Helping the "stupid" survive is part of the "social contract" in this country. It is not just the police, firefighting etc. The entire medical establishment, which consumes a huge percentage of the economy, saves the stupid (temporarily often) from themselves all the time and at HUGE expense. The money spent saving stupid people who go out in the wilderness is change lost in the cushions. Drug addiction, obesity, sex (under some circumstances), driving a car using a cell phone, smoking -- these are all stupid things that people do that risk their lives and health. A most of us have done stupid things and certainly know people that we like who have done stupid things and have children that do stupid things and we don't just walk on by when we see a victim of it, however irritating their behavior. We even bandage up murderers when they cut themselves. It is just part of our definition of "civilized." Remember the shock when anoxic people on Everest do not stop to save the dying. We basically don't "like" that behavior. Of course, they are ALL stupid up there where it is a lot more dangerous than on Puget Sound without a lifejacket. I sometimes do not wear a lifejacket when I kayak. I have never worn a drysuit. I make my own "stupid" decisions because they are mine. For me the basic safety decision revolves about whether I am going out at all that day. On Jan 5, 2010, at 9:50 AM, Darryl Johnson wrote: > Darryl (I'm going to live in the 18th century when I come back) You better hope you end up in the 2% who were comfortably wealthy. Otherwise it could be pretty rough going back then. And I would bring some anesthetic just in case. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Jan 06 2010 - 22:13:40 PST
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