Sadly, Hamilton has its share of meanness

We like to believe the axiom that Hamiltonians have big hearts. Spec readers regularly write about acts of kindness, charity and selflessness. We have a higher than average percentage of citizens who volunteer their time for good causes.

In short, we choose to believe our city is one where, if someone is in trouble, folks will step up to help. Sadly, that is not always true.

There was a terrible accident just after Christmas in which a man was killed and his mother badly injured. They were trying to cross Mohawk Road near Upper Gage, using their walkers, when they were struck by a motorcycle. A Hamilton man is charged with careless driving and will appear in court in March.

As terrible as the accident was, what happened right after was worse in its own way. The injured people were sprawled on the road, their groceries spilled around them. Surveillance camera footage shows drivers continuing through the accident zone, in some cases nearly hitting the victims again.

And adding insult to injury, passersby stole evidence from the scene, including a walker, groceries, scratch tickets and personal effects. Other people nearby, seeing what was going on, blocked access to the victims and ensured nothing else was damaged or stolen. Those people are real Hamiltonians. But who were those people who did those despicable things? Who looted and stole rather than try to help?

It’s a sad indictment of our society, and on some in our community. We will continue to believe we have more than our share of citizens with good hearts. But this is a reminder that, as Bruce Springsteen said in Nebraska: “Well sir, I guess there’s just a meanness in this world.” Sad but true.