A great fellow Philly blogger, upon seeing that recent CNN video of a person ran over with no one helping posted a passionate piece questioning where our society is headed when a group of people can act so unconcerned about someone else’s welfare.
In his comments, I felt the need to remind him of Kitty Genovese.
Phil Ochs’s wrote a song about her in 1967, that, with its refrain, is all too painful.
The lyrics make me feel uncomfortable, and if they make you feel the same, then that says something about their ongoing relevancy.
“Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends”:
Look outside the window, there’s a woman being grabbed
They’ve dragged her to the bushes and now she’s being stabbed
Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain
But monopoly is so much fun, I’d hate to blow the game
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends.Riding down the highway, yes, my back is getting stiff
Thirteen cars are piled up, they’re hanging on a cliff.
Maybe we should pull them back with our towing chain
But we gotta move and we might get sued and it looks like it’s gonna rain
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends.Sweating in the ghetto with the (colored/panthers) and the poor
The rats have joined the babies who are sleeping on the floor
Now wouldn’t it be a riot if they really blew their tops?
But they got too much already and besides, we got the cops
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends.Oh, there’s a dirty paper using sex to make a sale
The Supreme Court was so upset, they sent him off to jail.
Maybe we should help the fiend and take away his fine.
But we’re busy reading playboy and the Sunday New York Times
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friendsSmoking marijuana is more fun than drinking beer,
But a friend of ours was captured and they gave him thirty years
Maybe we should raise our voices, ask somebody why
But demonstrations are a drag, besides, we’re much too high
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friendsOh, look outside the window, there’s a woman being grabbed
They’ve dragged her to the bushes and now she’s being stabbed
Maybe we should call the cops and try to stop the pain
But monopoly is so much fun, I’d hate to blow the game
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friendsDown in Santiago where they took away our mines
We cut off all their money, so they robbed the storehouse blind
Now maybe we should ask some questions, maybe shed a tear
But I bet you a copper penny, it cannot happen here
And I’m sure it wouldn’t interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends
I tend to think that the human condition is made of sterner stuff than our culture can throw at it. For good or ill.
That’s why we need to shout from the rooftops the good wherever we may find it. It is out here. There are great stories to tell. Heroes who break the mold everyday.
I know I don’t talk about them enough myself.
But the question is – does anyone care outside our circle of friends?
I’m a great Philly blogger? Thank you.
I’ve thought about this a little more – and while it turns out the police cried wolf, the initial outrage is well placed. I wonder if there have been times when I haven’t reacted to a crisis or an emergency quickly or at all. There are people who think that someone else will help – or I don’t have time. I’m sure I’ve thought that before.
You live in Philly, so you remember the Starbuck’s worker that was beaten at a SEPTA terminal in the middle of the day. It seems as if criminals count on this inaction to act criminally.
Anyway – I’m adding your blog to my blogroll. Need to support my fellow great Philly blogger.
I share the outrage Spencer. I’m not resigned to think that people need be so uncaring towards others. I just no longer feel surprised. I tend to think that its the surprise that keeps us from seeing the forest thru the trees.
Glad to be on yr blogroll – yr on mine 🙂