Someone burned the belongings of a homeless woman in front of Bbqu Jeshrun synagogue on my street. There were about four fire trucks here, as the shocked woman rifled through the remains of everything she owned. One fireman looked at me and gently said, its sad, right? The firemen drove away, leaving her cleaning the charred detritus of her life. I called 911, and was told by an operator that the fire and its aftermath didnt warrant a 911 call, nor was this a police matter. Then two cops drove up, and surveyed the scene. One said to me, I wish the city would do more for these people. I call homeless services and they do nothing for them. Then the cops helplessly stood around, and watched her picking up charred shirts, and other remains of her life. I wonder whether this helpless inaction would prevail if the belongings were mine. I live inside a building, not outside of one. Their protocol is likely different for me. I stand by, softly encouraging the woman to let go of her things. Theyre gone, and the fumes shes breathing may hurt her. She listens to me, though lost in the ashes of her life. We have failed each other as a society by ignoring those who most need help. Tonight, that kind fireman will sleep soundly on his pillow, and the cop will put two sugars in his coffee and forget the scene. And me? Whats my role in this? Im no better than them. I walked home, pondering how easily we treat each other like burned remains. Were failing in a big way, regardless of the successes we may achieve in business, and the wars we may win for ourselves and others. Were failing because weve stopped treating each other like human beings. That woman is still there, picking up the ashes. My guess is that by now, shes all alone.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 03:47:32 +0000
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