What Has Happened to Being a "Good Samaritan?"
Carlos Estrella
July 03, 2007
Two tragic yet increasingly common incidents have happened recently. Both involve the death of a person obviously in need while bystanders take pictures and step over the person while they lay dying. The lack of compassion is astounding, yet while the law is unclear in the two states the incicents happened in, the greater moral issue is left for us to ponder; When is is "our job" to help our fellow human being?
As reported by most mainstream media outlets, a woman in a Los Angeles hospital suffering from a gastrointestinal emergency went repeatedly to a hospital emergency room. Her last visit proved fatal, since not only was she allegedly denied treatment, but on hospital surveillance video people are seen to be walking past her without trying to help, hospital personnel are said to have told police "she has to go elsewhere," and bystanders are watching while hospital janitors mop up the bodily fluids she leaves behind as she lay dying. In another case in Kansas, a woman is lying on the ground stabbed and dying, yet people literally walk OVER her and a person takes her photo with a cell phone rather than help, all while surveillance video records the incident. In both cases, more care was taken to either ignore or "play reporter" by recording the incident rather than assist a person in need.
California and Kansas, like most places in the US have something called a "Good Samaritan Act." The wording varies from place to place but in essence, they state that when you attempt to help someone in good faith when they are sick or injured, you are not held liable if something happens to them while you are trying to help them or because you helped them. Conversely, in many states it is illegal to deny a person help if they are in need, though those laws typically refer to motor vehicle incidents vs. crimes or medical emergencies. In all cases though, something lacking in the legal codes and evidentally in the "moral fiber" of America in these times is the time-honored idea of "helping your fellow (wo)man."
"NYMBY," or "not in my backyard," has become a mantra for so many things, and not wanting to get involved for fear of being sued or victimized by "the system" is becoming so common that people are literally scared or worse, uncaring when it comes to helping others, even in obvious emergencies. The dawn of instant, easy to create video has made the situation worse by convincing people that they can get their video on the news or "YouTube." Unfortunately for these aspiring "Spielbergs," they are regular people, NOT "Combat Photographers," and their work is sacrificing lives for the sake of their "15 minutes of fame."
When someone is in need, HELP THEM! If you can become famous or rich or whatever you want in the process, fine, but HELP THEM FIRST! It's as simple as that. As for those people who were compelled to video or photograph or as disgusting as it is for me to say, just step over victims of tragedy, I feel as sorry for you as I do for those victims, for one day, in your hour of need, you will have to hope that someone doesn't do to you, what you did to those victims.
One last thing... for those who DO stop and DO help, thank you. If not for you, I would not be alive and so many others like me who could've just been forgotten, written off or otherwise ignored in a time of need, would be a news story instead of a living human being.
Something to think about?
As reported by most mainstream media outlets, a woman in a Los Angeles hospital suffering from a gastrointestinal emergency went repeatedly to a hospital emergency room. Her last visit proved fatal, since not only was she allegedly denied treatment, but on hospital surveillance video people are seen to be walking past her without trying to help, hospital personnel are said to have told police "she has to go elsewhere," and bystanders are watching while hospital janitors mop up the bodily fluids she leaves behind as she lay dying. In another case in Kansas, a woman is lying on the ground stabbed and dying, yet people literally walk OVER her and a person takes her photo with a cell phone rather than help, all while surveillance video records the incident. In both cases, more care was taken to either ignore or "play reporter" by recording the incident rather than assist a person in need.
California and Kansas, like most places in the US have something called a "Good Samaritan Act." The wording varies from place to place but in essence, they state that when you attempt to help someone in good faith when they are sick or injured, you are not held liable if something happens to them while you are trying to help them or because you helped them. Conversely, in many states it is illegal to deny a person help if they are in need, though those laws typically refer to motor vehicle incidents vs. crimes or medical emergencies. In all cases though, something lacking in the legal codes and evidentally in the "moral fiber" of America in these times is the time-honored idea of "helping your fellow (wo)man."
"NYMBY," or "not in my backyard," has become a mantra for so many things, and not wanting to get involved for fear of being sued or victimized by "the system" is becoming so common that people are literally scared or worse, uncaring when it comes to helping others, even in obvious emergencies. The dawn of instant, easy to create video has made the situation worse by convincing people that they can get their video on the news or "YouTube." Unfortunately for these aspiring "Spielbergs," they are regular people, NOT "Combat Photographers," and their work is sacrificing lives for the sake of their "15 minutes of fame."
When someone is in need, HELP THEM! If you can become famous or rich or whatever you want in the process, fine, but HELP THEM FIRST! It's as simple as that. As for those people who were compelled to video or photograph or as disgusting as it is for me to say, just step over victims of tragedy, I feel as sorry for you as I do for those victims, for one day, in your hour of need, you will have to hope that someone doesn't do to you, what you did to those victims.
One last thing... for those who DO stop and DO help, thank you. If not for you, I would not be alive and so many others like me who could've just been forgotten, written off or otherwise ignored in a time of need, would be a news story instead of a living human being.
Something to think about?