What are you willing to do to help a neighbor?

[seamusTX]

Select all that apply.

- Jim

[TDDude]

One neighbor is a very close family friend. the other side I've never seen him houtside his house in the 6 years I've lived here.

[ELB]

The weakness of such a poll is,to keep it manageable the choices have to be somewhat simple, and therefore a bit "yes or no;" hard work in all the possible maybes. I would be willing to do many of those things to some degree, depending on the situation and my ability. I can give CPR and have done so. I have been trained and equipped to enter a burning building, within certain constraints (and have done that too). I am not so willing and much less capable of paying someone's hospital or prescription bills (but I also know our local hospital will workout almost any payment plan based on what a person can pay per month). Would I shoot someone to protect my neighbor? Yes, as long as I could be pretty darn sure that was the right thing to do. I can envision scenarios where this would not be so clear.

I simply do not have the room or the "emotional" capacity to take someone in indefinitely, or even short term. It is enough to take care of my wife and my critters and myself. Even a relative would be tough...


I'll be interested to see what prompted this poll after Seamus gets his desired sample size.

[Grog]

I don't know any of my neighbors well enough to anything more than to not steal their paper

[OverEasy]

I think you need to add "Help them move" to the list.

OE

[USA1]

Just made my vote.

Some things I didn't vote for only because I don't possess the financial resources to do so.
Other things only cost time so I voted for those as well as actually performing a few.

I truly believe in the giving nature of the human spirit and feel that most people want to do the right thing and help their fellow man. This was most evident to me in the days following the tragedies of 911 where people set aside differences and came together to help others in need any way they could.

[Manfred]

If all of this happened to my neighbor I believe I would put my house up for sale...and suggest he do the same.

-Manny

[KD5NRH]

I think you need to add "Help them move" to the list.

"Help them move" != "Give them a reason to move."

[Oldgringo]

I think you need to add "Help them move" to the list.

"Help them move" != "Give them a reason to move."

I've got one that I'd help pack. Naah, on second thought, I'd just watch them pack.

[seamusTX]

I'll be interested to see what prompted this poll after Seamus gets his desired sample size.

If I have a point at all, it is to ask how many people would do something tedious, difficult, or costly for a neighbor that would not get them a medal -- like the Biblical Good Samaritan.

Incidents of neighbors being violently assaulted, like this one, are spectacular. But how often do you hear about elderly or disabled people dying in their homes, and no one notices for weeks sometimes?

- Jim

[The Annoyed Man]

Jim, I suspected that was your line of interest, and you are very right. Too often, our neighbors are suffering, and we either know nothing about it, or we are unwilling to do anything about it if we do know.

My answers were:

Shoot an attacker from cover. 12% [ 28 ] x
Shoot an armed attacker in the open. 13% [ 30 ] x
Run into a burning building. 11% [ 26 ]
Wade into floodwaters. 13% [ 29 ]
Give him CPR. 15% [ 34 ] x
Pay a hospital bill. 1% [ 2 ]
Pay for a prescription. 7% [ 17 ] x
Pay his rent. 3% [ 7 ] x
Mow his lawn. 11% [ 26 ] x
Paint his house. 6% [ 13 ] x
Bring him meals three times a day. 5% [ 12 ] x
Take him into your home indefinitely. 3% [ 6 ] x
Total votes : 230

I did not pick "Run into a burning building." If you saw my physique, you'd understand. All I would do is get in the way, make the more capable rescuer's job more difficult, and probably get myself or both of us killed.

I did not pick "Wade into floodwaters" for much the same reason, although when I was young and less round, I was actually won lots of medals as a competitive swimmer, and I would have probably not hesitated to do so.

I also did not pick "Pay a hospital bill" because I have no money right now. That said, I would gladly help raise the money to pay their hospital bill. And if I were a rich man, I would pay that bill.

I've posted in other threads that I've given money to strangers in need, knowing that they might well misuse it. There are those that believe that the scripture which says that what you do for the "least of these" you also do for Christ only applies when the "least of these" are also Christ's followers. I'm not buying that. I believe that he meant the poor, the downtrodden, and the oppressed — whatever their spiritual state.

[seamusTX]

"Pay a hospital bill" was a poor choice on my part. As has been pointed out, hospitals will generally work out a payment plan or write off an unpaid bill.

Anyway, you get the overall idea.

- Jim

[drjoker]

Shoot an attacker from cover.
Depends. Who's the "attacker"? If it's an ex-spouse, I'd stay out of that fray.
Shoot an armed attacker in the open.
Who's in the open? We are or the attacker?
Run into a burning building.
How does this help the neighbor? Save stuff, dogs, or people? People: yes, dogs: maybe, stuff: no way.
Wade into floodwaters.
Yes, wading (not swimming) is easy.
Give him CPR.
Yes, and I even have a defibrillator.
Pay a hospital bill.
If you don't pay the hospital bill for awhile, they'll be willing to work out a reduced payment and/or a payment plan. Plus, if you're tenacious, you can even get your doctor to prescribe meds that they don't stock at the hospital so that they'll allow you to bring your own meds, allowing you to avoid the $10 a tablet Tylenols. Also, if it's elective surgery, you can price shop for different hospitals. You don't have to go to the one the doctor recommends. A surgeon can perform surgery in a different hospital. Call around and price shop. You can often get surgeries for 30-70% off. You can even get a medical bracelet with a list of preferred hospitals for an ambulance driver to read. By law, they cannot turn emergency patients away due to lack of I.D. Don't show them your I.D. until they give you a reduced payment plan. Keep your I.D. separate from your wallet. I don't want to pay for a neighbor's stupid lack of price shopping. Sadly, nobody I know of price shops medical services, especially emergency medical services.
Pay for a prescription.
See above.
Pay his rent.
My neighbors pay mortgage, not rent.
Mow his lawn.
I don't even mow my own lawn. My gardener, Paco, does that.
Paint his house.
I didn't even paint my own house. Paco did that.
Bring him meals three times a day.
Actually, I pay my unemployed neighbor to do that for me.
Take him into your home indefinitely.
I pay my unemployed neighbor to clean my home. She said that my home is so messy that she'd rather kill herself than live in my home.

Yes, help your neighbors folks! If we don't help each other in times of need, then the GOVERNMENT will step in to "help" you. For example, in Katrina, they confiscated guns and forced people to vacate their homes. That's government "help".

Ironically, people in Tennessee (spell?) didn't riot after flooding like Katrina precisely because they did NOT have their guns seized. Post-Katrina, the NRA pushed hard for anti-gun seizure laws. (is there one in Tennessee?)

BTW, the image got cut off at the right, but these boys aren't really drunk. They're holding soda cans (the cans are pepsi) they're holding.

[seniorshooteress]

I would not shoot anyone for my neighbor: not going to jail for someone I hardly know. Family memeber yes, neighbor no. I would call 911 and try to draw the attackers attention maybe create enough disturbance to get their mind off the attack. Then if they decided to attack me I would shoot.
Won't go into a burning bldg. nor would I wade in flood water cause of snakes, which I am afraid of.
would pay for a prescription if they were elderly and without funds
would feed them and mow their grass if they are elderly
I don't know how to give cpr so I could do more harm than good. but I would try.
I wouldn't pay their rent but if it is an elderly person they could stay at my home if they could put up with my dogs.
If a neighbor of any age bracket asked me to help save their pet, I would do that.
I would do whatever is in my power to help the very young, the very old or disabled and any animal as long as I wasn't endangering my own life and family finances.

[Ldy AlliDu]

I have done a few of those things and some I would not do again, why did I not wade through 6 feet of water? Stupid me thought everyone stayed awake when it rained 48 inches, I am amazed at what people can sleep through.