Darren New wrote:
> So anyone who is capable of saving your property should be required to 
> voluntarily do so?

No, but if someone who is capable has declared themselves to be part of 
a volunteer team whose function is to do that task, they should be 
reasonably expected to perform that task when called upon if they're 'on 
duty'.

> And surely, if someone in your city is hungry and you have food in your pantry,
you're 
> an awful human being, right?

Yes, and stop calling me Shirley. </airplane!>

> Should the construction worker be required to rebuild your house for 
> free if it burns down in spite of the fire fighter's best efforts?

No.  But a volunteer member of FEMA or the Red Cross or Habitat for 
Humanity or whatever should be reasonably expected to rebuild the house 
when there is need and they have the resources and capability do so and 
can see the need.

> Am I beginning to sound like I play too much Bioshock? ;-)

Eh...haven't played Bioshock, so I'm missing the reference.  I assume 
something in-game's related?

> How about fires in different towns? Should they be required to drive 30 
> miles to go fight fires elsewhere?

If they've volunteered to do so.

> It boggles my mind that you see an obligation for volunteers to risk 
> their life for you, especially if you're completely unwilling to help 
> even a tiny bit. I didn't even take it as a given they'd put out the 
> fire in my house when I *did* pay. That's what volunteer *means*.

The obligation is there because that's what they've volunteered to do, 
to bear that responsibility.  If you volunteer to join the army, you 
don't get to disregard this or that order because you're a volunteer. 
In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say.

> Not paying volunteers $10 to help them buy the equipment and training 
> they need to more safely risk their life while saving your 
> million-dollar house is also pretty far down on the pole of being a 
> decent human being, I'd say.

Yes, but the one doesn't make the other correct or nobler.  And a 
firefighter's function is to preserve what life and property they can by 
extinguishing fires.  Deciding someone is unworthy of help is something 
you do after the fact.  Kind of the way hospitals are obligated to save 
a patient's life whether they can pay or not if they come into the ER.

--
Tim Cook
http://empyrean.freesitespace.net

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