First, I would say we are becoming more de-sensatized to violence, so when we experince it first hand we are less likely to be shocked by it. IMO
When I was was in Russia, I had an amazing experience. I was coming home from my girlfriend's apartment
late at night. While I was waiting for the metro, an old drunk guy's hat fell on the metro tracks. He proceeded to climb down onto the tracks to retrieve his hat. (about a meter down) At that moment, the headlight of the metro train appeared. I thought to myself, this man is going to be splattered infront of me. Suddenly, 2 young men jumped down on the tracks and rescued the man before the train could get there. I've never seen such bravery! This all happened in a matter of seconds. Later, I reflected on the incident. I though if this had happened in the US, nobody would have rescued this man, but they would have video taped for the news.