Student scolded for saving a life; School doesn’t ‘condone heroics’

[Jacob]

Yes, I am. Had more people been like that, maybe 9/11 wouldn't have killed thousands and scarred a nation. After all, the one plane where people acted instead of sitting like sheep resulted in only their deaths, and not the deaths of who knows how many more.

"Sitting like sheep"? Really?

[crazy canuck]

the article is all about her child being a hero and the school being stupid.  The conclusion is based on the mother's view of events.

The conclusion might just as easily be about the author's particular axe to grind.

Yes, that is a possibility.

[crazy canuck]

Yes, I am. Had more people been like that, maybe 9/11 wouldn't have killed thousands and scarred a nation. After all, the one plane where people acted instead of sitting like sheep resulted in only their deaths, and not the deaths of who knows how many more.

You are equating schoolyard violence to a highjacking.  Wow.

[merithyn]

Yes, I am. Had more people been like that, maybe 9/11 wouldn't have killed thousands and scarred a nation. After all, the one plane where people acted instead of sitting like sheep resulted in only their deaths, and not the deaths of who knows how many more.

"Sitting like sheep"? Really?

Yes.

I don't blame them, but I don't applaud them, either. They did what they felt was appropriate for the circumstances - and like Valmy says, what we'd been taught to do. However, had they chosen to act instead of not acting, things would likely have turned out very differently.

[Valmy]

You are equating schoolyard violence to a highjacking.  Wow.

Well the message to handle both is/was 'do not be a hero'....you know until somebody gets killed.  So yeah.

[merithyn]

You are equating schoolyard violence to a highjacking.  Wow.

Well the message to handle both is/was 'do not be a hero'....you know until somebody gets killed.  So yeah.

Exactly.

[Jacob]

Yes.

I don't blame them, but I don't applaud them, either. They did what they felt was appropriate for the circumstances - and like Valmy says, what we'd been taught to do. However, had they chosen to act instead of not acting, things would likely have turned out very differently.

If only you and Marty had been on one of those planes, you could have tackled the highjackers.

Just one minor detail, of course - the people on the planes that were flown into the WTC had no idea that was being planned. Prior to that pretty much all plan highjackings resulted in a landed plane and demands being made.

The passengers on UA 93 KNEW that someone had just flown two highjacked planes into the WTC. That's a rather different context.

[Valmy]

Just one minor detail, of course - the people on the planes that were flown into the WTC had no idea that was being planned. Prior to that pretty much all plan highjackings resulted in a landed plane and demands being made.

That is a pretty significant detail.  That is precisely what we were getting at.  We were told to always assume that hijackings were always made without any intentions to harm anybody so even if they could be thwarted not to.

[The Brain]

FFS Jacob.

[CountDeMoney]

Just one minor detail, of course - the people on the planes that were flown into the WTC had no idea that was being planned. Prior to that pretty much all plan highjackings resulted in a landed plane and demands being made.

This is true;  before that day, you just figured you were flying to Cuba or Algeria and wait for demands.

The passengers on UA 93 KNEW that someone had just flown two highjacked planes into the WTC. That's a rather different context.

Which is also why 9/11-style hijacking would never, ever happen again.  Hell, you see passengers jumping somebody who's confused the cockpit door for the bathroom door.  The paradigm has changed.

[merithyn]

If only you and Marty had been on one of those planes, you could have tackled the highjackers.

Just one minor detail, of course - the people on the planes that were flown into the WTC had no idea that was being planned. Prior to that pretty much all plan highjackings resulted in a landed plane and demands being made.

The passengers on UA 93 KNEW that someone had just flown two highjacked planes into the WTC. That's a rather different context.

That's fair. Again, I'm not blaming them. Again, they did what they'd been taught to do for ages, and to say anything against them is definitely arm-chair quarterbacking at this stage of the game. We know more now than they could have. I'm sorry if my use of the term "sheep" was offensive. I worded that poorly, and I apologize.

At the same time, I'm saying that by not doing anything, by not "acting like a hero", devestation occurred. I think that today's society teaches that mantra - "Don't be a hero" - far too much, and this situation at the school is indicative of the problem.

We need more heroes and fewer sheep. We need more people willing to risk something of themselves to help others.

[crazy canuck]

Just one minor detail, of course - the people on the planes that were flown into the WTC had no idea that was being planned. Prior to that pretty much all plan highjackings resulted in a landed plane and demands being made.

This is true;  before that day, you just figured you were flying to Cuba or Algeria and wait for demands.

The passengers on UA 93 KNEW that someone had just flown two highjacked planes into the WTC. That's a rather different context.

Which is also why 9/11-style hijacking would never, ever happen again.  Hell, you see passengers jumping somebody who's confused the cockpit door for the bathroom door.  The paradigm has changed.

Not so quick there.  If we dont have school kids tackling eachother who knows what evil we might unleash onto the world.

[MadImmortalMan]

One thing that really bugs me about modern human civilization is that we've gone full retard on avoiding risk. Risk-taking is what got us out of the caves, and it should be encouraged to some extent still.

I agree with Meri.   

[Jacob]

Again, I'm not blaming them.

I'm sure that's a great relief to their families.

[Valmy]

Not so quick there.  If we dont have school kids tackling eachother who knows what evil we might unleash onto the world.

Which is why I am not really emotionally able to say who is wrong here.  THe phrase 'don't be a hero' kinda pisses me off.