December 30, 2010
"I Did What Anyone Would Have Done"
By Mike Gill
My son called today to tell me that while entering into a New York subway, he heard a call for help…people were gasping that someone had fallen off the platform and was on the tracks. Leaving the car and approaching where a small group of people began to gather, he looked down and saw an elderly and apparently homeless woman lying face down.
Without thinking, he put his backpack/briefcase down and jumped onto the tracks, (telling me it was about a 5-7’ drop); and began trying to lift the woman up and off the tracks to safety. It turned out she was heavier than he could handle alone, and because no one else had jumped down to assist, he had to plead for help.
By this time there was a substantial group of people surrounding the area…and the only one from this group to jump to his aid was a young Puerto Rican boy. Together they were able to get the woman to her feet to begin the process of lifting her to safety.
He tells me that as they began to lift her up to safety they were having difficulty and therefore looked up to see several people watching. One in particular he noticed was a huge, muscular man standing just behind the first row of people… a guy who could have easily lifted her up, but who instead, walked away.
Luckily, there were enough people who did pitch in when asked to, so they were able to lift the woman onto the platform and to safety. After confirming she wasn’t hurt too badly, my son simply gathered his belongings up and left, catching a waiting subway car.
I asked him if anyone said thanks or acknowledged what he had done and he told me that they hadn’t, but that this wasn’t important. He simply said, “I did what anyone would do in that situation.”
I think he’s a hero and I am very, very proud of him, but his story made me think about how closely it relates to what is happening in our politics today.
“…he heard a call for help…Without thinking, he put his backpack/briefcase down and jumped onto the tracks.” “I did what anyone would do in that situation.”
--Politically: Our politicians (both Rep./Dem.) hear calls for help almost every day and it seems they never react to the humanity of the plea. They are not doing “what anyone would do” …to represent what would be the “good” thing to do or the “just” thing to do, or what most “regular Joe” types would simply say, “the right thing to do.”
It appears to me that, today, our Representatives in government have lost the spirit of governing. They seem to be willing to overlook what was, in the past, “The Right Thing To Do.” They are no longer thinking about “We the people…”
“… looked up to see several people watching--one in particular he noticed was a huge, muscular man standing just behind the first row of people…a guy who could have easily lifted her up, but who instead walked away.”
--Politically: Our politicians, who we once thought of as “huge muscular people sent to help” are now just walking away.
I guess I miss the “Good ol’ days” where Truth, Justice, and the American Way meant something…where a man’s word was worth something, a time when as a society, you could count on your neighbors to “do the right thing.”
I miss the days of “I did what anyone would do in that situation.”
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"I Did What Anyone Would Have Done"
By Mike Gill
My son called today to tell me that while entering into a New York subway, he heard a call for help…people were gasping that someone had fallen off the platform and was on the tracks. Leaving the car and approaching where a small group of people began to gather, he looked down and saw an elderly and apparently homeless woman lying face down.
Without thinking, he put his backpack/briefcase down and jumped onto the tracks, (telling me it was about a 5-7’ drop); and began trying to lift the woman up and off the tracks to safety. It turned out she was heavier than he could handle alone, and because no one else had jumped down to assist, he had to plead for help.
By this time there was a substantial group of people surrounding the area…and the only one from this group to jump to his aid was a young Puerto Rican boy. Together they were able to get the woman to her feet to begin the process of lifting her to safety.
He tells me that as they began to lift her up to safety they were having difficulty and therefore looked up to see several people watching. One in particular he noticed was a huge, muscular man standing just behind the first row of people… a guy who could have easily lifted her up, but who instead, walked away.
Luckily, there were enough people who did pitch in when asked to, so they were able to lift the woman onto the platform and to safety. After confirming she wasn’t hurt too badly, my son simply gathered his belongings up and left, catching a waiting subway car.
I asked him if anyone said thanks or acknowledged what he had done and he told me that they hadn’t, but that this wasn’t important. He simply said, “I did what anyone would do in that situation.”
I think he’s a hero and I am very, very proud of him, but his story made me think about how closely it relates to what is happening in our politics today.
“…he heard a call for help…Without thinking, he put his backpack/briefcase down and jumped onto the tracks.” “I did what anyone would do in that situation.”
--Politically: Our politicians (both Rep./Dem.) hear calls for help almost every day and it seems they never react to the humanity of the plea. They are not doing “what anyone would do” …to represent what would be the “good” thing to do or the “just” thing to do, or what most “regular Joe” types would simply say, “the right thing to do.”
It appears to me that, today, our Representatives in government have lost the spirit of governing. They seem to be willing to overlook what was, in the past, “The Right Thing To Do.” They are no longer thinking about “We the people…”
“… looked up to see several people watching--one in particular he noticed was a huge, muscular man standing just behind the first row of people…a guy who could have easily lifted her up, but who instead walked away.”
--Politically: Our politicians, who we once thought of as “huge muscular people sent to help” are now just walking away.
I guess I miss the “Good ol’ days” where Truth, Justice, and the American Way meant something…where a man’s word was worth something, a time when as a society, you could count on your neighbors to “do the right thing.”
I miss the days of “I did what anyone would do in that situation.”
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Comment: Ralph Gauthier, Omaha, NE
What anyone would do? -- Hardly. Your son deserves a lot of credit for his actions.
If a theater caught on fire, ANYONE would run for the nearest exit. That’s a basic survival instinct. When it comes to responding to other situations that do not force people to react instinctively, studies have shown that most people take their cue from the crowd.
I googled "herd-mentality" and came across this interesting article: “Herd” Mentality Explained (http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/02/15/herd-mentality-explained/1922.html). It explains a lot.
Regarding your analogy of our politicians ignoring pleas for help from the American people, that’s been going on for a long time. Both parties cater to a small minority and the general public is largely ignored until election time. Then it’s back to business as usual.
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What anyone would do? -- Hardly. Your son deserves a lot of credit for his actions.
If a theater caught on fire, ANYONE would run for the nearest exit. That’s a basic survival instinct. When it comes to responding to other situations that do not force people to react instinctively, studies have shown that most people take their cue from the crowd.
I googled "herd-mentality" and came across this interesting article: “Herd” Mentality Explained (http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/02/15/herd-mentality-explained/1922.html). It explains a lot.
Regarding your analogy of our politicians ignoring pleas for help from the American people, that’s been going on for a long time. Both parties cater to a small minority and the general public is largely ignored until election time. Then it’s back to business as usual.
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