are being harmed, I find repugnant. At the same time I would hope I had the courage to immediately attempt to stop such a horrible act, if I was ever faced with the same situation. Never been there and hope I never am.