How does something like this happen?

Question

This young woman was stabbed, bleeding, dying on the floor and shoppers stepped over and around her eating snacks and taking pictures. I know incidents like this have happened before, but it chills me when it keeps happening. How do we overcome such a mindset as a society? Does anyone have any comments on this horrible event?

http://www.comcast.net/news/national/index.jsp?cat=DOMESTIC&fn=/2007/07/04/706502.html&cvqh=itn_stabbingvictim

This was another incident I read about previously, but it is so hard to believe that people can actually respond this way. I cannot imagine being so cold; I can imagine maybe being afraid if the attack was still taking place but I think I would still seek help.
http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/2000/sep/09-06-2000/news/14.html

Answer 1

Hi! Your first link didn't hold (this is 14+ hrs after you posted this question), but the second link did connect....
I believe that several of your answers are on key. It's the desensatizing through the media (entertainment and news), and rough home environments, risk of lawsuits, & Godless lives.
I noticed the changes myself, when I visited some family members. I had "cushioned" myself by watching some specific g-rated cable channels for a number of years. When I visited my sister, she and her hubby were watching regular, local channels (they had no cable), and were watching Scrubbs and some other programs. I watched in shock & disbelief at the subject matter and vulgar language used. Neither my sister nor her husband flinched at the presentation, and I asked if they noticed what was going on. They had become so accustomed to the very s-l-o-w degeneration of programs that they made no notice of items that I would not have seen on the TV 5 yrs before.
And the movies! The "F" word is being portrayed as an acceptable subsitute for "dxxm" and "sxxt" and similar explicatives. My ears just resonate that and taking God's name in vain...lets not even go there!!!!!
And people lack a conscious...I understand that brain damage from alcoholic mothers births children who have social disassociative disorders (no empathy).
People have left God's Church. God has not left us, but we have left Him. And those of us who have faith, don't pray as hard or as often and oftimes get swept away into this secular world and set aside our humanity.
I'm not one to run and hide. I can't just stand by and look the other way.
I couldn't live with myself; even helping someone through a door gives me delight; gives me a purpose. I try and have a servant's heart in all I do.
That is what makes me happy - to know that God is love first, and that He cares and loves us! God will deal with those who choose to close their eyes. We are judged by God on how we react; always try to do the right thing, and God will see you through!
070507 1:55

Answer 2

Many people won't get involved because lawsuits have been brought against "good Samaritans" trying to render assistance. Why risk a lawsuit for doing what is "right"?

Of course, now the pendulum will probably swing the other way and people will be sued because they didn't attempt to help.

Answer 3

I don't know how people can be so heartless, but it happens. I wonder if any of those people claimed to be christian? I think this mindset is seen more in the big cities and in the ghetto.

The only way this sort of thing would stop happening if everyone loved their neighbor and helped those in need....

Answer 4

Pray to God regularly even as attempting, as God is helping folks who support themselves as a substitute than people who are lazy. Lord Krisna mentioned in Bhagavad Gita, we ought to deliver out our works and surrender the fruit of our movement. So we ought to preserve attempting and uncover pleasure in doing our paintings, whether or not or now not we get the preferred outcome. We will have to now not lose wish. Do your pleasant and go away the leisure to God,it'll all come correct a few day or night time.

Answer 5

Some people don't give a ****! Try to raise the level of conscious to personally responsible. Fewer law suits for helping strangers might help. sometimes I've heard even Dr.s afraid of a malpratice suit refuse to assist. Who was the villian and why?
How does one cure the criminal mind ?

Answer 6

Our society has become immune to the suffering of others. The more that we are exposed to violence- movies, televison, real life- the less shocking it becomes. Our society, in general, lacks empathy...the ability to imagine and feel what it is like to be in another person's situation. We have become
selfish, self- absorbed, and less human. It's a sad state.

Answer 7

Two scriptures come to mind:

1. Parable of the Good Samaritan.
2. 2 Timothy 3:1-7 KJV

The world is moving farther away from Christ. No conscience, no compassion, no love. Such tragedy of the human spirit.

But soon the world will pass ... and those who follow Jesus will be rewarded.

I feel the same way as you.

Answer 8

Ever heard of Kitty Genovese?

She was murdered in plain sight of 27 people in NYC and no one called the cops or came to her assistance. (This happened in 1967, I believe)

What made it worse is that the attacker came back to finish the job.

As long as we have a "I didn;t want to get involved" mindset, what happened to Kitty and this new one will continue to happen

Answer 9

If people continue to buy violent movies , that numb-en our senses, then this lack of compassion will continue,it is visible in other parts of life as well.
When I look at the divorce rate of people just divorcing their spouse for no apparent reason and the poor children , who are so torn up because of it , nobody has no more compassion for anyone, it has become all about
"me, myself and I "................

Answer 10

stop the de-sensitizing in movies and such. people are so used to being constantly entertained that they eventually may cease to recognize the difference in their entertainment and reality. either way, seeing so much greusome, grisly, realistic, and often overdone violence causes people to not respond to things like that.