Thumb Up or Down on Humanity? Life Saving Hero Draws Critics

When a life is on the line who do you listen to when seconds matter? Well sometimes the answer is not as easy as one might think, because there are always devil’s advocates who say don’t get involved. Yet there was one Good Samaritan in Brampton, Toronto, who decided to ignore the boo brigade on the sideline and help save the life of a policeman who had been shot last Friday, according to the Blaze.

Linda Hunt was in the town courthouse that day when she saw a police officer who was shot right in front of her. What to do never appeared to be an issue on her mind, but for many in the courthouse that day, acting to save the life of the officer was the last thing that would ever enter their minds.

Where does that negative sentiment come from? Some would say the nature of people in the early 21st century to stand on the sidelines and be uninvolved is a symptom of a much larger problem in society. Life has become cheapened and less valued. Yet, life as Hunt saw it was precious and seeing an officer struck down by gunfire had to be shocking and somewhat terrifying.

But there was something that acted as an internal trigger called a conscience that motivated her unthinkingly and instinctively into action. The naysayers’ internal trigger unfortunately motivated them to criticize and admonish her for doing what is considered decent and kind.

She was shocked by the behavior of the others who shouted at her to stop. “There were some people actually yelling at me for helping a police officer,” “They were telling me to not help him, saying I was despicable,” stated Hunt, reported the Blaze.

Imagine what it would take for a person to even mouth the words to a human being who is saving the life of another, and demanding that they stop. There are certainly no bounds to the level of inhumanity that would allow a person to contemplate the act of shouting such callous remarks. The Toronto woman felt their behavior was shameful. “It was awful. I was disgusted with them,” she added.

Put yourself in her shoes and ask yourself what exactly you would do. Would you give the thumbs up to the injured police officer and help or would you be persuaded by the Roman coliseum behavior of the crowd and give the policeman the thumbs down?

Remember she was face to face with the officer and saw the blood streaming out of his wound. “I saw the blood pumping out of him and I was pretty worried,” Linda Hunt remarked to the Toronto Sun, according to the Blaze. She understood that seconds mattered and if she did absolutely nothing he very well may have bled out right on the floor in front of her.

So the bottom line is just where is society in the 21st century where a Linda Hunt has to even come to grips with ignoring the cat calls from the sidelines about letting an officer possibly die? Has life become so cheap and have no value that the Linda Hunts of the world have to give pause to even considering helping a fellow human being?

Well, the officer who was shot certainly is thankful that Hunt made the principled decision to assist him in stopping the bleeding from the gun shot. She added, “I just stuck my hand in around the wounds and kept it there.”

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2.

Perhaps Hunt’s actions demonstrated the angelic nature within her that saved a man whose life is to help so many others.

Image: Courtesy of: http://sunnydelyte21.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/just-a-thought-helping-hand/