Customers walk over dead body after Michigan man killed in store doorway

People either don't want to get involved or they are inept at critical thinking when something unusual happens. This was a man bleeding from a gun shot wound. Those 5 minutes may have saved his life and I can't image his last thoughts when passing away - how no one cared and the value of his life to them was squat.

Cold people. Indifferent due to what though? The culture of the neighborhood? Something in me doubts that. Why were people trampled so badly one died in 2008 at a Walmart on Black Friday - one was 8 months pregnant. Because people don't think their actions make a difference, think about themselves relentlessly, and just don't care.

Interesting research mentioned by a poster above with the US being a world leader in lack of personal responsibility, accountability, and morals. Not a collectivist society but what else makes us so different? Will have to find that study.

Actually it is perfectly normal/natural human behavior. It's called the Bystander Effect and yes - it says a lot about our society.

The bystander effect is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim when other people are present. The probability of help is inversely related to the number of bystanders. In other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. Several variables help to explain why the bystander effect occurs. These variables include: ambiguity, cohesiveness and diffusion of responsibility.

Random source

Humans are group animals and I fear more like sheep than anyone would like to admit... Humans are generally disgusting beings.



So the true non-conformist is the one that can break free from group behavior and group psychology in natural situations. Non-conformists are not necessarily those that dress differently or are members of certain Internet websites where they proclaim themselves "free thinkers". Nope. When actions speak louder than words - then you can consider yourself a non-conformist.
It's one thing to sit behind a computer and preach about "sheeple". It's a whole different thing to act on it in our natural environment (so to speak).

That is why - in my opinion - random acts of kindness are so important to society...



These people are the true free thinkers of our world.

Edit: And those claiming this is a "black thing". You couldn't be more wrong. And honestly - if all you saw here was the color of skins, then yes, you are a racist.

I'm sorry, and it isn't right, but the area this happened? It's bad. Very bad. People were probably scared to help, fearing they would be the next victim. Violence like this happens every single day.

Unfortunately it says a lot about society. This happened here, and he received no help. Have the same thing happen in some small town USA? I'm guessing the results would be different.

I

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2 Timothy 3:1-5

I just read about a similar incident that took place in China in 2011. A 2 year old girl Wang Yue was run over twice (neither driver stopped). She would lie in the road bleeding for seven minutes as a minimum of 18 people walked right on by. Eventually helped by a garbage scavenger she died 8 days later at the hospital.
en.wikipedia.org...

Can anyone tell me why I, or anyone else, should reserve any measure of hope for humanity when crap like this happens?

Good lord please hit the reset button any time now...and thanks.

The United States is quickly becoming a wasteland. People talk about dystopian futures. Well the future is now, folks. Look at what we have become. That kind of crap isn't fitting for a freakin' John Wayne western flick.

I loose more faith in mankind every day.

reply to post by JayinAR


It only has to become that bad, if you give in and become one of them.

Lead by example. Show people the proper way to act in an instant like this. Do the right thing and hope that at least one witness to your act, will then do the same.

If people are taught/shown it is ok to ignore someone in this instance, it gets passed on. If people are taught/shown you should respond and help immediately, we can hope that they will do the same.

reply to post by Gemwolf


Thank you Gemwolf, I needed that.

reply to post by Gemwolf


The bystander effect (BE) is definitely in play but there really weren't that many people around. How much of the culture of that neighborhood also played a role (and I'm not sure what the culture is like but someone shooting someone in broad daylight is telling). Within the BE the instinctual need to distance oneself from danger may have influeced the situation more than diffusion of responsibility. I mean - he was blocking the door and the clerk doesn't dial 911.

I think your applying this effect to conformity in what is happening politically is an important thing to point out.
The guy in the business suit in the clip is revealing.
We know someone is more likely to help if they dont sense they will be in danger so does a man in a suit make people feel more secure? More than a woman in a casual trench coat? It appears so in this instance.

reply to post by chiefsmom


Well of course that is all a person can do.
But I'm telling you that as a species we are doomed.

None of those people who walked over that man's dead body will ever achieve any measure of happiness or peace within their lives because they make a conscious effort NOT to do anything about a situation that was within their control (get help for the man, or get him off the damn concrete).

The whole "be the change you want to see" thing is so cliche in this situation that its almost laughable.

Maybe humans just aren't meant to live in sprawling cities?

reply to post by MrLimpet


This story totally blew my mind! Maybe because I am from the south and people here have respect. If anyone here even thought someone was having trouble we would get involved immediately! My husband moved here from Massachusetts and I remember the first time we were on a highway and a funeral was going down the other side, everyone pulled off the road and he asked me "why is everyone pulling over, what's going on?" I said "it's called respect!" He said he had never seen anyone do that before.
When I see these images of a man laying there dead and people stepping over his body...I just can not believe it! What sort of monsters do this??? What kind of society do they have there in Michigan? Is that normal?

nugget1
More and more 'pockets' of violence are appearing in heavily populated areas of our country, and people seem to be getting desensitized to violence.

Empathy for our fellow man seems to be rapidly declining.

Perhaps if I lived in a big city I would have a greater understanding of this 'evolution'.

let's keep this going!!!....less taxes on the wealthy, cut more social programs without job growth, keep paychecks low except for the top 10%, more wars and defense spending, more offshore bank accounts. we need to get rid of the poor, they are just too lazy and stupid for America. and the middle class better start worker longer and harder before they also get too lazy, and comfortable. maybe if we can get 30,000 to 50,000 homeless people dying in the streets, we can solve this "problem". either get your act together or go away.

reply to post by Dianec

Here is what I don't understand. While you are right to say that people have an instinct to avoid danger, people are also naturally opposed to death. Its like an evolutionary trait to be repulsed by it.

Are all of these people so desensitized to violence that they can casually step over a dead body?
What was the clerk thinking? "I hope someone comes along to collect the stiff blocking my door so I don't have to deal with it?"

This is Kalamazoo. Not Detroit.
I just don't get it.

One thing I do know though is that when we are faced with a negative impression, we must judge it by asking ourselves "is it within my power to fix this?"
If the answer is yes, you owe it to those around you and most importantly YOURSELF to affect change. Otherwise you may never know peace.

reply to post by jimmyx


I bet you drive a hybrid and have political stickers all over your bumper huh?

How people can spin this into political debate is beyond me.

nugget1
reply to post by Hollie

 

Maybe it's not an unusual occurrence in the area where it happened.

Exactly what I was thinking.
I'd take it as yet another crackhead who passed out.

reply to post by nugget1


This is a common action in China.

This is what happens in a overpopulated area.
it's human nature, animals do it to.

to elaborate, animals also help and mourn.

It's a divine dichotomy. Can't have the good without the bad

Hollie
I am going to state the obvious here. The victim was black, the store clerk was black, and every customer stepping over the dead body was black. That's what the video shows anyways. I am not turning this into a racial thing as to why the cops weren't called until a good five minutes later or what not, however, it was quite noticeable that every character in this episode of violence was indeed black. So, maybe black people don't like to call the cops in for stuff. Or maybe it's a cultural thing. I don't know. Strange to think that people just walked passed a dead body like that and continued their convenience shopping.

edit on 2-1-2014 by Hollie because: (no reason given)

genetic pre-disposition. Our eyes don't lie. Read history, look at any inner city and the black ghettos are far more violent than any other ethnicity's ghetto.

Look at the violence in ANY 'black' country, and 'black' school, anywhere.

Genetic Predisposition..

I guess this scientific fact will be T&C VIOLATION.


People MUST recognize this, as I am a part native American, part Scot, and I MUST avoid alcohol, or else the Jekyll and Hyde effect happens to me.

Genetic Predisposition must be considered. It is considered in EVERYTHING biological and medical. Yet when it is applied someone is called racist... too bad, it IS scientific,

* exceptions to EVERYTHING... genetic predisposition has exceptions also.. but not on the MACRO.

Reading along, I was reminded of a video I had seen long ago.

Here's the thing: in an inner-city black community if you see a guy shot in the doorway of a convenience store and you pull out your cell to call police, they're going to ask for your name and question you as a witness. Maybe you have a warrant for your arrest and when they ID you they toss you in jail. Maybe you have a (logical) fear of police. Maybe you're high and do not wish to speak to authorities. Maybe the shooter sees you chatting with cops and deicdes he ought to kill you next. Were any of these guys paramedics? They're not obligated to do anything and there are way too many reasons to NOT get involved. I don't blame them in the least.

reply to post by Urantia1111


And where is the BASIC HUMAN DECENCY that says you don't casually step over a dead body on your way to get a freakin' pack of smokes?

SMH. Some of you people are monsters.