Canada: Bystanders ignore plight of burning homeless man

The Times Colonist ^ | December 14, 2005 | Maurice Bridge

[Stoat]

Giving credit where it's due....I found this article because it was linked at OrbusMax

Orbusmax ™ Northwest News - 'Around The World In 80K'

[dsc]

One more reason to boycott Starbucks.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

This is the signature of a Lib-dominated society.
It's not my damned job. I pay enough taxes for this to be picked up, like the stuff in my trash can.

[CommandoFrank]

"Man, this guy was toast!" bad, bad, bad

[furquhart]

I'm from Vancouver. Those "people" are a nusience. They're scum. I can fully understand why no one would care.

[Dick Vomer]

I guess he wasn't on the sunny side of the street.

[hang 'em]

OK, who ordered the Janet Reno special?

[Old Professer]

Another good reason to widen bans on smoking in public.

[Wiz]

The reality of Canada's liberals

[Old Professer]

Nuisance or not, they are people in plain view, turning one's head does not make a problem disappear.

[Welsh Rabbit]

She said another woman customer standing at the counter told her: "Just leave him alone, he's a homeless person," Wellstead recalled. "I looked at her and I said, 'What are you talking about?' "And she says, 'He's homeless, just forget it.' "

Am I the only one who's skeptical of this account? Sounds a bit OTT.

[Stoat]

Am I the only one who's skeptical of this account? Sounds a bit OTT.

Judging from a self-proclaimed Vancouver resident who is posting in this very thread, it sounds to be rather in-line with the example that is being given us here.

[sarasmom]

Aside from the fact that I am a bit skeptical about any MSM story...yes, I can believe this happening.

[lizma]

Damned straight! Look at the things quoted, I'm hard pressed to think that anyone in America would sit and watch someone on fire, help put it out and think they deserve kudos unless your Jesse Jackson.

[jocon307]

So much to think. So little to really say.

Thank the Good Lord for this woman to help this poor man.

[furquhart]

Well, not to be flip, but it would have in this particular case.

[satchmodog9]

I think you would be shocked how many people would watch someone burn.

[Welsh Rabbit]

Maybe, but homeless advocates are notorious liars. Remember all those BS statistics they gave us in the '80s about a hundred homeless people dying every minute (or something like that)?

[Welsh Rabbit]

Oops. #18 was meant for you.

[furquhart]

I don't imagine they'd watch. I imagine they'd walk straight on - it's easier that way.

Like I said, I'm from Vancouver. We have, probably, the biggest drug problem in the Western World. Our streets look like something out of some dystopian sci-fi film half the time.

It may sound insensitive but, a lot of the time, I find myself wishing, a la Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, for a "hard rain to wash all the scum off the streets."