Sometimes that obsessive cultural need we have to document everything we see takes a dark turn. To wit, Houston police say that there could be hundreds of people with photos of a dead homeless man on their phones right now, and not a single one of them called for help.
The dead homeless man was left on the sidewalk for almost an entire day as pedestrians walked by, snapping photos of him with their cell phones. Police are naturally irate, and said that Houston’s citizens should know better.
“If they just had used their cell phone to make a call instead of a picture, perhaps this man could still be alive today,” Sgt. Brian Harris of the Houston Police Department, told KHOU . “I would like to say our city is better than that, I know our city is better than that.”
Police discovered the man’s body by chance on Tuesday, and say that he likely died of natural causes. His identity has not been determined by authorities.
So why the heck would a bunch of people walk by a dead man’s body and do nothing but stroke the urge to document? It’s something called “bystander effect,” according to The Huffington Post .
Basically, people fail to come to a person’s aid simply because they think someone else will. Eventually.
It happened in New York City in 2010. A homeless man was left to bleed to death on a sidewalk, and no one stepped up to help. At the time, ABC News spoke with Paul Wolpe, director of Emory University’s Center for Ethics for answers as to why no one tried to help the man. His answer was simple, direct, and more than a little disturbing.
“Studies show that if a person comes across someone in need of help, being alone makes them more likely to help,” he said. “If there were 10 people, there is less of a sense of personal responsibility.”
Basically, we pawn good deeds off on each other when there are plenty of Good Samaritans to be had. It’s only your responsibility to intervene if there are no capable bodies nearby.
I just wish I could be a fly on the wall near any of the hundreds of Houston residents with a photo of a dead homeless guy on their phone when they proudly show it to a friend, co-worker or family member. “Check it out, a dead homeless guy,” they’ll beam. “Why didn’t you call for help” and a look of disgust will hopefully be the answer.
