At times like this and others I believe we must consider the "toality of the situation as we understand it ", but realize we may not know all that is going on. There are just so many factors that go into how we should respond to a given situation that it is difficult at best to give a concrete response. I do subscribe to calling the authoities immediatly and being the best possible witness you can be. This I would do without hesitation as earliest it is safe to do so. However our individual response will need to vary. If I am with other 5 blackbelts from my dojo and were walking out of the local gun club to witness an assault in progress will bring out a different respose if I am unarmed (not good) and with loved ones to see several people attacking an other with a knife or in a shootring situation. I realize these are two extremes and most fall somewhere in between. But we should not forget our responsibility we have to our own family to come home each night. As for rendering Aid to a victim, having been in EMS for over 20 years I would do so as soon as there was no immediate threat.
When Would You Respond?
- Thread starter MJS
- Start date
Jeff Harvey
White Belt
As SGM Parker put it, "Whatever The Attitude, So Is The Response".
ares
Orange Belt
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If I understand correctly, the event was over and people still ignored this person. I would never step over a injured person. I would do all the first aid I could until emt's arrived. If it was a matter of an assault, I would more then likely step in and try to help this person. I would rather try to help someone in need then not to. scott
KempoGuy06
Grandmaster
JadeDragon3
Black Belt
I would step in and aid someone when I saw that the person was clearly getting his butt beaten and it was clear that the other person had better fighting skill than the one getting beat. This brings to mind a situation that my teacher (John Dufresne) got in back years ago (1991?). He was at a gas station and saw these two guys fighting. The one guy was beating the crap out of the other one. The guy getting beat was a bloody mess so my teacher goes over and tries to stop the fight by trying to calm the guy down. My teacher explained to him that he clearly can beat this guy and would he just stop. Well apparently this guy didn't like the fact that my tacher was trying to stop the fight so he dicide to push my teacher in the chest with both hand on his right side of his chest. When he did this my teach John Dufresne steps back with the push and does a spinning hook kick to the dudes head. This guy went from being vertical to horizontal in a split second and then hit the ground. John was so freaked out thinking hee killed the guy that he got in his car and fled with a quickness. He got a bout 2 miles down the road and decided to go back and call the ambulance for the guy. When he got back the guy was just then starting to get up off the ground. My teacher wasn't arrested or anything thank goodness. Thats a true story. But my point is be careful if you decide to respond to a fight. You might get arrested for assualt.
TrainHardFightEasy
Yellow Belt
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As soon as you see or sense someone may need some help, if you feel you can be of assistance you should help them.
Cruentus
Grandmaster
I am reasonably expected to be a first responder with my job. But, I think that everyone is a 1st responder. People need to start taking responsability for their environment and community and if someone is in need, people should be helping without question. This doesn't mean jumping into drunken fights or domestic disputes, but at the very least people can call the authorities or try to administer 1st aid to a stab victim...
But... to use (or, more likely abuse) David Grossman's terminology... not everyone is a sheepdog.
Unfortunately, most people are sheep, and will sit there staring while something happens. What I personally would like to see is for everyone to at least become an "annoying yappy dog" that makes noise and summons the sheepdogs when something happens, instead of being placid, cud-chewing sheep.
KenpoTex
Senior Master
agreed.Cruentus said:
also agreed.
I know that not everyone is a warrior...so be it. The thing that pisses me off is that there are a lot of people that like to beat their chests and brag about how tough they are and what a good little sheepdog they are...then at the first hint of a wolf they turn around and run.
