When the news broke of a man who had stumbled out of a bus, fell on a Regina street and died while many people drove past him, I wonder where compassion has gone.
Are we so enthralled in our own lives that we can no longer show care or concern for a stranger in need?
Is it fear instilled in our minds that if a person is lying on the side of the road, they must be homeless, a drug user or they have a weapon, and this is why no one stepped up?
Shame on you.
There is no reason in this entire world for these people who went past to not stop and ask if he needed help.
He could be seen on the video waving at motorists that had passed by and laying there for many hours before he froze to death on the street, and yet no one had the compassion to stop or even call the police.
This person was someone’s son, brother, uncle and husband. It does not really matter, as we all assume this will never happen to us, but it could.
Any one of these vehicles could have stopped, rolled down their window and yelled to the guy if he needed assistance. It showed on video that he had waved at passersby, yet the motorists' wheels kept rolling.
Maybe he was in grubby clothes and just getting home from work as he took the bus. This should not have an influence on how we treat another human being.
We do not have the right to judge another person for how they look, dress or live. We do not know the struggles this person had gone through in life.
This man left this world on a cold dark street, alone, not knowing the compassion from another person who could have saved his life.
I wonder how the people feel that drove past him and did nothing? I was not even there, and I felt terrible about the whole thing. It still bothers me.
Did the man know he would not make it? Did he realize that he was going to leave a world that did not care? It is pretty shameful.
Last October, I received a call from a friend who told me that someone I had worked with had passed away.He was a great guy and always made sure that I got into my vehicle safely before we all left work. He was known to use drugs and struggled for many years with trying to get clean. He never intended to get addicted or to become homeless, but it happened. He was a rough-looking fellow who had a heart of gold.
He died alone near a bridge in Calgary. To this day it bothers me, knowing he died alone. He was the kindest man a person would meet and he would do anything for anyone. He just could not come clean. He was not a bad person, he just made some bad choices, but I am sure that many people walked past him, the same way it happened in Regina.
No one in this messed-up world deserves this kind of treatment. We all strive for the same thing: to be accepted.
We all strive to make it in this world and look for kindness in others, but when compassion is no longer here, this is difficult to find.
Let us make this a better place by treating all people the same, regardless of if they have special needs; if their skin is red, yellow, black, or white; if they have a unique outlook on life; or if they have an addiction or alcohol issues. We all breathe the same air.
Compassion should always be what we strive for.
