What Would You Do?

Every now and then I catch 20/20's What Would You Do episodes and I was home to watch the most recent show. If you aren't familiar with these episodes, actors are used to play out controversial scenarios to see how on-lookers will respond. Will they do what's right and intervene or will they turn their backs and ignore the situation out of discomfort. One of the scenarios from this past episode had a nicely dressed woman (actress) walking down the sidewalk, fainting suddenly. On-lookers immediately approached the woman and called 911. The scenario was switched and this time they used a man (actor) dressed in dingy clothes, could obviously be identified as someone who was possibly homeless, carrying a beer can. The actor stumbles down the sidewalk and eventually collapses. Only this time, no one came to his rescue. People literally walked around him as if he wasn't there. I almost felt like I wasn't watching something real. All of a sudden, a woman who was identified as also homeless, wanders over to the "homeless" man (or assumed to be by the general public), checks him out, stands up against the wall and repeatedly asks for passerby's to call 911. Still, no one responds. Finally someone begins to call but in the meantime, this lady named him Billy, making him human. Whooh! She identified with him, advocated for his help and dignified him as a worthy human being. I couldn't even hold myself any longer! I began to tear up. That episode was a snapshot of our selective attitudes. Everyday, the homeless are walked by, ignored, and devalued as humans. We forget that these are individuals who had lives at one time. We forget that these are individuals that have a name. We wash our hands and are not responsible for anything or anyone but ourselves at times. This episode was very reflective and I encourage you to watch the video below and ask yourself what would you really do?