Image Credit Hoi An- on Unsplash
Few had met Duong Tran in life. Most had gone out of their way to avoid such a meeting.
Some had slipped a crumpled bill into his hand at a crowded intersection, avoiding even eye contact as the bill transferred hands.
But when he was killed crossing an intersection that lacked a much needed crosswalk, they rallied behind him.
They rode the coattails of his death into a courtroom where they spoke passionately about the tragic loss of his life.
A life they would have collectively continued to ignore- had he not become a very useful tool in their hands.
This piece, written in exactly 100 words, is my response to Sadje’s What Do You See? photo prompt this week.
Thru Violet's Lentz 
unfortunately, people always wait to rally behind martyr like figures, 😦
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Either that or we are only too ready to know only those we find useful to us in some way…..
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sadly
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And I wonder what his usefulness? I see similar subtle transactions around town…
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Is it just human nature or are we just callous creatures? Surely history has an opinion on this….
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History tells us we’re callous. The exceptions stand out, and in standing out drive home the message. Homo incrassatum us
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That was my first thought, but I referred to you for validation as you are my in-house historian of choice.
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Oh, I thank you. Then may I refer you to Steven Pinker’s *The Better Angels of our Nature*, wherein he argues (with half the huge volume devoted to notes and references) that while this was so in the past, there is evidence of our species beginning to climb above it. Lo, those few exceptions. Truly, it is a book worth reading
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Thank you for the heads up. It is a question I have always pondered but never really done the footwork necessary to find an answer.. I’ll look it up.
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Allow yourself a week to read.
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I found out I can get the audio book free via Alaska online library. There is a wait list, but it sounds worth the wait.
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Oh definitely. Although with the book I was able to hear his voice narrating it… and I’m real sold on his voice. Sad, I know. 🙂
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I see people such as Duong Tran all too frequently here. Powerless in life and mostly forgotten the moment they disappear.
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The homeless population in the US is growing by leaps and bounds. The old approach, just ignore them, is no longer feasible and yet we cling to it try to pretend they just don’t exist. Unless of course we find a valuable use for them, in which case we are not above exploiting their plight… So sad.
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It certainly is.
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How sad and hypocritical that they used this poor man’d death for their own benefit.
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Very well written story Violet. An example of the disconnect we see today.
Thanks a lot for being a part of the challenge.
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Thank you, Sadje. I really enjoyed your prompt this week.
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You’re welcome! Much obliged 🙏🙏🙏
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politicians in my country are acting out a similar drama now, making use of the unfortunate for their own gain, well written Violet, exposing human selfishness and rottenness.
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I believe waiting until there is a tragedy to do something is pretty much human nature. Maybe it goes back to ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’?
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😥 Someday, you will rock the world.
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You mean I haven’t already?
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I think you need to learn Chinese.
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egg foo young. moo goo guy pan. pork fried rice. How’s that?
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😀
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We have some intersections here that went by the three accident rule. A traffic light wasn’t installed until there were three tragedies…
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How many times have I even I said, “Someone is gonna have to die before they fix it.” I think it is a common enough trend to at least deserve a little thought.
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