averting eyes

when did the “upstanding citizen”

learn to avert their eyes

when stepping over a homeless person on the way to

their place of work?

when were such people taught that

the horrors of the world will never actually affect them &

that the best that they can do is

“live a good life” &

“do their best not to hurt others,”

as if this complete complacence did not

balance itself upon the backs of those

that have been cast out into the streets &

stuffed down into the sewers

(if not forced into one of society’s garbage cans:

juvenile detention, prison, mental institutions, etc.)?

when did such individuals learn how to cry

on their hands & knees at the “appropriate time”

for events & issues that could have been avoided

had they themselves spent even an infinitesimal amount of their

precious time to try & stop them?

have such people ever been in a desperate situation?

have they ever had to worry about anything &

if they have, why do they not remember what it was like?

why do such individuals think that it will never be so bad again?