Human Failure

What is the world coming to? What in the hell is wrong with people? Tonight, I have heard about two extremely disturbing things. I almost hesitate to mention them because they are ridiculous to me and a real downer. Feel free not to read if you are in a good mood. I was listening to the radio and the DJs on WPGC were discussing these items and taking emotional calls from listeners. I had to get out of the car at the time, but I looked up the two stories online. I almost wish I hadn't.

The first one is completely unconscionable. It is about a young woman in Wichita, Kansas who lay bleeding on the floor of a convenience store while patrons stepped over her. No one did anything for 2 minutes. She struggled there, while at least five people did nothing. And the really disgusting part: someone had the nerve to snap a photo of the dying woman with her cell phone. I literally feel sick thinking about this story. There's an accompanying video that goes into some detail. It's unfathomable to me. A psychologist says it may have been because of group think. Group think my ass you ridiculous, ignorant people. It is alarmingly sad how weak people can be psychologically. I'm not saying I am not susceptible to errors in judgement due to psychological factors. But, give me a freaking break people. Absolutely disgusting. But, it may have also been a "street code" thing. One of the listeners called into the radio station I heard this on and ranted on and on about how there's a code of the street and you don't snitch and go telling about stuff like that. Ugh. I don't claim to know one damn thing about the street, being street, or surviving on the street, but ugh is all I can say. Oh, and the woman died. The 2 minutes of idiocy may have saved her life. They know what happened because of store surveillance footage. I hope they track down those people and do something...anything to punish them. If this situation doesn't fall under some failure to render aid law, it should.

The second story is on par with the first. But, I suppose a little more believable in that it happened in a supposedly dangerous housing project where violence is common, and therefore neighborly response is expected to be lower. In West Palm Beach, Florida (a few miles away from the rich folk), a mother and son were brutally beaten and raped by teenagers. This went on for 3 hours. As if receiving this torturous treatment from assailants isn't bad enough, the mother was forced to perform oral sex on the son. Absolutely unbelievable to me that no one did anything in response to the screaming. One stupid little call to 911 would have done it, but you know..."snitches get stitches" as the article mentions. A resident actually said to a reporter "So a lady was raped. Big deal" "There's too much other crime happening here." That is sad. And no one will be punished for failure to render aid here as it was just another occurrence behind closed doors. I could never live in a place where rape is considered getting off easy and I have to fear for my life because of trying to save someone else's.

But, I have that choice, don't I...What's dreadful is that these things happen all the time and have always been happening. Yet, the world still turns. I live my happy little life with my great job, health care, my Palm Treo and my TiVo, my silly little complaints, and the choice of living where not cutting your grass or painting your door the wrong color is a big deal, while millions of people live in abominable conditions, suffer miserable existences, and cannot trust their fellow man when the chips are down.