911 not a substitute for responsibility
Editor,
The 78-year-old Torres hit-and-run shocker days ago, leaving him paralyzed, gave Hartford police and others reason to mount the podium with pompous indignation at the witnesses who stood near or drove by the injured man. Understanding the mass indifference doesn’t need psychoanalysis but instead, a history lesson.
Just a few decades ago individualism and courage were intact. Risking one’s own safety for another’s was ordinary, not requiring laudations of heroism from the media.
Today however, public servant professionals take care of us from cradle to grave, officially at least. You’re not qualified to pull someone off a street. You may be sued if a creative attorney says that your untrained help actually harmed the person more.
Just call 911! That’s the magic answer to all emergencies isn’t it? Squad car bumper stickers lead us to think so, anyhow.
Someone could have stopped traffic to prevent Mr. Torres from being hit again, but that’s for the police to do - just wait until the authorities get to the scene.
Maybe memories from the recently fired convenient store worker who tried to stop a robber from attacking a woman, lingered in the minds of Torres’ bystanders - after all, store policy was violated!
Independent action and Samaritanism are replaced with policies, protocol and whatever else the “State” deems best for us. Onlookers are often afraid to take action and is likely the reason that Angel Torres was observed but not touched. From sirens to seat belt billboards, ubiquitous propaganda subtly conditions us into government-dependent weaklings and cowards.
Gotta go! Somebody’s breaking through the backdoor and he has a gun! Quick, get the phone!
Glenn DisneyAnd now a word from Augie’s
Editor,
We are one of the newest westside pubs (Augie’s Pub) and were disappointed in reading your article in which we’re not mentioned. Please come check us out. We have great food, we’re a fun and inviting atmosphere, and give good customer service. We open for lunch at 11 a.m., have happy hour 4-7, Wednesday night is bike nite and we have the highest standing in the amount of bikes that do come-we also support the red cross in all our donations from bike nite. We have live entertainment every Thursday and Friday and have karaoke every Wednesday and Saturday. We are open Sunday. If you’re in the area check out Augie’s pub in Pooler, located on Highway 80 behind Hardees, where the “old” Spanky’s used to be.
JenniferEditor’s Note: Let me reiterate that the Best of Savannah issue, which Jennifer is writing about, is a reflection of readers’ votes, not our opinions.
