BlackieChan
New member
I would like to just sketch a hypothetical situation and see where people stand.
From the sheepdog thread, it is obvious that there are some strong reasons for and against identifying with that term. I did accept it but maybe I don't have the same understanding of its meaning as others do.
Personally, if I was to hear gunshots, in the middle of town for instance, I would call the police and go the other way. I am not the law, I would probably be a liability if I was get involved.
What if I saw someone getting held up on the street, say if I just turned the corner, noticed the incident, and no one noticed me. I think I would call the police, but remain present in case the worst should happen for the victim and they get injured.
These situations are astronomically improbable where I live and based on where I travel, but they are still worthwhile to consider for myself.
I think that a situation where I would intervene where I didn't necessarily face imminent danger to myself is if someone was being raped, or assaulted and they were the obvious victim. I suppose the most black and white instance would be a damsel in distress scenario, a strictly helpless victim where the aggressor is obvious.
I wouldn't just take careful aim and shoot, that would still be a last resort, but I couldn't sit by or run away from a situation like that. I would feel compelled to act. I am sure that others would feel the same way, but I also think that others would have a different approach than mine. I am extremely interested in how my fellow usacarry'ers would react to these situations.
Here is a story that some of you may have heard. This is why I feel like I have a duty to help (hopefully) those in need, those in imminent peril. I feel this duty because there are many people who would completely ignore the situation and the opportunity to save an innocent life .
There was an incident in NY, NY where a woman was being murdered down on the street at night next to crowded apartment buildings. The screaming went on for quite a long time. Not only did no one stick their head out the window to see what the hell was happening (I have never been to NY but I think that could be dangerous in and of itself), but nobody even called the police. Why? People who had heard the murder take place were questioned why they didn't call the police, the typical response was that they assumed someone else had already done so.
Are we really so apathetic to a fellow human's suffering?
This anecdote is an example of why I feel compelled to help other. If not specifically in a time of mortal peril, then simply when I see someone has a flat tire, when there is no first responder at the scene of an accident, when someone has the hood of their car up in a parking lot. It could be dangerous talking to strangers, but I think that a lot of people are pretty much normal and not out to kill and steal.
Anyways,
what I just wrote is not all inclusive, there is definitely something I excluded or overlooked. Ask yourself before you point them out if they will contribute to the substance of this forum. And again, if you would post how you would react to these hypotheticals and what you think of the last true story, I will be well gratified and I think that the ensuing conversation will be quite interesting.
Thanks for reading!
From the sheepdog thread, it is obvious that there are some strong reasons for and against identifying with that term. I did accept it but maybe I don't have the same understanding of its meaning as others do.
Personally, if I was to hear gunshots, in the middle of town for instance, I would call the police and go the other way. I am not the law, I would probably be a liability if I was get involved.
What if I saw someone getting held up on the street, say if I just turned the corner, noticed the incident, and no one noticed me. I think I would call the police, but remain present in case the worst should happen for the victim and they get injured.
These situations are astronomically improbable where I live and based on where I travel, but they are still worthwhile to consider for myself.
I think that a situation where I would intervene where I didn't necessarily face imminent danger to myself is if someone was being raped, or assaulted and they were the obvious victim. I suppose the most black and white instance would be a damsel in distress scenario, a strictly helpless victim where the aggressor is obvious.
I wouldn't just take careful aim and shoot, that would still be a last resort, but I couldn't sit by or run away from a situation like that. I would feel compelled to act. I am sure that others would feel the same way, but I also think that others would have a different approach than mine. I am extremely interested in how my fellow usacarry'ers would react to these situations.
Here is a story that some of you may have heard. This is why I feel like I have a duty to help (hopefully) those in need, those in imminent peril. I feel this duty because there are many people who would completely ignore the situation and the opportunity to save an innocent life .
There was an incident in NY, NY where a woman was being murdered down on the street at night next to crowded apartment buildings. The screaming went on for quite a long time. Not only did no one stick their head out the window to see what the hell was happening (I have never been to NY but I think that could be dangerous in and of itself), but nobody even called the police. Why? People who had heard the murder take place were questioned why they didn't call the police, the typical response was that they assumed someone else had already done so.
Are we really so apathetic to a fellow human's suffering?
This anecdote is an example of why I feel compelled to help other. If not specifically in a time of mortal peril, then simply when I see someone has a flat tire, when there is no first responder at the scene of an accident, when someone has the hood of their car up in a parking lot. It could be dangerous talking to strangers, but I think that a lot of people are pretty much normal and not out to kill and steal.
Anyways,
what I just wrote is not all inclusive, there is definitely something I excluded or overlooked. Ask yourself before you point them out if they will contribute to the substance of this forum. And again, if you would post how you would react to these hypotheticals and what you think of the last true story, I will be well gratified and I think that the ensuing conversation will be quite interesting.
Thanks for reading!