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I also think, the human tendency to take the path of least resistance often leads down the path of fear and ignorance as you stated. It is simply easier to assign a sweeping generalisation and make simple, linear conclusions based on said assignment. After 911, I admit, I hated everything about the Middle East and parts of Asia. It was simply easier to hate and wish doom to entire nations. After my experiences, I have come away with a much different conclusion, and it is a hard pill to swallow. I am more uncertain of humanity than I ever have been throughout my entire life. I simply do not know or have no answers. This is in stark contrast to believing I know (albeit falsely) the way of the world and the rational for human motivation. However, I would rather be uncertain in my assessments and musings than absolute and incorrect. Like you, I have had difficulty in explaining my change of heart so to speak. I can only say that if fathers in Afghanistan love their daughters and weep over their daughter's broken bodies, then perhaps the simplistic view that every person from Afghanistan is a terrorist waiting to kill Americans is grossly incorrect at best.

Ditto. Unfortunately there is no way to break the link between hate and fear. I've told the story a million times about the loving, kind people of that country, only to see peoples eyes glaze over with sympathy for my ignorance. When people are afraid, they are incredibly motivated to find a common enemy, regardless of the actually culpability of that enemy. It's unfortunate that in this case education has little chance of winning out over hysteria until, likely, several more generations have past. Surprised to still be at war? No...as non of the war making concerns the falling of the Twin Towers. What I am most surprised and disheartened by is that more has not been done to show that being Muslim and being a terrorist are not synonymous. Dwayne

OOOOOOHHH.... I saw the topic, and then I saw the poster... and I thought "What fun!" *** pulls up a chair and some popcorn ***

My notions about the people of Afghanistan have changed significantly after living there.

They call them fundamentals for a reason. I suppose it depends on how bad your educational experience really was, but there absolutely are some essential must-know concepts for paramedic instruction and practice. I think it is oftentimes easy to cover up a lack of fundamental knowledge with day-to-day proficiency, but that by no means should be the norm or an excuse. There seems to be a culture (sub culture?) in EMS who's mantra is that clinical "skills" can somehow make for a lack of education. It isn't the case. OP if you are really serious about making sure your fundamentals are up to snuff, you're going to have to take some active effort. Figure out where you are weak and study up. Use books and real classes. You will probably "pick up" a good amount of it in your work, but that information is oftentimes unreliable and inconsistent. Do it right!

How can someone who works with people of different color/religion/sexual orientation all day, every day, show such a lack of tolerance? You'd think he'd know that people are quite the same. As a side note I am having a hard time grasping what his problem with "the queers" is in the first place. They are not performing sinful sex acts on his lawn as he's attempting to mowe it. What they do does not affect him in any way, so why does he give a damn? I've heard people say things like, "how am I supposed to tell my son that two men are getting married?" I don't know, it's your shitty kid, you tell him. Why is that anyone else's problem? Two guys can't be together because you don't want to talk to your ugly child for five minutes?

Word to the wise, learn your lidocaine and dopamine drip concentrations. And not just enough to get through class, but to commit to memory. Even if you plan on working for a service that carries both premixed. Not only is it truly a vital thing to know, because hey, you may not always have that luxury for any number of reasons, but also because you don't want to be that paramedic student who has to spend a day of internship walking around with a sign on their shirt that says "Ask Me How to Mix Lidocaine" and have your preceptors stop every nurse, doctor and tech in the hospital and make them read the sign and ask the question and then to top it off have them post the image on Facebook for all of your future coworkers to see how royally screwed you are for irking them with your lack of knowledge. Not that I would know anything about that... (Oh, and it's 1 g lidocaine in 250 cc NS for a 4 mg/cc concentration and 200 mg dopamine in 250 cc NS for an 800 mcg/cc concentration or alternatively 400 mg dopamine in 250 cc NS for a 1600 mcg/cc concentration.)