Do you remember the final episodes of the hit sitcom Seinfeld? Jerry and his cronies laugh at a person in distress, in part because of the victim's size, and fail to go to his aid. To their surprise they are charged under a Good Samaritan law, and end up facing all the people to whom they had responded callously through the years in a court of law. They are convicted and go to jail, thus ending the series.
I thought of this while listening to the CBC radio series White Coat, Black Art which addresses medical issues (excellent, bye the way.) The subject was the perceived obligation of physicians to go to the assistance of those in distress even when "the meter is off." The host interviewed a doctor who went to the assistance of a woman who had collapsed on a plane. There were a number of physicians on the aircraft, but he was the only one who responded. In fact the pregnant woman was lying at the feet of an obstetrican who didn't budge to assist her. One of the questions addressed in the White Coat show is whether Samaritanship (my term) is a moral or a legal obligation -- or both.
The parable of the Good Samaritan is only in the gospel of Luke, but it one of the best known of Jesus' stories and people are aware of its content, even if they are not religious. The gag made sense in Seinfeld without having to explain what a good Samaritan is.
Have you been a Good Samaritan along the way? Do you have regrets about not responding to someone in need? I can answer "yes" to both questions.
The program airs again today on CBC Radio 1 at 11:30.
If you are known as a trained First Aider and fail to respond - you can be charged.
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