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Man.
Sometimes I wonder about myself and the purpose of this art in my life. Not because of its effectiveness but because of mine.
At lunchtime today I was at the local pawn shop when there was a commotion at the counter. Apparently someone outside was beating up their woman. He had hit her and smashed her head into the side of the store.
One of the employees grabbed a crowbar and ran outside to confront the guy.
I stood inside the store. Just stood there watching this all take place. Watching the threats and shouting...watching people calling 911 on their their cells and finally watching the woman get back into the vehicle of the guy that beat on her in the first place. They drove off.
A lot of watching but no doing.
How have I become so passive, witnessing crimes on their fellow man and doing nothing?
Working at apartments on the ghetto side of town, we've seen our fair share of crime. Fights, gun-play, drugs, suicide, robberies, abuse and murder. That's not counting the schizophrenics, threats, arguments, racial accusations, and the partridge in the pear tree.
What's the point of helping at personal risk if the victim doesn't want to get out of that negative environment themselves?
This is an element that defends their abuser.
Do I only defend myself or whom I deem worthy of my risk? I shake my head 'no' while saying, 'yes'.
At what point does one become involved in this type situation? As soon as he raises his hand or when he's about to pull the trigger? This blog is full of rhetoricals but it doesn't matter, I did nothing.
As I type this, I watch the same guy and his gangsta buddies walk through this property, taking a shortcut to an adjacent one. I call the cops but the report has been closed. The police are not actively searching for him and there is no interest in the tone of the operator at the other end.
And so life goes on, but my contemplation remains...
06-15-2009 04:15 PM 