Musings On A Blog Name

You know, every time I get to feeling ebullient about the social media revolution, JEMS links one of my posts on their Facebook page, and I am reminded that the price of near limitless communication is that it also provides a forum for monosynaptic dullards best kept locked up in their mother's basement.

And the truly frightening thing is, these people are out there rendering emergency medical care.

If they make treatment decisions with the same amount of forethought behind their Facebook comments, how many people are they maiming or killing under the guise of providing medical care?

I picked my blog name as a tongue-in cheek reference to the public perception of EMS personnel. It's MY choice. if you understand satire, you get it. If you've read more than a post or two on my blog, you probably get it as well.

But for those who don't, I have no problem telling them to kiss my pasty white ass and take their readership elsewhere.

Probably a moot point anyway, because most of them are not even reading this, their eyes having glazed over at the first polysyllabic word. When you run out of functioning neurons before you run out of characters in a Twitter post, truly I will not miss your readership, because you don't get what I write anyway.

I spend a lot of time advocating stronger educational standards for EMS. I advocate practice based on current scientific research, and speak at EMS conferences around the country urging other systems to do the same. I serve on committees, and I volunteer my time to teach others. I try to treat my patients to the best of my knowledge and ability, and I strive every day to increase that knowledge and ability.

And yes, sometimes I engage in a little potty humor or use profanity when I shouldn't.

Still, I try to be a steward of my profession. I think I do a good job of it.

I have strong opinions, and I state them on this blog. However, I am not intransigent in my positions, and I can, have and will again change my position on an issue if someone makes a suitably convincing argument. I don't censor or delete comments, and you can disagree with me (any many do) right here on the comments section of this blog, and I will engage in a friendly debate without taking offense.

If, however, you engage in personal attacks or rudeness on my blog – either against or in support of my position – I will summarily delete the offending comment, and if necessary, whack the commenter with the Ban Hammer.

I welcome debate and dissent, but I will not willingly suffer the online emanations of an asshole.

Whenever I read the indignant screechings of the "I AM NOT AN AMBULANCE DRIVER!?!" brigade on Facebook or the various EMS forums, I am reminded of a comment by Rogue Medic:

We spend half our time in EMS demanding respect, and the rest of the time proving that we are not worthy of it.

Truly, if your best imitation of civil discourse and intelligent debate resembles the comments on a YouTube video, feel free to find another blog to read, and while you're at it, please get out of my profession.

I guess what I'm saying is, the blog title is not meant to be insulting. If you are insulted, however, I'm done apologizing or explaining it, and you're likely the type of EMT I don't mind insulting anyway.