The other night, I was in a car with a friend and we were on our way to the market. Just before we got there, we noticed a guy on the ground in the median. We slowed down, to see if we might be able to help him, and the car behind us honked their horn. No one else stopped. While at the light, getting ready to turn around and help him, we saw him get up and finish crossing the street. He was limping but seemed to be okay, so we turned into the market and watched him walk away.
I couldn't believe how everyone was just zooming past this man, like nothing was wrong, like he hadn't fallen and might've needed help. And the idiot behind us who honked their horn, like maybe if they sat there too long, they might have to see that he'd fallen down. I was angry and frustrated at the same time. All these people who drove past this man, just drove past him like he didn't exist. How can anyone see someone fall and not even stop to see if they're ok?
And yesterday in the news, Jeff Conaway died. He was 60 years old, a talented actor who had a drug problem. So many of the comments were just vile and hateful. How can anybody hide behind a computer and be so filled with hate that they can villify a man who died? He was human, like all of us, and he had problems but that didn't mean you should spew such bile.
The thing that separates us from animals, supposedly, is our reasoning ability. Yet I've seen more love, compassion, and empathy from animals than I have from humans in the last few years. We'll send hundreds of thousands of dollars to Haiti after an earthquake and yet we'll turn away a couple of gay men when their home is destroyed by a tornado. We'll clamor for assistance for the Middle East, yet we'll turn our backs on families here who have just lost everything in the floods.
My bottom line: Before you post hate-filled posts, before you drive past someone who has fallen, remember that someday, the one needing help may be you. I hope you find more than impatience and hate at that time.
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