I didn’t think that in the year 2025, I would need to address Nazis in the world of Paramedicine. That is to say, while I, and anyone else with a brain, knows that Nazis, neo-Nazis, etc are involved in Paramedicine, and healthcare as a whole, they usually aren’t brazen about their Nazi status. Their political leanings may be known, but the fact that they are an actual Nazi is kept under wraps. So, while I know I have invariably worked with and around Nazis throughout my career, they never actually let me know they were Nazis. Imagine my surprise the other day when someone at my service clapped their feet together and threw down a full-fledged Nazi salute in the middle of a common area with plenty of other people around.
For context, that person had been debating the topic of Nazis with a fellow laborer throughout the day. I wasn’t present for the salute or even the aftermath, but I heard about it and had it verified by people who were present. The Nazi in question has since tried to label what he did as a joke and is going with the, “I don’t see what the big deal is, I didn’t even mean anything by it” line of denial. If it were up to me this person wouldn’t have a job, for a number of reasons, the largest of all being that there is no place in the world where Nazis should feel safe to work or be a part of any community.
If you’re keeping track, I’ve referred to this person as a Nazi a few different times now. The reason for that is simple, they are a Nazi. The Nazi salute has meaning and power behind it, and unlike most news outlets I’m not going to run from calling a Nazi salute exactly what it is, a Nazi salute. It’s not a gesture like a Nazi salute or a motion resembling a Nazi salute, or a Roman salute. It is, and always will be, a Nazi salute, and anyone who looks at a room of co-laborers and performs the Nazi salute is, in fact, a Nazi.
The Paramedicine field is supposed to be about helping others. At the end of the day none of our fancy skills, degrees, certificates, etc. matter next to the act of helping someone else. That may mean we perform one of those highfaluting skills that get us all jazzed up. Or, as is more often the case, it means that we are present to listen to someone who feels that no one else is willing to hear their cries for help. Do you know who has no interest in helping those in need? You guessed it, Nazis. They’ll help those who they identify as part of their supposed master race, but even then those people have to pass various purity tests. There isn’t a single thing you could say to me that would convince me that a Nazi deserves to work in Paramedicine or takes good care of their patients.
As a Communist, I must stand up to those who would identify as a Nazi. That’s why I’ll let you know again, that anyone who is a Nazi does not deserve to work in healthcare, and that includes the field of Paramedicine. Not only that, but they deserve to be actively driven out of the field and shunned. This isn’t a nuanced topic, there are no two sides to this issue. You’re either opposed to Nazis in totality or one of two things; 1) a complete idiot, or 2) a Nazi yourself. Those of us in Paramedicine who aren’t Nazis need to do our part and let anyone among our ranks who is a Nazi know that they are not welcome. There are a handful of actions that should bar someone from practicing Paramedicine, being a Nazi is one of those things. If someone at your service throws out a Nazi salute, do us all a favor and show that person the door, our field will be better off however you decide to get them through that door.
Lead photo courtesy of Mule Design – Cotton Bureau
