A Story of Cowards and Carenots

Today, CNN has repeatedly shown the death of an old woman in an inner-city hospital waiting room as recorded by a security camera. This is the other side of the record made by this administration of the enormous love and generosity which Americans offer to others in need.

The woman had apparently been left there alone and had been there for several hours. Finally, she fell to her left, landing on the floor on her face between two corner chairs at right angles to each other, with the woman entangled between them. She struggled several times to get up, but wasn’t able to.

While this was going on, a number of people came into the small waiting room, some sitting down to wait, and others leaving after glancing at her. On two occasions, what looked like security or office workers came to the room, probably summoned by someone at the desk, but both looked at the woman, and neither entered the room to help her.

This took me back to the murder of Kitty Genovese in Queens, New York City on March l3, 1964. Anyone who was adult and read of that murder, and had any human feelings, has never forgotten that case. She drove home late from work and got out of her car, to be accosted by a man with a knife who stabbed her repeatedly, coming back time after time to stab her again, because she still wasn’t dead.

While that was going on, many people in the buildings around her could hear her screams and see her struggles, but not one went to her aid or called the police until it was all over. Some were too afraid, and others just could not be bothered.

I couldn’t remember her name for a while, so I tried looking her up as a woman who had been murdered while others watched and couldn’t find her. To my amazement, there were many, many cases that were similar on the internet. It was only after I remembered her name that I found her. You can look it up under her name.

Just thought I’d add a touch of realism to the American story.