Something that’s been on a sickening increase in political rhetoric is how the American way is all about competition, and anything else is some form of socialism or communism. This concept is a form of red-baiting, at the same time it’s designed to justify greed and marginalize kindness. We are hearing this kind of reasoning a lot lately; it has become the definition of “the American way” and worse, of “freedom.” It’s rarely challenged in public, and I think it’s time.
I have another idea: whether you’re rich or poor, freedom is the freedom to fall off of a ladder, or to trip while you’re running across your house with a wine glass while talking on the telephone.
I was hanging out with my friend Karen last night, who is on the Marbletown First Aid Unit in Ulster County, NY. This is a fairly typical basic life support volunteer ambulance service, staffed by members of the community.
As we sat in the Northern Spy restaurant, she was basically waiting for something to go wrong for someone somewhere, and if it did, she and her colleagues would show up at the scene, for free, with their hundreds of hours of training and a good attitude. They don’t get paid, and they don’t bill for the ride to the hospital, which could otherwise cost up to $1,000. This is a big savings to taxpayers and insurance companies — or to private citizens who might get stuck with a bill they cannot pay.
Outside the cities, most of the country is serviced by volunteer rescue squads, made up of people who train for years and sit around waiting for a stroke of bad luck, or an unconscious moment. They come out in all kinds of weather, at any hour of the day or night, and fetch you to the hospital — just because they feel like doing it. There are lots of volunteer fire departments, whose members often work alongside paid, professional departments even in the same city. Once again, people helping others just because it’s the thing to do.