Does human life mean ANYTHING at all? Or have we become so apathetic that we couldn't care less?

Let me tell you what brings on this tirade.

Today, a friend in office who has what you can closest imagine as a window seat called me over to his desk and pointed to something in a far off field, which was close enough for us to see the junk it contained. Turned out he was confused about what could have easily passed off for a pile of used clothes. It was actually a man curled up in a foetal position. He'd been observing for some minutes and had watched a number of people - men - troop by, but no one as much as stopped and nudged him with their toe.

SO he called me over to take a look and figure out if his eyes were playing tricks on him. They weren't. We observed the scene for two minutes and decided to go down and take a first hand look. Just when we were about to reach him, he moved. We turned come back, but hang on, we thought. Let's at least go and see if he's alright or if he needs medical attention. We went there and started calling out to him. He moved a little after our repeated calls but didn't wake up. He only gained enough consciousness to spit something out. A drunk man. That's all.

But WHAT if he were dead? WHAT if he were in grave need of medical attention? People passing by - looking at him curiously, or maybe even with disdain, yet doing nothing; guards standing around fully aware that he was there, yet doing nothing.

We asked one of the guards standing there if he'd done anything. He said no. We asked him if he realized he could have saved the guy's life if he were in need of medical attention. He mumbled a yes with averted eyes. We asked him if there was any value to human life.

He had no answer.

Such is the value of human life.