Are there No Good Samaritans Left?

I know people don’t like to get involved these days, but when I read something like this I really wonder about the collective state of mind of the people of this country today.

Excerpts are in italics.

A man parked his truck on a country road outside Turlock (outside of San Francisco) on a Saturday night, removed a baby boy from a car seat and then beat the child to death in the street, fighting off passers-by who tried to stop him, until he was gunned down by a police officer whose helicopter landed in a nearby pasture, police said Sunday.

First an elderly couple called in on their cellphone. I can possibly understand an elderly couple not wanting to get involved.

From what the article says, several people “tried” to do something about this man beating a child to death but were unsuccessfrul.

…others called as well, and some witnesses stopped and tried to halt the attack on the child.

What does “tried to halt” mean? “Mister, could you please quit beating that baby, you might hurt him.”

It actually mentions only one person physically getting involved.

One (person) tried to intervene, and the suspect pushed him off and continued assaulting the baby.

Pushed him off? Anybody ever heard of a tire tool? Surely somebody who stopped COULD have done something if they really wanted to.

I can only go by what this article says, and it sure seems to indicate that multiple people saw this crime happening, but basically no one really did the right thing. I can just about guarantee that if this had happened in Louisiana, the man would have been shot by somebody and possibly the child would have been saved.

Even without a weapon of any kind, the article indicates that multiple people stopped – what about just physically overpowering the man?

The Stanislaus County coroner's office told police that the agency may have to identify the boy through a DNA test because he was beaten beyond recognition.

Disturbing. Very disturbing.