If you see something, San Francisco, then, by all means, fucking say or do something.
Earlier this evening, a man was picked up by a team of first responders from right outside a Van Ness Avenue cell-phone store, to be taken to the hospital, probably to die, possibly to live. I hope he lives.
I do not know who the man is, I do not know where he came from; another witness who claimed to know the man – but who left him after help arrived to go on his way – told me that he called the man “Slick,” and also that the man has a spot somewhere in the Tenderloin. What I do know is that the man was in bad shape, and that no one did much for him. I almost didn’t. The people inside the store, the entrance to which the man’s shirtless black body was semi-blocking, certainly didn’t do shit, not for him, not to shoo him away, nothing. The customers who later came out with their shiny piece-o’-shit cell phones didn’t even look his way or that of the first responders, who worked and worked on the man for about 20 minutes. Would it have made any bit of difference if the color of the man’s skin had been lighter?
How some of us can ignore or put a pin on other human beings, who are clearly in or about to be in crisis or who could create a crisis, is completely beyond me. Why is that happening? The world may be on fire, and we all can see that our City by the Bay is in crisis, but that cannot mean we like, get to check out on one another.
Don’t wait for someone else to come, for someone else to make the call. If you think your involvement could save a life, get involved. Right then, right there. Your doubt is your gut telling you only to be careful, not necessarily to run away. Someone did come, and that someone is you.
#SpareaLittleChange. You are the change. If you see something, #DoMore.
King of Cups 