# The Life You Save May Not Be Your Own **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 14, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273 "2002-03-14T14:33:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/1 "2002-03-14T14:33:08Z")
[http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm\_543367.html](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_543367.html) Brief summary: "Police in northern France are hunting dozens of youths suspected of beating to death a man who approached them for bullying his son. The father, identified only as Patrice, was beaten to death with bricks, bottles and planks of wood." I’m sitting here trying to construct an appropriate flame and getting the feeling that I’m exerting too much effort. My only solace right now is that should they find their way into a jail cell (they haven’t been convicted yet, but I’m not sure it’ll be terribly difficult, what with having an eye witness and all that) their fellow inmates will teach them a thing or two. ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/2 "2002-03-14T16:28:50Z")
“I’m not a bully, and if you say call me one again I’ll punch you right in the mouth!” :rolleyes: I agree with you, Pat. Words of disgust fail me right now. Toughened inmates LOVE to teach the new tough punks how things work on the inside. I imagine that when they are one-on-one (as opposed to the group mentality they had in the attack) with inmates they will be fetal and crying within hours. ---
**Author:** ![Jurhael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@Jurhael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurhael)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/3 "2002-03-14T19:00:34Z")
It’s just sooooo terrible for a father to stand up for his son. I mean, really? People standing up for each other! THE HORROR!!! If I snort anymore in derision, my nose would blow off my face. I agree with the both of you. Prison would do wonders for them, especially once they meet Bubba. Unless Bubba is a US phonomenon, but somehow I doubt that. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/4 "2002-03-14T22:28:59Z")
What does the title have to do with the subject, though? Just askin’. ---
**Author:** ![Pucette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@Pucette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pucette)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/5 "2002-03-14T22:35:50Z")
My guess is that the father may have saved his son’s life, but lost his. If I’m wrong, I blame lack of sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Pucette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@Pucette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pucette)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/6 "2002-03-14T22:39:31Z")
And somehow I made it sound like it was a useless sacrifice. That’s not what I meant. This story makes me sick. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/7 "2002-03-14T23:39:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*What does the title have to do with the subject, though? > > Just askin’. \*\* There’s a work or book or short story or something blannery O’Connor titled “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.” It’s about a mentally retarded girl who gets married to a traveling salesman with one arm. The girl’s mother arranges everything. As I read it, it may have been an excerpt (it was in an anthology). Anyway, this article reminded me of the O’Connor work in that the life the boy’s father (in the article) saved wasn’t his own. The article didn’t mention anything about how the kids were going to kill his son, so it might not be totally analagous (so to speak), but it worked at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/8 "2002-03-14T23:43:17Z")
I suppose you have to have read it. Okay, just curious. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/9 "2002-03-15T00:08:53Z")
Actually, **Guin** , the subject matter of the story (or, at least, as much as I read) doesn’t have as much directly to do with the title as it did in this case (does that make sense?). The title just worked for this instance. I’d have used it if I hadn’t read the O’Connor work just because, with the slight change, it worked. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/10 "2002-03-15T00:12:24Z")
If you say so. Hehehehe… Sorry, long night, I’ve got a headache, damn weather. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-save-may-not-be-your-own/98273/11 "2002-03-16T07:25:45Z")
I’m quite sure that the French Bubbas will make these punks’ anuses ‘Touloose’ if you know what I mean.