Cards Drawn: Render Aid and Ignore Information
When I drew these cards, my mind went immediately to the role of a doctor. A doctor takes an oath to help those in need. Regardless of their lot in life, a good doctor is seen as one that doesn’t care who is on the table before them. They simply see a life. Even if they know the person in front of them has committed horrible acts against their fellow man, they reject such information, shoving it from their mind and simply giving their patient care.
Perhaps, for most of us, it is difficult to find a balance in this rendering aid while shoving away the knowledge we have of someone we might define as evil. In many respects it’s something that gives us a moral dilemma, because it means we are releasing someone back into the world that has the potential for inflicting harm. Although there are countless movies, shows and skits that promote this value, I wanted to know: "Is there an example of this kindness being returned?" While looking for an answer, I came across a story from World War II. (The link is provided at the end of this article)
The story recounts how an American soldier (Elmer Richardson) was saved by a German doctor, named Ludwig Gruber, at a a German Military Hospital. Elmer was in a really terrible state by the time he got to the hospital, by all accounts even if he wanted to save the man, Ludwig would have been in his rights to admit defeat. It was determined later on that Ludwig’s surgical procedures were revolutionary for the time they were performed. Yet the doctor refused and against the will of his colleagues, worked tirelessly to save Elmer.
Not long later, under a truce, a US Army Captain was allowed to tour the hospital. The reason for this tour was to assess it as a target for a bombing. Elmer helped convince American forces that the hospital should not be a target, and an agreement was made that as long as the Germans would remove their military equipment from the area, it would remain safe. In this regard, the action of Ludwig saved the lives of all of the patients he could save in the future.
Although I couldn’t find an instance, I’m sure that there are doctors who went on to regret saving someone that hurts others. Today I wonder just how many of the detainees I had in my facility ended up turning to ISIS either to save themselves or because they really are that evil. In some small way it hurts to think about it. Especially when I consider that there might be a couple who revel in the idea of killing anyone not a part of the ISIS movement. However, in some small way, I feel like it was necessary for the detainees in that facility to see that there is a decent face amongst the Americans. People that can try to treat them with respect with what little opportunity they have.
I’m sure it did not turn them away from what they were doing, but the ones that were evil (the two head-sawers come to mind), were not the only people present. And even they deserve to know that people are not all cut from the same fabric.
Rejecting information, especially when you know what someone is capable of, is important. It can allow the legal system an opportunity to deal with the problem rather than you lashing out at them. It can help return you to a state of being objective in your actions. It gives rise to knowing the difference between defending oneself and outright assault or killing another human being out of emotional spikes.