Did you save a life in your life?..At least the Life of an Ant! No? I thought so...

I've saved 3 people's lives that I'm aware of... possible more that I'm unaware of or indirectly a part of. I just ended 6 years in the Army... One of the people I saved was an elderly civilian woman who, without my intervention, was going to bleed out from her head and die, likely within a 15 minutes. The other two were fellow soldiers and the incidents both involved airborne operations, negligence on someone else's part followed by acute observation and attention to detail on my part. I've waited with a good few other people who were severely injured while more trained medical help was on its way, but I didn't have any part in their treatment. I don't praise myself for those times, because it was simply the right thing to do... however, choosing to not kill a spider or ant... that's not in any way comparable to the things I've just mentioned. Not comparable in ANY way... but if you need to pat yourself on the back for something so ridiculous, by all means...

reply to post by User8911

I have saved many ants from drowning, a squirrel with a broken leg and a friend from drowning and many other insects.

Wow that is a wide range of lives you've saved.Good for you.

reply to post by denynothing


I believe that you are correct that we kill everyday. It is our INTENTION behind our killing, or the respect or lack of respect for life that is the import aspect of this thread. i believe that there is a distinction from using an anti-bacterium/anti-viral to clean your counters and being a active soldier killing for their side.

There are some buddhist monks that will sweep before they walk in order not to step on anything. For me that is extreme. I would never be able to take any form of transportation again because thousands of insects die against the grill, windshield of your vehicles. for me there is a Middle path, one free from absolutism, or extremism. I would go insane and die if i could never take a life. People often ask me, " you don't eat meat b/c you don't kill. What about plants? They're alive right?" I tell them if i feel like i was strong enough to be a breathatarian i would. In the meantime what do they think i should keep myself alive on?

I am too spiritually evolved, educated in health, and educated in where food comes from. to be involved in the consumption of meat in order to survive. Its sad that now once safe vegetables are now being corrupted by bacterium from cow/pig farms upstream, and that Monsanto is genetically manipulating a perfect life form. That our government doesn't think it's proper to warn people of GMO's so they can make an educated decision.

Intention to do good and respect all life rules my character and my actions. I find it very curious that we are unable to survive a life without taking another in some way? Have we ever met someone that has not killed anything directly or indirectly?

I've saved the life of another human being (only doing what any other person would have done). I've also saved the lives of animals and critters.

I've accidently stepped on snails. As a tot, my mother tells me I used to chop up earth worms and eat them raw whilst they were still wriggling. I've also killed mice and rats for infringing on my living space and many ants too. Am I responsible for the deaths of thousands of animals over my life time, that I actually haven't killed personally, but have eaten?

Am I a good or bad person? (no, disgusting isn't an option girlies, sorry).

Originally posted by diamondsmith
reply to post by FreeThinkerbychoice

 

I do have question though, what if some sort of plague had too break out in, lets say your neighbourhood, wreaking havoc and spreading disease too both elderly and young. Would it then be okay to kill all of those creatures?

I referred to this as a matter of personal conscience.

But do you mean this figuratively or literally? Save a life from what? Death or a mere existance?

If you mean from death, literally, then no. I haven't been put in a position to where I had to make that choice. But if I were put in that position, I would do my best to save that life. ( Except when it comes to cockroaches. Sorry, but I don't see where they have any redeeming qualities at all.)

Figuratively speaking, I do my best every day to try and open peoples' minds to different viewpoints of how they see things. I'm not implying that they're wrong and I'm right, but when I see a person shut into a box with only a narrow view of the world, I think to myself " What a waste of a persons time." Many people I meet, and have met for quite some time now, seem to be shut into their own little world and simply don't want to venture out. Even extaended family members.

I understand that it's a safe way to live and there are times when I wish I could be that way as well. But I'm not. I'm always "on the move" so to speak. I'm living my life to the fullest as I see it in that I'm always open to new ideas and different ways of living. I may not have the fattest bank account around but I can guarentee you that I can make you see things in a different way than you're used to and, as a result, you'll be living a more well-rounded and informative life. And that's something money can't buy.

In that regard, I'm saving a life from living , what I consider at least, a mundane life and giving them a new way of seeing things. What they do with it is entirely up to them. They can discard it or try to make something out of it that fits the way they are already. They can even get in my face and say "My personal life is none of your business." And at that point they're right. If you don't want to take anything I have nothing to give you.

A good example of that is what I do here on ATS. More times than not I tend to see things from a slightly different angle than other people. Like what I'm doing to this thread right now. I'm not derailing it so much as I'm simply switching tracks for the time being. ( I didn't steal that, I just borrowed it indefinately ) Sometimes we are all on the same page though. But on the times when we're not, I can say something in such a way that will make someone stop and say," Hmmmm, I never quite thought of it that way before." And it goes both ways. Someone will say or do something that I find both different AND useful in my own life. We're giving each other a different vantage point in which to see the same thing. It takes on a slightly different meaning is all.

But sometimes that slightly different meaning is all it takes for someone to step out of whatever "intellectual or emotional shell" they may be in and see or feel the world in a different light. I'm not claiming to be the second coming of Jesus or anything, I'm just doing my part, little by little, to "Deny Ignorance" as it were. It's just another form of change. And change is saving a life from staying the same.

And really, I don't see any harm in that at all DS.

Love.....TD

reply to post by diamondsmith

Did you save a life in your life?

No?I thought so!

It's funny, but I've never really thought of it before. I can actually recall a few times I've saved the life of another human being...most often my brother.

I'm sure I can't recall all of the times, but I've:

organized a human chain to pull him and a couple of friends out of a freezing lake when the ice broke underneath them.

rescued him from the side of a cliff (also with a couple of friends), when they fled from a bear (this was in Alaska)

kept a woman from walking into the street by grabbing her arm just as a car zipped by that would have creamed her

performed the Heimlich maneuver on a kid in my summer camp and kept him from choking

gave CPR to a buddy of mine when a group of us got lit up as lightning hit the riverbank (it knocked him out and he wasn't breathing much, most of us just got a little jolt)

there are more that I can't recall offhand, including a few saves of people about to drown (I've had lifeguard training, though I've never been one).....

Plenty more where I've helped out others in non-life threatening emergencies (like getting vinegar out of the car to pour over a woman who was stung by a sting ray, etc)...countless others.

I just never really gave it much thought before. I just do what I have to do in given situations.

My wife and her girlfriends always say I have some kind of a hero complex...they're probably right about that, hehe...now that I really think about it.

As for animals...I classify animals in 4 different ways:

1) Pets - would never kill except in mercy situations
2) Food - would have no problem killing, as it is for food (chicken, cows, pigs, ducks, fish, etc., etc.)
3) Wild - they don't bother me, I don't bother them (like a lion or tiger, or bear)
4) Pests - kill without remorse (bugs, rats, mice, etc.)

Thing is, EVERYTHING lives off consuming the dead...from microbial life to us. It's just that simple. That's the design folks...blame the architect, not me.

reply to post by Taupin Desciple

But sometimes that slightly different meaning is all it takes for someone to step out of whatever "intellectual or emotional shell" they may be in and see or feel the world in a different light

Interesting thoughts,then let's try to take the other side of the coin....Application of euthanasia will save a life?No?I thought so....

Originally posted by Gazrok
reply to post by diamondsmith

 

Did you save a life in your life?

No?I thought so!

(like getting vinegar out of the car to pour over a woman who was stung by a sting ray, etc

Why do you keep vinegar in your car?

Sounds like you're in the right place at the right time a lot. Maybe if I got out more I'd be in more available when situations like that arise.

Now that I think about it though, when I was a cab driver I probaly saved quite a few lives by pouring their drunk a**es in the cab instead of leaving them at the bar to where they would drive home, possibly killing themselves or others in the process.

I was on the volunteer fire department and an EMT. Yes, I have saved a life several times.

reply to post by jgarcya

Intention to do good and respect all life rules my character and my actions. I find it very curious that we are unable to survive a life without taking another in some way? Have we ever met someone that has not killed anything directly or indirectly?

Intentional good can be sometimes worse then accidentally bad.

I've killed dozens and dozens of mice in my garage. Does that make me a bad person? I hope not; they're too hard to catch and release and they are dangerous creatures (hanta and other viruses). I have, however, saved 2 squirrels lives (even though I hate the little bastards). one got stuck on a downspout; I literally took the downspout off my house, sawed in in half, and carefully got the bugger out. He was scratched up and shaken, but he ran off. The second squirrel chewed through my back garage door and wrecked havoc in my garage' eating bird seed, knocking things over, and chewing the # out of anything. I bought a Have A Heart trap, trapped him, and released him in the forest away from town.

Sorry, I kill bugs and spiders all the time. They nasty!

Oh, I also saved the lives of my 2 cats. Well, my brother saved the first one by picking him off a busy street. The other I adopted from the pound; he was sick with feline asthma and on the verge of death, but he showed affection for my family, so we adopted him. He's turned out to be the cutest, healthiest 18 pound Siamese beast you've ever seen!

reply to post by closerseemsfurther


No disrespect, but i believe that you are a bit deluded. You were in the army, and it sounds like you may be directly or indirectly involved in killing innocent people. Even if you are a mechanic you are supporting the destruction of innocent humans. Just because you save the life of a so called"civilian" (as opposed to human), by no way does that absolve you of the crimes you committed towards humanity. Ask yourself this Does the lives of one million Iraqi's equal the lives of 3000 americans killed in the 9/11 false flag, and the other 4000 soldiers killed and 100,000 soldiers suffering from injury mental and physical.

If you support and are active in WAR you are a murderer. You can not clear you conscious by saving one life yet kill hundreds or thousands, or millions more. You are a Hypocrite. It is NOT more NOBLE to save a person, your buddy/soldier accidentally shot. It is more NOBLE not to support killing in the first place. I rather save an insect than a War Mongering soldier. The insect won't kill me, but the soldier might.

Look at your logic how can you support murder yet think your a hero when you help a "civilian"? If you or your army weren't invading the civilians homeland they would have never been hurt. Stop ALL WAR and you will be a true hero! By perpetuating War you are the opposite to me.

Originally posted by diamondsmith
reply to post by Taupin Desciple

 

But sometimes that slightly different meaning is all it takes for someone to step out of whatever "intellectual or emotional shell" they may be in and see or feel the world in a different light

Interesting thoughts,then let's try to take the other side of the coin....Application of euthanasia will save a life?No?I thought so....

Actually, let's not. Let's stay on this side of the coin for the time being. If you don't mind. You said "interesting thoughts"......How so? Elaborate please.

Besides which, the other side of the coin is like.....Am I reading you right? Are you comparing even a slight change in the way you think to death? Euthanasia is, the way I take it at least, a gentle way of killing someone for their own good. Usually at the behest of the one who is being euthanized. I'm drawing no comparison to change and death.

reply to post by Taupin Desciple

Besides which, the other side of the coin is like.....Am I reading you right? Are you comparing even a slight change in the way you think to death? Euthanasia is, the way I take it at least, a gentle way of killing someone for their own good. Usually at the behest of the one who is being euthanized. I'm drawing no comparison to change and death.

In my humble opinion is the same thing with death penalty dictated by the pain of people unaware of.

I can honestly say that I have.....I pulled a drowning man from the Colorado River back in 2009. Apparently in his drunken stupor, he felt that attempting to swim across it (near the Laughlin bridge) was a great idea. Everyone underestimates the current and the undertow. He had gone under several times and was right at the point in the river where the current begins to kick in. By the time I reached him, he was unconscious and completely submerged.....Naturally, it is impossible to say in the grand scheme of things exactly how my actions on that day will affect everything. Maybe the guy goes on to murder someone or wipe out a family in a drunk driving accident, or maybe he come up with the theory of everything or cures cancer and AIDS. I really do think about it quite often. Most of us don't realise the impact that our actions, no matter how insignificant they may seem at the time, can and do have on other people and our environment/surroundings as well.

Originally posted by davesmart
hi op

i save spiders all the time
usualy in the bath
then i put them outside
i cant kill spiders, dont know why lol

I hate spiders with a passion, they just freak me out in a big way.
So i used to mostly kill them.
But lately i catch them and then let them go, but i still hate them lol.

To the OP. I once saved a dog from being killed, does that count??? .

reply to post by Gazrok

I just never really gave it much thought before. I just do what I have to do in given situations.

Perhaps this is the key to do good without thinking about it.

I save lives on a regular basis, I also ease peopIes deaths, I am a Nurse.

reply to post by mcdgray129

I once saved a dog from being killed, does that count

I believe every saved life counts.

My kill and save ratio is strongly overpowered by kills. No humans so far though.

I used to like killing as a child and not feel bad about it at all. I rarely kill for fun as an adult though. The longer I live the more I start to respect life.