Proposed Florida law & the debate around the legal duty to help someone in distress

[DGUtley]

Proposed Florida law resurrects the debate around the legal duty to help someone in distress. -- Numerous European countries make it a crime not to render aid to a stranger in an emergency. Several photographers were investigated under such a law in France after the car crash that killed Princess Diana, although no one was ever charged. Yet Americans are off the hook for a stranger’s emergency in every state but Minnesota, Rhode Island and Vermont. In those states, if it’s known that a person is in serious danger and someone can intervene safely, it’s a misdemeanor not to try to help or call the police.

Florida will join them if Mayfield, a state senator, has her way. Her bill, SB 516, imposes a duty to provide reasonable assistance when people see another person in imminent danger of grave physical harm. Violations are a first-degree misdemeanor, but that increases to a third-degree felony if the defendant records the incident and puts it on social media. This campaign arises out of a situation where some kids watched a man drown and then posed it on social media.

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Naturally, this gives rise to the question of whether we want society to compel us to be Good Samaritans?


Bad Samaritan

[Common]

It should be a federal law that you must help someone in distress UNLESS it puts you in danger as a result.

This BULL$#@! of taking videos while someone is being beaten and is injured etc and not helping needs to stop

[Chris]

Naturally, this gives rise to the question of whether we want society to compel us to be Good Samaritans?

Absolutely not.

We should be Good Samaritans, but only by choice. Forced, we're not free to choose. Moral action requires free choice or will.

[Common]

Absolutely not.

We should be Good Samaritans, but only by choice. Forced, we're not free to choose. Moral action requires free choice or will.

Would you feel that same way if a group of people stood around taking videos while your child, wife, sister, mother, father died.

[DGUtley]

Would you feel that same way if a group of people stood around taking videos while your child, wife, sister, mother, father died.

I hope I would be consistent in my position, yes. I think I would be.

[Chris]

Would you feel that same way if a group of people stood around taking videos while your child, wife, sister, mother, father died.

As I said, we should be Good Samaritans. No argument there. But we can be good only if we're free to choose. And society should judge us by our choices. So, foster a Good Samaritan society without coercion.

[Common]

I have to respectfully disagree with you guys, I think the law is necessary today, 40 yrs ago it was not

[Chris]

I have to respectfully disagree with you guys, I think the law is necessary today, 40 yrs ago it was not

Because we depend on the law for everything today.

Society decays under the liberal project.

[DGUtley]

I would not want to live in a society where we are compelled to be falsely good.

[Captdon]

A good person doesn't need a law and an ignorant ass won't obey it anyway.