As an unmarked police car approaches an unsuspecting vehicle with lights flashing, the woman in the targeted car pulls over. The officer steps out of his car and flashes a badge. She nervously sits in fear. He begins by saying that they have a warrant out for her arrest. He continues to "place her under arrest" as she stands helplessly with her hands behind her back and is taken to the cruiser. The "officer" proceeds to an unknown location and rapes the victim. After he is finished he takes her back to her car and speeds away.
This was the week in headlines. Another story was one where a child is setting up passers by, by pretending she was being abducted where no one stepped in to help. The officers in charge of the incident were amazed that no one wanted to help this defenseless child.
I lay in bed sound asleep awakened by a horn blaring. Just quick beeps at first but then they became very long as if someone was in danger and they were trying to get someone’s attention. I quickly rose to my feet and rushed to the door. The horn was still going. I approached apprehensively ready to run and get my phone to call the police.
When I approached the vehicle I could see that a woman was causing the continued horn blowing. "Was she in danger?" I thought. Upon a closer look, I saw that the person’s in the vehicle were my neighbor’s who had a place about 100 yards from where their vehicle was parked. They were caught in a compromising position, to say the least.
Angry at being awakened by such childish behavior, besides disturbing the peace and tranquility of the surrounding sleeping neighbor’s, I yelled to the man inside that I had called the police thinking he needed assistance.
Did he look regretful? Apologetic? No, he looked angry that I had disturbed the interlude. Was I apologetic? In no way! I returned to my home where another neighbor was standing outside, awakened also by the horns loud echoes into the silence of the night.
I came out of my sleep to be assistance to someone in danger, yet I felt as if I was the one wrong in trying to help. Is this why people don’t help people in danger anymore? Are they afraid of being belittled and put down by offering assistance, when it wasn’t "really" needed in the first place?
I don’t regret trying to help. What I am ashamed of is living with such disrespectful neighbor’s surrounding me. They had a place of their own, they had a passenger seat AND a backseat, but they continued their ignorance not considering children peeking out the windows or neighbors being stifled awake. They had no remorse, and neither do I!
I would do it again and face the embarrassment. I feel it is my civic duty to help someone in trouble, but then again, I am a minority of people who feel this way.
