a story about the sad state of humanity

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20100426/US.Dying.and.Ignored/

you think it would only happen in New York?   I doubt that.

I wouldn't mind seeing that man's relatives suing every single passer-by who ignored the man.

Sluggo said:

I wouldn't mind seeing that man's relatives suing every single passer-by who ignored the man.

Is there a binding legal obligation to help a stranger who you can't be sure of if they are in distress? 

Maybe not, but I think a case could be made for the passers-by being charged for Accessory to Murder.

C3PX said:

Both you and I seem to think there is something horribly wrong with it having happened, which leads me to believe both of us would have done something about it had we been in that situation. I know I would have. I also can't imagine you and I are all that special in this regard, so I am not giving up on mankind just yet. But yeah, it is pretty staggering that stuff like this can happen. 

I'd like to think I'd do something.   It would certainly be the right thing to do.   But I do know what I'd really do.  

I've gone to Philly(and couple of times to NY) and seen homeless people on the street and did nothing(of course I do give to charities that help the homeless).   How do I know any of them weren't sick or dying and need of medical attention?    Maybe you've never been in a big city and walked by and saw a homeless person it is easy to say you'd do something until you are in the situation.   I confess there is an instinct in me that says "I don't want anything to do with this situation".    I hope I would do something, but I'm going to put myself above these people that just walked by.  Perhaps, I'm just as bad as they are.   I don't know.     

One thing I will do is remember this story and how sad it is, and maybe that will make me do the right thing.  If I ever do come across a situation like this.     

Sluggo said:

Maybe not, but I think a case could be made for the passers-by being charged for Accessory to Murder.

I'm not a lawyer, but I would think it would be very difficult to try argue that in a court of law. 

Warbler said:

 

I'd like to think I'd do something.   It would certainly be the right thing to do.   But I do know what I'd really do.  

I've gone to Philly(and couple of times to NY) and seen homeless people on the street and did nothing(of course I do give to charities that help the homeless).   How do I know any of them weren't sick or dying and need of medical attention?    Maybe you've never been in a big city and walked by and saw a homeless person it is easy to say you'd do something until you are in the situation.   I confess there is an instinct in me that says "I don't want anything to do with this situation".    I hope I would do something, but I'm going to put myself above these people that just walked by.  Perhaps, I'm just as bad as they are.   I don't know.     

 

I know for a fact that walking down the streets of Portland, Seattle, and Tacoma I've probably passed literally hundreds of homeless people who may have been dead/dying.

I doubt that they were, and didn't think they were at the time, assuming they were sleeping, but I just kept walking.

Didn't the Seinfeld gang get charged for something similar (though not as life-or-death) in the finale?

yeah, but that was just fiction.

I thought it was actually based on a real law somewhere, but I can't back that up and I'm too lazy to google it right now.

Warbler said:

Sluggo said:

Maybe not, but I think a case could be made for the passers-by being charged for Accessory to Murder.

I'm not a lawyer, but I would think it would be very difficult to try argue that in a court of law. 

 I know, but I am so (insert vulgarity here) angry about this, I wanna spit.

TV's Frink said:

I thought it was actually based on a real law somewhere, but I can't back that up and I'm too lazy to google it right now.

if it is, this is the first I've heard of that.

From wiki (usual disclaimer applies):

A good Samaritan law was featured in the May 1998 series finale of the popular NBC situation comedy Seinfeld, in which the show's four main characters were all prosecuted and sentenced to one year in jail for making fun of (rather than helping) an overweight man who was getting robbed at gunpoint.^[28] In reality, while Massachusetts (where the fictional crime was committed) does have a law requiring passersby to report a crime in progress, the most stringent punishment the characters could have suffered under those circumstances would have been a $500–$2500 fine (assuming they were prosecuted under state law); in addition, the phrase "good Samaritan law," when used in Massachusetts, refers only to the civil law definition and does not have any actual relevance to the law under which Jerry Seinfeld and his friends were prosecuted (which would be considered a duty to rescue).^[29]

C3PX said:

The article you posted mention that a guy actually poked at him for a bit, then moved on. That is just downright morbid if you ask me.

Some other kid actually took a picture of the guy with his cell phone.

TV's Frink said:

From wiki (usual disclaimer applies):

A good Samaritan law was featured in the May 1998 series finale of the popular NBC situation comedy Seinfeld, in which the show's four main characters were all prosecuted and sentenced to one year in jail for making fun of (rather than helping) an overweight man who was getting robbed at gunpoint.^[28] In reality, while Massachusetts (where the fictional crime was committed) does have a law requiring passersby to report a crime in progress, the most stringent punishment the characters could have suffered under those circumstances would have been a $500–$2500 fine (assuming they were prosecuted under state law); in addition, the phrase "good Samaritan law," when used in Massachusetts, refers only to the civil law definition and does not have any actual relevance to the law under which Jerry Seinfeld and his friends were prosecuted (which would be considered a duty to rescue).^[29]

huh,  I guess it was based on a real law.   Well, I guess the question is, does NY have a similar law?

C3PX said:

Huh, interesting that you called it a sorry state, then you kind of defended the inaction.

I'm not defending the inaction,  I'm just simply saying that I don't know I'd be any better than they were.  I'd like to think I would be.   But I can't be certain, unless I'd find myself in that position.

C3PX said: The article you posted mention that a guy actually poked at him for a bit, then moved on. That is just downright morbid if you ask me.

I agree.

xhonzi said:

Which is the sadder state?  That people don't help these people?  Or that these people choose to live like this is the first place?

That's the saddest part to me.  Though it does suck that there is such fear of being hurt that we don't stop to help more.  I wish I could just go out and help all of the people who look like they need help...  But there's a risk involved and there are people that rely on me (like my mortage company) and it's not very responsible of me to put myself at risk like that all of the time.

Is that a valid excuse?

it might be if, in order to help him, you had to put your own life at risk.  But I fail to see how using your cell phone, or a pay phone, etc . . ., to dial 911 and say "hay there's this guy lying in the street in a pool of blood, I think he needs help he's at (give them the address here)"  would be putting your own life at risk.

yeah,  you do have to be careful there.   Some people, might want to help themselves to your belongings, and they might be willing to do harm to your person to get them.

EyeShotFirst said:

And they will have to live with that for the rest of their lives. I don't think you can be sane and not feel some remorse for bad things you've done. I know I would. I regret some shit I said when I was 5. Hell, I regret some shit I posted on here a year ago.

 Get over it, jerk!

TheBoost said:

EyeShotFirst said:

And they will have to live with that for the rest of their lives. I don't think you can be sane and not feel some remorse for bad things you've done. I know I would. I regret some shit I said when I was 5. Hell, I regret some shit I posted on here a year ago.

 Get over it, jerk!

 I regret saying that. Sorry.