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Editor’s Note: This article contains reference to gun violence and suicide.
When I was bitten by a venomous copperhead in middle school, I remember screaming for help to no acknowledgement as I dragged myself out of the woods.
Once out, an adult let me know I should have screamed “fire,” since kids scream “help” all the time. Another was telling me I had likely hit a twig the wrong way until an off-duty doctor recognized what was really happening — I was at risk of serious tissue damage or death.
I immediately pleaded for help and went to the people who could do something about it. I was told that my concern was probably nothing and that asking for help alone wouldn’t be effective in an emergency.
Two years ago, I noticed a car in flames on the side of the road and called 911. It wasn’t until the firefighters came and approached me with questions that it was clear I was the only one who contacted them out of the half dozen people spectating the incident. There could have been someone inside the burning car or a much bigger fire started in the nearby forest, but I was the first and only to call.
What is with the lack of community concern regarding preventable harms?
Bystanders are found in many public incidents being filmed before, or instead of, contacting emergency services. Compounding this, only half of Americans trust police, showing downward trends over the past two decades. This is especially prevalent in non-white populations because potential dangers from police themselves make this more complicated.
Regardless, a “not my fault” mindset causing danger to be unaddressed has serious ramifications. In the 2022 Uvalde elementary school shooting, nearly 400 officers were posted outside an elementary school for 77 minutes as shots were fired. The massacre proved fatal to 19 children and two teachers, with multiple making 911 calls from the inside.
This lack of concern extends to those investigating threats as well.
While talk of the assassination of former President Donald Trump has circulated for years, it wasn’t until a bullet hit him that people took it seriously. The shooter, whose rifle aim had been previously called “dangerous,” was able to carry an AR-pattern rifle in public legally.
Further outrage has been seen connected to the fact the FBI investigated the perpetrator of the Apalachee High School shooting a year prior due to several tips regarding threats and dismissed the danger. Clearly, the 14-year-old did have access to an AR-15 and used it to kill four people and injure nine more.
Similarly, there were clear signs before the 2021 Oxford High School shooting in Michigan, where four students were killed and seven others wounded.
Prosecutor Karen McDonald discussed the negligence of parents and school officials who could have prevented the shooting, referencing writing of the 15-year-old earlier in the day. "It says, 'Help me.' How many times does this kid have to say it?" McDonald said.
In each case, parents have been charged and convicted concerning violence their children carried out. But both cases were preventable. Thoroughly investigating potential danger is a far better response than dismissing danger as jokes or empty threats.
Similar can be said regarding mental health, where four out of five people considering suicide communicate their intent in some way. Instead of becoming upset about someone making suicide jokes, we can recognize they are often made by suicidal people and work to support individuals.
Actual pertinent dangers and threats, whether cries for help or potential violence, need to be addressed. We cannot take these matters lightly.
I definitely don’t mean we should increase prosecuting people for petty crimes. Incarceration for poverty, homelessness, substance use and mental health is ineffective. They are given unnecessary jail time and create trauma that can increase chances of criminal offenses. We need to focus on serious, potentially fatal or traumatic threats.
Nevertheless, the stance of one of the officers released in the Apalachee incident, “Mr. Gonzales’ position is he did not violate school district policy or state law,” sounds like an excuse — because it is.
If officers risk more legal repercussions by saving the lives of children than standing idly, the law fails to protect citizens.
Public outrage isn’t enough without making tangible changes to policy. Something Americans trust even less than the police are the institutions making and enforcing laws. Less than a third of Americans have confidence in the Supreme Court and only 9% have confidence in Congress. We can use our votes and contact officials directly. People with the power to revise and implement procedures prioritizing the safety of individuals need to be doing so.
Both bystanders and police are hesitating to act in the face of danger. When preventable events occur, assigning blame after isn’t enough. We need to be willing to ensure safety beforehand.
Article originally published via Technician, found here.
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