No right..

Sometimes it DOES hit close to home.

When you often brush off the harsh realities, thinking it could never encroach in your space, it does.

Just like many others, we are angry. And we do want to get things right.

Read on, from The Star Online. This happened to a friend's father, and should not have happened in the first place.

Friday June 5, 2009

Road bully in his 30s assaults 72-year-old man

PETALING JAYA: A drive home from the bank turned violent for a 72-year-old retiree who fell victim to a road bully in Damansara Damai.

M. Edwards, the father of one of The Star’s journalists, suffered injuries to his head and body after he was punched several times in the 10am incident yesterday.He received outpatient treatment at the Sungai Buloh Hospital.

Edwards (pic) said he had just finished paying some bills at a bank and was driving home with his daughter when a van cut into his lane.

“I sounded my horn at the driver because he had swerved in suddenly without using the indicator,” he added.

“The man then started driving slowly and kept swerving to prevent me from overtaking.”

This continued for a while and then the van suddenly stopped and the driver got down.

Edwards said he then stopped his car and got out to see what was the problem, adding that another man seated in the van did not get out.

The driver, who looked to be in his 30s, walked straight to Edwards and, without saying a word, started punching him.

“I tried to fight back, but he was huge. He punched me in the face, head and body several times before getting back into the van and fleeing,” Edwards said.

He added that as the bully drove off he challenged him (Edwards) to report the attack to the police.

Edwards lodged a police report at a nearby police station.

Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed confirmed the incident and said police were investigating.

I echo Rocky’s Bru call.

Find the bully..

Life's loss

I sit here and listen to the background noise of news bulletins featuring the prominent visit by U.S president Barack Obama in the Middle East. The importance given to this news piece is obvious. He IS the man of the moment - drawing the typical response of media organisations.

Stop for a minute - another piece of heavy news is being featured - the mysterious disappearance of Air France AF 447 enroute to Paris from Rio de Janeiro. And while important - slightly less time spent giving thoughts and prayers to the lives lost in the tragedy and to those loved ones in grief.

Truly, which piece of news is more important?

I come to a point closer to home. During a midnight trip to the doctor's during a semi-emergency, bless the souls that came to my aid, we encountered this.

A group of youngsters came by to the clinic close to 1am - seeking help for their unconscious friend. The clinic turned them away.

Shocking?

The conversation that followed raised more than just eyebrows.

"What happened to the guy who was unconscious?" asked several concerned and conscious patients.

Nurse relayed then the group could not carry the unconscious person out of the car and therefore could not bring the person into the clinic.

Nurse continued to relay that the clinic did not have resuscitation machines to help the unconscious person.

(gasp)

Questions asked - why don't the clinic nurses and doctor go outside the building to give the potential patient the much needed aid.

This was the response - the doctor was not allowed to go out of the clinic - for fear he may be "kidnapped" (verbatim).

(gasps .... shudder)

At this point - the group of youngsters had already left - presumably to a hospital whom I prayed and hoped have medical staff with hearts and conscience to save a life.

Nurse continued to relay that should the unconscious pass away in the clinic - there are costs involved and the clinic would not be able to afford these "costs".

At this point - audience was left speechless.

Costs versus saving a life.

I prayed for the victims of AF 447 and for that man who was refused basic care.

I hope you did too.