Yue Yue
The moral crisis that has been brought home to China is not particularly distinct to China. It can happen anywhere. But it was in China that Yue Yue, a two-year-old toddler, had run out into the street, was hit by a man in a van who stopped momentarily, considered, then continued and ran over her for the second time, with its back wheels. Another van later ran over her bleeding, contorted body again. Eighteen passersby were all too busy, disengaged and disinterested to stop.A grandmotherly street cleaner stopped and lifted the bleeding child from the street, running off to find her mother. The China Daily has reported that shattered and shamed local officials in Foshan gave Chen Xianmei, the street cleaner, a 10,000 yuan reward, while a local company was said to have offered Yue Yue's family and her rescuer 50,000 yuan.
According to the China Daily, "Both drivers said they didn't see the child before the accident happened, according to the police. the first driver who knocked down Yue Yue expressed regret, deep sadness and apologies to the child's family." Actually, not quite; the first driver was on his cellphone and expressed no contrition whatever.
"You saw that girl on the CCTV footage, she didn't see where she was going, you know. I was on the phone when it happened, I didn't mean it. When I realized I had knocked her down, I thought I'd go down to see how she was. Then when I saw that she was already bleeding, I decided to just step on the gas pedal and escape, seeing that nobody was around me."
China Daily reported that several passersby said they hadn't seen the girl. " I couldn't see clearly because it was dark then", said one driving an electric tricycle. The woman who had passed by the bleeding child, holding her own child by the hand said, "The girl was bleeding in mouth and ear and crying a little. I was so scared and my girl cried because of fear, therefore, we left."
Early reports are that hospitalized Yue Yue may have suffered irreversible brain damage.
The Chinese Ministry of Health, at one point had issued guidelines to the public. "Don't rush to lend a hand to the elderly after seeing them fall over. It should be handled by different measures in different situations." Such as? Is that a maddeningly ambiguous, useless statement, or is it not? Does that official statement encourage people to care for one another?
"The people who rescued others, at the risk of their own lives, haven't been treated fairly", explained a professor with the South China Normal University in Guangzhou. He has set up a foundation to help Good Samaritans who get in trouble helping the elderly.
Thank heavens that among the masses of uncaring, disingenuous, unhelpful and inhumane there are understanding and compassionate people who do what they can to undo the harm done by others.
Labels: Charity, China, Human Fallibility, Human Relations
posted by Pieface @ Friday, October 21, 2011
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