Intolerable Cruelty

Good afternoon to all,
hope your Wednesday is going well.

Today, I read a news story about a tabloid "news" service printing a "Top 10 Ugliest People in the World" list, and including a burn victim on their list. How cruel and insensitive is that to do to a person who has suffered so much? The individual is a police officer named David Schechterle, who was injured when his police cruiser burst into flames following an automobile collision. I feel sorry for even using the term "burn victim" when describing the man, who bravely served his community in law enforcement, but the term was used to illustrate just how awful it was on the part of the tabloid "news" service (Weekly World News). Officer Schechterle and his family handled the situation with class, saying that "at least some good came out of a bad situation", as the AMI Corporation issued an apology, fired an employee, and made a cash contribution to a Burn Center. Is anyone else as tired as I am, of hearing about deep pocketed people buying their way out of circumstances resulting from their bad behavior? When I heard about this story, I couldn't help but imagine the hurt felt by the Schechterle family. In a news service, I find it difficult to believe that only one single individual (who was fired) had total responsibility for running the malicious story, what about proofreaders, editors, and their bosses? I used to think that Weekly World News was almost funny, as I would read the crazy headlines while waiting in line at the grocery store, though I doubt they'll be as funny to me anymore. I can't help but feel that the heart of this situation is nothing more than bullying at a level that should have been outgrown in grade school, it also reminded me of a schoolyard fight I once got into while getting between four guys picking on a girl in a wheelchair. I got the worst out of that, but it all evened out as the guys had to walk through my neighborhood to get home. *LOL That was one of those life changing moments for me, as on any other day I might have been just another person passing by without noticing or simply ignoring what was going on around me, maybe it was when I made eye contact with her? But the tears in her eyes tore at my heart. I dunno, it just felt good to stand up for what was right, and to help a girl who was only trying to make her way to the schoolbus. I guess I had forgotten, but in a way, that might have been what lead me (years later) to consider entering study to one day work with the elderly as a profession, and making a choice to try and help people for a living. I'm not sure how it pays, but I believe that the true reward will come from the way it will be good for my heart and soul. It's interesting how certain things as simple as reading something or even hearing a song, can cause memories to come flooding back, that's what I was thinking about after reading the story of a tabloid picking on a person who never did anything to them, just for the sake of a few laughs. To Allison, I never knew her last name, wherever she might be I hope she's happy, as today I remembered her smile and wave to me when her bus drove away.