When I was young there was a family close that we used to call "rednecks". Bootleggers.

Their house caught on fire and a fireman nearly died trying to save the pre-teen son who wouldn't jump because he didn't trust the "cops".

Appropos of nothing in particular. Just a story.

This did end up being the impetus for much of my later academic interests, tbh.

It was the first time I witnessed the complete abdication of self interest over a set of conditioned fears and beliefs.

I didn't talk for nearly a week and my parents thought I had PTSD from seeing the fire.