There’s a fundamental difference between people who believe in government and those who don’t.
The other evening, my dad ended up on the floor in my parents' kitchen. My mom tried to help him up for about an hour, then she called me, and I rushed over to help. Others showed up, as well.
I was the only male there, and none of the females present were strong enough to be of much help in lifting a terribly obese, 85-year-old man (who was basically dead-weight) into a chair.
After about 30 minutes and many innovative attempts, someone went for help*. She went to the police chief's house and brought him over. Together, we got my dad lifted into a chair in no time.
Sometimes cops can be useful, but there were plenty of people closer who could have been asked for help, including a guy next door who would have been happy to lend a hand. It would never occur to me to go to the police- not even an individual cop- to ask for help. Not unless there were no other options. I don't want them involved in anything. It's rarely worth the risk.
That's the difference between people who believe in government and those who don't.
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*Calling the EMTs here is a hit-or-miss thing. If no one in this town responds within a few minutes (which is common), then the EMTs from the town across the railroad tracks, in the next state, will respond. But their response time depends on the trains at the crossing and whether one is stopped, blocking the road. We have hundreds of trains per day through here, so you've got at least a 50% chance of being delayed by a few minutes (or longer) anytime you try to cross the tracks. Trains don't move for emergency vehicles, either.
Tips are nice.
There's a very nasty Catch-22 problem associated with emergencies. Someone needs help, like your Dad. If you don't call 911, you can be accused of failing to prevent a worse outcome. If you do call 911, the police tag along, even though you requested just the EMT.
ReplyDeleteYep. Every time.
DeleteThe only time I've ever called 911 was when I was in my mid-20s and my house was filled with smoke. I called and said I needed the fire department. They sent cops to see if I really needed the fire department, and then the cops called for the fire department after they arrived. We could have lost our house.