Most shocking - are we losing our humanity?

[Von Tonner]

http://newsendorser.com/play/World_N...in_Hit_and_Run

I went cold watching this. It appears there must have been about 20 to 30 people around at the time and nobody comes forward to help this old man who was knocked down by a hit and run. I forget the name of the French philospher who once said: The more I come to understand humans, the more I love my dog.

[Stealth Hunter]

Oh yeah. Well, I don't think it's so much of a case of losing humanity as it is being too piss-pants scared to do something and not giving a damn so long as it isn't them. Humans have always been this way. They really are all selfish down inside. Good thing the world is going to end someday.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Stealth Hunter

Oh yeah. Well, I don't think it's so much of a case of losing humanity as it is being too piss-pants scared to do something and not giving a damn so long as it isn't them. Humans have always been this way. They really are all selfish down inside. Good thing the world is going to end someday.

And that is why we are doomed because doing the right thing is harder than driving off the scene.

[AVGWarhawk]

Some people are born to act and others not. What can I say? Another example involved my Dad. He is a ER doctor (retired). At any rate, traveling with my mother in rural up state New York. They came upon a accident. Four young girls driving in the fog slammed into the rear end of a tractor trailer. The car was a convertible and went underneath the ICC bar found on the underside rear of trailers. My dad stopped and assessed each girl. One was completely decapitated. The three others he tended to for OVER TWO HOURS waiting on emergency services. All others that stopped helped with what they had. Water, blankets, hold compression on a bad cut or just a voice for these young girls to listen to and keep holding on. My mother talked to each of them in turn and kept making the rounds until help arrived. One of the young ladies had a broken neck. She was his first and most concerned patient for him. Being such a rural area emergency services are not like a big city that is covered with ambulances. When they did arrive, they asked my dad who was the worst and who could wait a bit. He gave them what they needed and all three girls survived. When my folks finally reached their hotel room, my dad notice his new white shirt he purchased for the trip was covered in blood from top to bottom. He did not notice before because of the fog, rain and night time hours. I told my dad what is a $25.00 shirt compared to three girls who are still alive because of you? Made me very proud of my dad. He could have just kept going and been concerned for himself over a lawsuit if something went wrong under his watch. But, my dad being who he is threw caution to the wind like he usually does and dug right in.

Today I saw him off on the American Spirit to cruise the Chesapeake for a week. Gave him a nice bottle of Pinch Scotch for the cruise! Lucky dog!

Some people just have the instinct to take charge and make the decisions. I call it, Lead, Follow or get the "F" out of the way.

[kiwi_2005]

Originally Posted by Stealth Hunter

Good thing the world is going to end someday.

:hmm: You sound like you can't wait for it to end

[AVGWarhawk]

Sadly, this video demonstrated the same ordeal that was studied quite a few years ago and it concerned a rape in progress at a apartment complex. The woman yelled for help but all who heard her thought someone else would assist the woman. None did. From what I remember well over 10 people heard or saw the raping as it was happening. As far as the video, what is a person to do? Here is a person hit by a vehicle. Do you move the guy? No because you could possibly do more damage. The internal injuries are not known. Do you call 911? Yes. Do you attempt to find a blanket/jacket to keep the victim warm as shock certainly has set in? Yes. Do you block traffic to keep the other jacknuts behind the wheels while using their cell phones from running him over further? Yes. But, all the same, you see none of this happening. Furthermore a officer did stop not long after the clip is stopped. He was actually on a call for something else and drove up on this sceen.

I was in a similar situation. I was driving to work in Hagerstown MD. A car came across the median and was spinning as it did. In my mind I said something is not right here as the headlights were on my side of the road and heading at me. I was about a 1/4 mile away watching this as I was driving. In front of me in the right lane was a Fedex tractor trailer. The driver could not react fast enough. The car went under the trailer and was run over by his rear axles. Luckly the tractor driver was able to keep his rig under control as both axles were pushed back as they drove over the vehicle. I was the first on the scene. I left my car in the middle of the highway blocking the struck vehicle and me at the same time. My first thought was if there are brains all over the dashboard I'm going to lose my breakfast. As I approached the vehicle, I noticed the engine, passenger and trunk areas of the car were completely flattened and what is inside ma not be too pretty. I looked in and low and behold was a young Asian girl, seatbelted in and completely disoriented. She has some blood present on her face but was functioning to some degree. By that time other vehicles stopped. Those that ran up I asked if they had a cell phone and to call 911. Others that stopped I asked for any sort of blankets. One person had a brand new sleeping bag but handed it over all the same. We did not move the girl because again, what other unseen injuries? The vehicle was not in danger of catching fire. Not much else we could do put talk to her and wait for emergency services. She was one very lucky girl. The car was so smashed that I could not identify the model. So, my point here is these bystanders could have done a bit more than stand and watch or walk on by this man. Some people just do not know what to do or do not want to get involved.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Sadly, this video demonstrated the same ordeal that was studied quite a few years ago and it concerned a rape in progress at a apartment complex. The woman yelled for help but all who heard her thought someone else would assist the woman. None did. From what I remember well over 10 people heard or saw the raping as it was happening. As far as the video, what is a person to do?

That sounds like the story of Kitty Genovese. I was around to read about it in the papers at the time. If it's the same story (and it might well not be), Kitty was stabbed to death over a period of time, screaming for help all the time. People who heard it later said they "didn't want to get involved"; all thirty-eight of them. My dad was the type who certainly would have gotten involved, and he talked about it a lot at the time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese

On a better note, several years ago when I was making a living driving skiers to the resorts, I was travelling down the freeway when up ahead I could see a smashed car and the driver lying on the side of the road. I considered stopping to help, but changed my mind when I realized that there were already three people tending to him and a woman standing by talking on her cell phone - I presume calling the authorities. I decided that I would only be in the way, but was happy that there are some folks who will still "get involved".

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

That sounds like the story of Kitty Genovese. I was around to read about it in the papers at the time. If it's the same story (and it might well not be), Kitty was stabbed to death over a period of time, screaming for help all the time. People who heard it later said they "didn't want to get involved"; all thirty-eight of them. My dad was the type who certainly would have gotten involved, and he talked about it a lot at the time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese

On a better note, several years ago when I was making a living driving skiers to the resorts, I was travelling down the freeway when up ahead I could see a smashed car and the driver lying on the side of the road. I considered stopping to help, but changed my mind when I realized that there were already three people tending to him and a woman standing by talking on her cell phone - I presume calling the authorities. I decided that I would only be in the way, but was happy that there are some folks who will still "get involved".

Yes, the Kitty Genovese case is one of those standard lectures in social psychology courses I spoke of. I had her on mind, but have forgotten the name over the years.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Yes, the Kitty Genovese case is one of those standard lectures in social psychology courses I spoke of. I had her on mind, but have forgotten the name over the years.

That is the one Steve . I knew it involved a women around an apartment complex screaming for help. People closed their blinds or turned up their TV. Gosh, this was back in high school...over 20 years for me. I too had this case in mind as well but did not remember the entire detail of the scenerio.

[Cohaagen]

As distressing as that video is, one incident does not damn the entire race of six billion individuals. Bad news is saleable news, and it serves as prolefeed for a certain type of person, sadly numerous, who endure in the perpetual belief that the end of civilisation and decency is nigh.

When National Service ended in the UK, the papers were full of the usual blimps, reactionaries, armchair generals and loudmouthed tubthumpers bemoaning its demise and predicting that the country's fighting men had been reduced to the level of simpering eununchs, and that we'd be incapable of winning even a limited war...

1982, Falklands campaign: advancing on Stanley, outnumbered British soldiers and marines cover 60 miles on foot in three days carrying up to 120lbs each over exceptionally rough terrain, winning every battle along the way in the face of enormous odds and sub-zero Antarctic conditions.

Moreover, there are countless examples of unadvertised civilian courage and sacrifice to be found, and everyday valour carried out by the emergency services abounds. For some reason, though, humans like to indulge in their worst aspects, in a manner closely resembling a dog which delights in rolling in a rotting carcass. We find it perversely comforting to cover ourselves with our own putresence.

Mind you, one thing I have learned in life is that goodness tends to be a quality more readily becoming of individuals. Sadly, once you get people in a group the tendency is towards behaving like sh*ts.

[Skybird]

a welldocumented, long since known sociopsychological phenomenon. Every student has some historic famous examples in his book for the sociopsychological courses. the more people gather and watch or do other things, the smaller the chances become that somebody will help or at least call the police. People got killed in big houses, yelling for help, with many and dozens of witnesses hearing it - and nobody doing anything, some even watching. Group dynamics, and the reverse correlation between group size and a.) courage and b.) intelligence. And I mean that not as tough words, but I mean that seruous. The bigger a crows the less cpurgae and the less intelligence I expect to see. Or as bonhoeffer has marked it in so few very strong and precise words: huge crowds tend to take over thinking from the individual inside of them, and replace this thinking with paroles only. what has changed to witnesses watching our listening assassination without helping is that today our society is more used to voyeurism, reality-TV and other stuff like that that helps to prevent solidarity and taking responsibility. Such motivations get redirected or better: reversed, expecting the victim on a subcontiouss level to entertain the observer. Also, the borderline between reality and fiction becokmes permeable these days, and role-models from TV series including their set of goals and cravings, moals and expectations towards what life has to goive me in order to make me feel alive mess it up even more (TV crap by far is not so aharmless as people think, becasue it nevertheless does its effects to human minds, to some more, to others less). That all this does not help to break the already existing sociological phenomenon of witnesses' inactivity, is clear.

[Von Tonner]

Found this comment by a police officer which IMHO sums up my feelings on this incident as well.

Police Chief Daryl Roberts said: "At the end of the day we've got to look at ourselves and understand that our moral values have now changed. We have no regard for each other."

At the end of the day, all I know, like AVG's example of helping above, I could never have walked or driven on by in such an incident - and if I am in the minority on that - well, it is a minority I can live with.

[Platapus]

This is not uncommon. When I was an EMT riding on the city squads we ran across this often. The larger the group watching, the less chance that one person will step forward.

The ARC has interviewed people in this situation and it is not litigation fear that prevents people from taking action. According to the interviews every one was waiting for "someone" else.

One of the objectives to the ARC First Responder program is to get someone to be that "someone" to take the first step.

It is not that people don't care, or that they are afraid of lawsuits (they may be afraid of contamination though). It is more a function of group mentality. No one wants to be the first on the dance floor.

It is most unfortunate.

[SUBMAN1]

Video won't play, but I get the jist by the comments posted. Not good.

Humanity isn't lost I don't think. It is just a rarity in the big cities. Leave the cities, and people get way better.

-S

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Platapus

This is not uncommon. When I was an EMT riding on the city squads we ran across this often. The larger the group watching, the less chance that one person will step forward.

The ARC has interviewed people in this situation and it is not litigation fear that prevents people from taking action. According to the interviews every one was waiting for "someone" else.

One of the objectives to the ARC First Responder program is to get someone to be that "someone" to take the first step.

It is not that people don't care, or that they are afraid of lawsuits (they may be afraid of contamination though). It is more a function of group mentality. No one wants to be the first on the dance floor.

It is most unfortunate.

Couldn't agree with you more

Sadly, it reminds me of a RL experience not too long ago.

I was the first mobile unit to a serious RTC (Road Traffic Collision) and had the unenviable experience of a young girl dying in my arms whilst waiting for expert emergency medical assistance.

The ambulance couldn't get through the traffic jam and my vehicle wasn't double crewed, so there was obviously nobody available to take charge/command of the immediate area, or to clear the said obstruction that was caused by the ghouls (passers by, onlookers, nosey folk) who had stopped their vehicles without any thought or regard for maintining a vital road artery to the scene and obviously had no intention of giving any form of physical assistance.

Little things like that really do annoy me!!