Thursday, January 19, 2012

"a very brave person"

In the Ask Amy in today's print WaPo (online in December, apparently) is this letter:

DEAR AMY: I was merging onto the freeway just before Christmas when I hit a patch of ice and lost control of my car. I spun across all four lanes and slid back into the middle of the highway. Finding myself face-to-face with oncoming traffic, I helplessly watched as dozens of headlights came toward me at 65 mph.

After several cars narrowly dodged mine, a very brave person came to a standstill in front of me and turned on his/her emergency blinkers. Other drivers saw the flashing lights and followed suit, creating a wall so that I could turn around.

Had a stranger not risked his/her life to save mine, I certainly would not have celebrated Christmas this year (or ever again).

Thank you to my guardian angel. -- Hannah, Denver

Amy's answer?

DEAR HANNAH: This reminds me of that tear-inducing Carrie Underwood song “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” I’m so relieved you survived this, and very happy to help you thank your fellow motorists.
WTF?

Carrie Underwood's song is about abdicating all responsibility to Jesus. This letter is about "a very brave ... stranger" who risked their life for another human being. There's no resemblance here. Unless you think only Jesus could have made someone do that - and the history of the world suggests otherwise.

Way to devalue human bravery and capacity for altruism there, Amy.

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