(Feb. 4) Washington DC: A man who had been seriously assaulted Tuesday had lain on a sidewalk in Columbia Heights (a Washington D.C. neighborhood) for about 20 minutes, with pedestrians and cars passing, before anyone called for help, D.C. police said yesterday.
The man later died.
The attack was captured on a store surveillance camera, which showed the man in a small group on the sidewalk. Another man in the group punched the victim, knocking him to the ground. The victim got back on his feet, and another man pushed him down. The victim apparently struck his head and did not get up again. The videotape, first reported by TV station WJLA (Channel 7) shows people walking by the victim as he lay incapacitated, although with no visible signs of trauma, for about 20 minutes. It then shows an ambulance arriving.
Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) expressed disappointment at the reaction of those who passed the injured man without calling for help. "It's very sad to think that people walk by someone lying in the street," Graham said.
(
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/29/AR2009012904604.html )
Not for nuthin, but the guy was a bum. I don't know if he was lying in a pool of blood. But there is not always a huge difference in the composure of bums between "just got beat up" and "just another day of living on the streets" (http://forum.minneapolisfinder.com/post-22310.html)
(Jan. 19) An 81-year-old British woman died after passers-by ignored her because they thought she was drunk.
Molly Morgan was attacked from behind Thursday night while walking to the library, sustaining head injuries, broken facial bones and a broken arm after being dragged to the ground and robbed, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
She died the next day in the hospital.
"When Mrs. Morgan was attacked she fell to the ground, and we believe she was on the pavement for about 10 minutes before anyone came to her aid," Detective Chief Inspector Jessica Wadsworth told the Daily Mail.
"While at hospital, Mrs. Morgan told police that a man walked right past her and didn’t stop, even when she asked for help," Wadsworth said.
"It is our belief that this man, and other people in the area who didn’t assist the victim, may tragically not have realized that Mrs. Morgan had been attacked and was in considerable pain. We know from some witnesses that they had assumed she was merely a drunk on the street."
(http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2167502/posts)
Lancaster UK (Jan. 30) Scores of drivers ignored the pleas of a woman as she struggled to save a drowning pensioner at the side of a busy Preston road.
Today Jayne Sumner says she is shocked she had to wait 20 minutes for any help after discovering the bleeding man lying semi-conscious and face down in mud along Longridge Road, Ribbleton.
Despite scores of cars passing by, they were left stranded on the roadside. Jayne, of Greenlands Crescent, Ribbleton, said: "There was a fellow across the road and I was screaming for him to help but he got in his car and drove off."
(http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Shame-as-passersby-ignore-collapsed.4929453.jp)
Who are we?
What have we become?
If what is happening in the US and the UK is symptomatic, than the pandemic we SHOULD be concerned about is one of apathy, one of not only "me first" but of "me only."
The actions that made the news - there's hope, they at least were deemed "news worthy" - place us with the worst people in history, people who consider others somehow "less than us."
Zeig heil.
I doubt any nation is free if guilt. What was done to the American Indians and blacks is the shame of this nation.
Rome, largely through the bulls and other papal pronouncements, not only has besmirched itself but led others to do likewise; in two words: Inquisition and pogroms.
The enlightened Islamists wipe out complete villages - look at Syrian and Iraqi recent history. No people is free of the sin of "looking away."
That's the way it is.
But is that the way it must be?
Prof Cary Cooper, a leading psychologist at Lancaster (England) University, believes people have stopped taking responsibility for others. "It is the innocent bystander effect – it means that people do not want to get involved.
"They would either have to deviate from what they were doing, or the people may look dicey."
Prof Cooper blames the loss of traditional communities over the last 30 years is at the heart of the problem. "Years ago people trained and worked close to home and everybody knew everybody.
"Communities have broken up, people don't share the responsibility of keeping an eye on each other. We are going to see more of this."
But we don't have to "see more of this." We need to accept responsibility for our neighbors' welfare, at least to the extent that we are able.
Don't want to get yoour hands "dirty," afraid of touching someone (AIDs after all) - at least call the cops or emergency services and stay with the person until help arrives. Don't just walk away hoping that someone else will help. I hate to break it to you, but WE are that "someone else." And if I'm not there, that leaves just you.
Yohanon
yohanon.glenn @ gmail dot com
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