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Walk On By: Good Samaritan Dies of Apathy
By: Patrick Maguire
Book Chapter: Human-to-Human Service
Posted: 04/29/2010
The excuses and rationalization are infuriating. The systemic problems within our narcissistic, indifferent culture are appalling.
According to a story by Courtney Hutchinson of ABC News:
Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax, 31, collapsed on a Queens, N.Y., sidewalk after he was stabbed several times by a mugger, but his motionless form didn’t inspire a single passerby to help or to alert the police – until he had been lying there bleeding to death for more than an hour.
The incident, captured on a surveillance camera, began around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 18th, when the homeless man sprang into action to thwart a man attempting to mug a woman on the street.
Please take a moment to read Courtney Hutchinson’s entire story, and to watch all of the related video before you comment on this post.
I understand all of the explanations and theories of the “human behavior experts.” What I won’t accept is the fact that several people have the “It’s not my problem” attitude until it is their problem. Make the phone call.
Before anyone comments about urban living and homelessness, I’ve lived in the city for a long time. I get it. I’ve walked by thousands of homeless people who look perfectly comfortable sleeping in doorways. I’ve also called 911 on many occasions when homeless people were sprawled out as if they had fallen and couldn’t take care of themselves. Every situation is a judgment call, and we all need to be sure we’re not walking by someone who needs help.
One of the questions I keep asking over and over is, How do we move each other from complacency to action? The people in the video are adults, and if adults aren’t modeling inclusive, empathetic behavior, their children aren’t going to learn it.
Will this be a “teachable moment,” or will this just be another video that explains the bystander effect and diffusive indifference? There is not enough discussion in homes and schools about critical issues like indifference. Education is critical. Real-life scenarios like this poor soul left to die are not being examined and discussed. Why isn’t there a curriculum in schools addressing these issues and role-playing?
Parents and Teachers: Please print the ABC News article and share the video with your children. Talk about it. Ask if they’ve encountered situations where they’ve vacillated about “getting involved.” Talk about the best ways to respond to a wide variety of situations so they will not be indifferent to human neglect and suffering.
This story epitomizes what Human-to-Human Service is all about. I can’t stop thinking about it.
May 1 update: More on this story by Adam Alter.
11 Responses to “Walk On By: Good Samaritan Dies of Apathy”
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Permalink | Posted in Human-to-Human Service | 11 Comments »
If anyone has an update on the woman who was saved, please post a comment. Does anyone know if she called the police? If she called them immediately they didn’t respond. That’s another part of the story that is troubling.
My father took action. When he was 16 years old he was changing out-of church clothes and saw another young person drowning in
Chelsea Bay in Atlantic City, then ran and dove into the bay to save a life. My dad’s brothers were all police and fireman in Atlantic City. I wonder why? As a father of ten my dad acted when needed. No hesitation. He’d “do the right thing (Spike Lee),” even when it looked awkward or un-cool to others…when he spoke-up to defend someone or correct an injustice. It takes a sense of community and “brother’s keeper” thinking. Assessing a situation and formulating an immediate, appropriate response is a learned behavior. Families must teach their children to be good citizens as demonstrated by thoughtful action.
Be a responsible parent or trusted adult. Teachers, civic leaders, etc., please have young people role-play scenarios. This strategy provides some familiarity and comfort for the bystander later in life (or in youth) to take action, and “wires” neurological pathways that “fire” from the brain and call for a response when stimulated – demanding action when a wrong needs to be “righted.”
It’s unacceptable NOT to act. Act.
Dr. Hank
Such a sad state of affairs. We’ve become so desensitized. Beasts have more respect for life than we humans. Very upset with this article.
Penelope
Twenty years ago I was driving by and witnessed a man beating a woman in the street. I got out of my truck and push the man away which resulted in a fist fight until the police arrived. Asked what was going on, I started to tell them when the woman (wife of the man) stated that I attacked her husband 1st and even though witnesses said he was hurting her. The police arrested me because I hit him 1st. They said I should have called the police instead of getting out to help. It cost me $500 for court costs. But I would and I know my family would HELP in the same way today because it is the right thing to do. As you said, NOT till it happens to them.
This story is disturbing and sad. The psychologist in the video said some pretty poignant things. Parents must teach their kids that empathy and participation is not only good but should be practiced. “You have to be what you want to see” is what he said. A sound bite, but a good one.
Perhaps everyone should try to do one thing a day that is helpful to someone else AND takes them out of their comfort zone. At times, I have been as guilty as the next person. It takes effort to participate. But I will keep trying.
And I can’t even go into parents allowing their kids to watch and play violent video games and movies at a young age. Talk about desensitized!
Human-to-Human Service! Keep bringing it up Patrick.
What a sad story. That poor man. I can’t believe so many people walked by without doing anything. What has our world come to.
A few years back I lived in a high density apartment complex. One morning I heard really loud high pitched screaming that just didn’t stop. It sounded like someone was being murdered and I thought I’d be the next victim. Anyway, I immediately grabbed my phone, ran out of my apartment shaking with fear and called the police. I ran to the property manager’s office(which was on site) to inform him, and I still can’t believe his response. He said,”we don’t get involved in domestic disputes but you can call the police.”
It turned out that the man living below us had mental illness and had gone off his medication. The paramedics arrived about 10 minutes later and drove him to the hospital.
It infuriated me that the property manager didn’t even seem to care. It’s troubling that there seems to be so many people in our society that don’t act if it doesn’t concern them.
I’ve learned that one does not always have to physically intervene to change a situation. More than once I have seen a guy manhandling a girlfriend or wife. I have found that stopping, turning, and giving the couple my full attention often leads to the man backing down and behaving. Same goes for a parent manhandling or belittling a child. Often, others near me will turn to see what I am staring at and assist with the interruption of the behavior. How sad that so many people will not make even this tiny effort to stop unacceptable behavior.
My parents always stepped forward to do what was right and somehow, that behavior was instilled in all of their children, without ever the need to sit us down and say, “You must try to right wrongs were you see them and speak up for what you know is right.”
Walking by a life in need….a helpless, vulnerable, human life IS truly THE human tragedy…..no words feel powerful enough to begin to comprehend such callous, immune, unforgivable, insidious, inhumane, behavior!
Do you realize whoever you are, you have walked by, passed over, left behind your OWN SELF??? How can one ever be at peace living with, “for whatever we do unto others we do to ourselves???”
Our time on the planet is NOT a dress rehearsal..
May we all be so deeply impacted by this human travesty–that our reaching out, our caring and compassion, our “How can I help philosophies” are extended so far beyond what we think we can do… that collectively doing so much good, may keep us forever changed by this deeply saddening reality that occurred in Queens, NY only a few weeks ago when our brother/friend/cousin/son/father~ was left behind to die.
I think a lot of people don’t want to be held responsible. The way the world is nowadays, people are always trying to have as little human contact as possible. Everybody has a reason. I have attached a hip-hop video that epitomizes the social reasoning behind this. Yes-a hip-hop video. That’s rap for all the people out of the loop. Give it a chance, it explains a lot visually. Even if you don’t want to hear the musak. The visuals say enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNJFq6VjHJI
Patrick is a very good friend of mine. The fact that its taken me a month to respond to this issue is indicative of the sad fact that some of us just think we have more important things to do. That said, I sit here with my 5 year old daughter in the other room watching a Disney movie and know its time to say something.
I grew up in NYC and often kid around at business meetings that the name tags they often make us wear would reduce random violence. You know, those silly things that make you feel dorky but allow you to feel connected to those strangers around you. I believe that connecting a person with a name just might make us appreciate them.
To me, one of our growing issues is the de-personalization of people. As the population grows and many of us live in cities where we interact with too many people and witness too much trouble, we tend to view those we don’t know as unimportant, troublesome and expendible.
All of us are equally important. That homeless person was once someone’s prized possession- just like my daughter is to me now. I’d take a bullet for her. I’d like to think I could at least make a phone call for him.
Lets all follow the name tag theory. Although I won’t pretend I’m man enough to take a bullet for a stranger, lets all act like we know that random person in trouble’s name, sense their importance & humanity and get involved.
The alternative just doesn’t cut it. None of us want that kind of world; particularly if we’re ever in trouble…
“Today we stand divided, at war amongst ourselves. We walk on the edge of a knife, teetering, ever but one step from our demise. How tired a species, that we must rob our own of the necessities for life lest we succumb to the fate to which we so willingly subject others!”
I felt compelled to share this quote (which is from a video game). I admit to becoming more reclusive over the years due to negative life experiences. I help others as much as I can, but it has been difficult to let go of being a social recluse. The most sobering part of Hugo’s story is that it happens every day. Preventable tragedies from an apathetic nation.