Interesting quote from the family:

“‘We believe that whatever God does is for the good, so if that’s the way he [God] was meant to take him [Moses] then it must be good for him and for us, because it was meant to be.
‘So there’s no blame, no pointing, because what was meant to happen, happened, and there was nothing anybody could have done to avoid it.’
Speaking of the police response she added: ‘Of course we would have liked it if they could have got their quicker. But we really appreciate what the police have done and they treated us and our religious beliefs with respect.
‘They waited for Jewish men to come [to the pond] to handle the body, and we really appreciate that.’

This response is really sad for the main reason that it abdicates personal responsibility for one’s actions and just passes it to an imaginary person in the sky (a bit like ISIS).

While I respect people of any religious belief (just as I respect people without any religious belief) it seems strange that people still believe in 2015 superstitious religions made up in the last couple of thousand years to explain natural events.

Tony,

I know the story, at least the versions I’ve read. This was as blatant an example of terminal stupidity as any I’ve come across. Terminal stupidity always seems to feature in these cases.

None of that really matters. I’m more than aware of the instinct of self preservation and how powerful it is but, there is, or should be, a moral imperative at work. An imperative that altho’ we might be crapping our pants at the prospect, means that we must do everything we can to help someone in mortal danger.

I would bet my life that if you were the only person around passing a blazing house and someone screamed from a top window for your help you would do whatever was in your capacity, to help.

Any normal person would. It is an instinct as powerful as self preservation. I live on the South Coast and over the years we’ve had a handful of instances where the police or fire and rescue have arrived in response to a call and then stood by as someone drowned – in one particular instance – because, allegedly, they hadn’t had the ‘right’ kind of training’ to enter water four feet deep. In other words they bottled out.

I’m saddened that so few seem to agree.

John, I agree with you that hopefully most people would instinctively try to help someone if they could see they were in trouble or in mortal danger.

In this totally avoidable case (and I am sorry to say case of real stupidity) the bystanders couldn’t see where he had gone under….had anyone else gone in this might have resulted in further unnecessary deaths.

If the waters had being clear enough to see even a few yards, or to see where that chap was, then you and I (without any training) would have just have just dived in to help.

The people in your example on the south coast who didn’t try to help in just 4 feet of water just seem to lack basic judgement when it was just easier to help straight away rather than wait for help.

A reply that is high on bleak rationality but, utterly lacking in moral responsibility. Your sentiments are wrong.

Did you have a chance to read the full story John?

Did you know for example that visibility in the water was about six inches and you could barely see in front of your face?

From the Daily Fail (sorry to quote this rag 😉

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3041417/Teenager-drowns-going-swim-friends-Hampstead-Heath-pond-hottest-day-year.html

The salient facts being:-

‘He was swimming away from the designated area and out of hours so there were no lifeguards on duty.

‘There are signs everywhere warning people not to go into the water at these times.

‘Visibility in the water is about six inches, it’s very murky, and you can barely see in front of your face.

‘He had swum out over a ten foot drop and was about 20 feet from the side when he experienced difficulty – you have to be a strong swimmer to be out there

You’re a funny guy Mr Pizza 😀

All this effort for April fool’s day! Clearly too much time on your hands (girlfriend left for Easter?) 😀

….and you’re too early for 1st April!

Hi Tony,
It’s not so much the posting as why I can’t do it any more even though going through the usual procedure ? :confused: As for the other shows you mentioned I
remember them but not the same way as The Invaders, I always thought on the subject of Sci-Fi that Harry Turtledoves eight book series about an alien
invasion (No.1 In The Balance)would make a great trilogy for the film industry, it would have Steven Spielberg directing along with Tom Hanks for his
work on Band Of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan, alas nobody has even bothered as far as I am aware and Harry Turtledove himself is really elusive when you try and track him down or at least he was the last time I tried, but the series is an excellent read for a Sci-Fi Fan :eagerness:

Geoff.

Hi Geoff

Many thanks for recommending Harry Turtledove….I’ve not read any of his books and he does look like an interesting character…..I’ll try In the Balance first and let you know how I get on!

I did like the classic film Forbidden Planet based on The Tempest….with Walter Pigeon and a young Leslie Nielsen…..(the designer of Robbie the robot also made the robot for Lost in Space)…..

….also liked the second Alien film ‘Aliens’ with Sigourney Weaver as Ripley….more recently I thought Interstellar was ok but seeing the special effects in 3-D at the IMAX couldn’t compensate I felt for lack of a good story (2001 was a better film)…….Gravity had little plot and characterisation but the spectacle on a 20m 3-D screen was better and made you believe you were hanging in space…

…an unusual (dark ;-)) comedy is Dark Star, John Carpenter’s first film (he also made Starman) made for only $60,000 , where Doolittle teaches one of the self-aware nuclear bombs on board Cartesian doubt with unexpected results 😀 ;- )

Hi Tony,
Have sent you an e-mail self explanatory well in my tiny mind anyway. 😀
I too watched the series but what got me into Sci-Fi was a series from the 60’s called (The Invaders) If I remember correctly I watched while my dad worked nights, but Star Trek was what got me interested in science, although not what I was meant to learn at school 😀 But I just loved Star Trek and all that followed as a consequence I suppose I am open minded about the chances of life on other planets.
I said as much on another forum and one member said not much sign of intelligent life on earth let alone other planets, when you consider what we are doing to the planet with War/Hunting/Stripping it’s minerals etc.etc.etc. and he has a point to a degree.. Yes I remember reading about the space shuttle dedication and about how James Doohan had his ashes flown into space aboard a Falcon 9 rocket I wonder if Mr Nimoy has a similar wish in fact if most of the cast have any of these type of wishes ?
Today though I doubt if there are such shows that inspire rather than are watched for entertainment value none the less it has inspired thousands of people to follow their dreams into whatever field they chose.

Geoff.

Hi Geoff,

I’ll read the email later 😀

I remember The Invaders! When the aliens were shot they just faded away like an x-ray! (do you remember Sergeant Bilko, Hogan Heroes, F Troop, The Forresters?)

Star Trek also got me interested in science…and space the final frontier!:D (as well as Airfix models, and my first ones were the Boultan Defiant, Blenheim bomber and the Buccanneer!).

We are opened minded about life on other planets just from the sheer number of stars and planets out there…I agree with you about not much sign of intelligent life on Earth! 😀

Scottie (James Doohan) had his ashes flown into space….I don’t know about Mr Nimoy but I have a feeling his wishes might be a bit more down to earth (sorry no pun intended! ;- ))

Those early shows and their idealistic creators like Gene Roddenberry had a vision of hope for the better….that as you say inspired thousands to follow their dreams like many at NASA…..maybe not many shows but there are still people out there who do inspire people to follow their dreams in whatever field they chose…. and you can see them everywhere if you look, doing ordinary jobs, but they have a spirit that can inspire!

Hi Geoff,

😀 Ha! …seems miles away from Mr Spock!

He was a hippie at heart….and he said the idealistic role of Spock changed his outlook on life…..you can imagine him listening to Frank Zappa and the Grateful Dead ;- )

Growing up with the original Star Trek series, it was a time of hope and that series inspired a lot of people…..a lot of things that we take for granted now like satellite phones, slim computer disks, etc. first appeared in that late sixties series.

The first NASA shuttle was named Enterprise….and the creator of Star Trek Gene Roddenberry and the cast including Leonard Nimoy were at the dedication ceremony:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Enterprise#mediaviewer/File:Star_Trek_cast_and_Space_Shuttle_Enterprise.jpg