Few advlts in my hometown didn't carry a firearm on their or person or in their car. Never once had there been a murder involving a firearm, or accidents involving firearms that lead to death. Want to know why? Because we know how to use them safely. We don't live in the wild west.

But lets not turn this into a political discussion. I'd rather not get banhammered. A bad thing happened, and it happened in the U.S.A. Did it happen because of the country it took place in? Maybe, maybe not, but that doesn't make it alright to say 'LULZ AMERICANZ R DUMB'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_serial_killers_by_country#Canada is a list of serial killers from Canada. I am now going to say that this is because of Canadian society. One of them murdered eleven children and was allowed to live. I think that's horrible, but it is not my business. If the Canadians think its just, then that's fine with me.

Here, we see that there are AMERICANS who are as equally upset at this event as you, but instead of insulting several million people, they're actually trying to be productive.

No, just employers.

I didn't say that, I said "Americans", were the people who fired the guy living in America? They were.

Blindly following rules and duty can be just as bad or worse than not doing them at all.

Hopefully the life gaurd will find a better employer.

Still why was the guy in an ungaurded area of the beach? Should he have been there? What are the details on the Drown-to-be man?

While reading I try to edit out everything not between the lines. Quotes, for example, are more revealing than journalistic conjecture. When a manager at his company takes the stance, "We have liability issues and can't go out of the protected area. What he did was his own decision. He knew the company rules and did what he thought he needed to do..." I think it paints a clear picture of what the problem is: that the threat of a lawsuit is worse than death. And that's just plain crazy no matter how the article spins.

Not that I'm necessarily blaming the company, who are only trying to cover their own end in a climate of existing madness. In fact, Lopez is quoted as saying they "were sorry, but rules are rules."

Apparently he's not too cut up about losing his job: "It was the moral thing to do. I would never pick a job over my morals." Good man!

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/hallandale/fl-hallandale-beach-lifeguards-20120703,0,5326638.story (longer than the BBC)

Have you been to a beach? They're huge you know. Companies only employ lifeguards on the most crowded spots, and it's not always fun to go try to swim or lay out when the beach is packed. I've been on unguarded beach plenty of times.

-Canadian murders eleven children-

Bah, Canadians.

Be a bit more specific in the future.

Not only that, but also inapproriate and not contibuting anything to the thread. It's not about America, it's about a guy who wasn't fired for attempting to save another persons life, but was fired for straying beyond his boundaries for which he was responsible.

IIRC, the drowning man had arleady been rescued by others by the time the lifeguard arrived. I appluad his efforts in attmpting to save the guy, even if he didn't get there in time.

I'd be willing to bet that with this publicity, the lifeguard in question won't be held back by this any. I don't believe it will hurt his chances of getting another job as a lifeguard somewhere else. I only wish there were more like him who are willing to go above and beyond what is required...unlike the people who fired him. They can't see past rules and regulations.

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j7M47fOA2Y

Ok it's only seven lifeguards who quit, not eight. Like that matters.

Well there Canadian
(I'm Canadian)

Oh I know you're Canadian. I recall you exclaiming that you were proud to be a member of the commonwealth, and would be very upset if AC III had an American bias.

Yes, they're Canadian. But the way I phrased it makes it sound as if it applies to all Canadians, as in, all Canadians are serial murderers. It would come across very differently if I said "Wow, what horrible, awful people, its a shame that this monster put all the decent Canadians out there in danger."

I live in Kentucky, and no I've never been to a beach, except when I was too young to remember which was Myrtle Beach.

As I said I didn't mean it that sense, there Americans, I didn't mean to isolate a culture and say they all fire there workers for doing a good deed

Can we focus less on having a Canadian-American turf war, and more on criticizing the people who fired the lifeguard?

What I'm trying to say is that if you don't want it to come across like that you should phrase it differently.

thats pathetic

Canadian Bacon...

svcks that he got fired for doing the right thing, but after this story got some attention they offered his job back.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/fired-fla-lifeguard-offered-job-back/story?id=16716225

Thank you. Its foolish to have even brought in the subject of nations and nationalities to a discussion about an unfair firing of an employee (which can happen anywhere). I think its time for several members to knock it off.

Good for him for rufusing the offer. They are only apolgetic becuase they got caught. Had this had never been public, it would've been business as usual. I also find it funny that several others declined to return to work after the incident.

Hah cowards!!! Scared to face public bash lash, this reminds of the case with the "Hobbit" pub.

I agree, people getting fired for stupid reasons is most definitely not a uniquely American phenomenon. This kind of stuff happens all the time, the only reason we hear about it happening in the United States more often is because they have an enormous population.

Well, when you go to a beach one of the most interesting and fun things to do is simply to find a beach that's as empty as possible, ideally with only yourselves there. There's nothing quite like having an entire beach to yourself to bask in the sun or have a few drinks with friends while watching the sunset.

Judging from that new story, this could very well be the last year that company is employed by the city. Good riddance.

Can't say no to that.

And also get away from all those fat people who insist on wearing the smallest garments.