Good Samaritan Involvement Day, also known as Good Samaritan Day, is celebrated on March 13th in the United States. It takes place on the anniversary of the death of Catherine- Kitty- Genovese, who was murdered in New York while multiple bystanders did nothing to prevent it. Good Samaritan Involvement Day is a day for unselfish actions to help those who are in need.
Parable of the Good Samaritan
The parable of the Good Samaritan is located the in the Book of Luke, chapter 10, verses 25 through 37. In this parable, a man is beaten, robbed, and left on the road. The first two people to pass by, a priest and a Levite, do nothing to help the man. The third person, a Samaritan, stops to help. He binds the wounds and takes the wounded man to an inn, and pays for him to be treated. Of course, to those hearing the parable, one would expect the priest and Levite- respected people- to be the ones most willing to help and the Samaritan- a member of a people who were much despised at those times- as the one who would ignore a wounded man.
The parable of the Good Samaritan is generally understood as an illustration that "neighbors" does not refer simply to those living around a person or to those of the same ethnic or religious group, but that "neighbors" refers to all fellow human beings. It also stresses love over legalism- in other words, caring for fellow human beings takes precedence over following a specific religious or cultural law. While hospitality and concern for others was often shared within cultural groups, Jesus made it clear that these same traits should be displayed to everyone.
History of Good Samaritan Day
The history of Good Samaritan Day dates back to the brutal murder of Catherine Genovese, known also as Kitty Genovese. At 3:15 a.m. on March 13, 1964, Kitty parked her car a mere 20 feet from the entrance to her apartment building. When a man ran at her, she apparently attempted to flee to a police call box that linked directly with the local precinct. The man jumped on her and stabbed her several times while she screamed for help. The assailant left the scene temporarily. Kitty staggered to a foyer in the back of her building, where the assailant found her when he returned. At that point he attempted to rape her, killed her, and stole $49 out of her wallet. Various sources claim there was another attack between the two mentioned above; there is also debate over the extent of the sexual assault. Both of these details are irrelevant to the main point of the story.
As Kitty screamed for help, her neighbors both saw and heard the attack. The New York Times indicated that 38 people actually watched as she was murdered. This is undoubtedly an exaggeration, as even later writers for the Times admit. There were without a doubt a few people who saw the attack as well as many more who heard the attack, but many were confused and thought it was a lover's quarrel. On the witness stand, however, multiple witnesses admitted to inaction and ignoring what was going on.
The New York Times story quickly spread across the country, and even led to multiple studies about why bystanders are so reluctant to get involved. Now called "Bystander Effect," it was originally called the "Genovese Syndrome," and is a social psychological theory stating that when there are multiple bystanders, people are less likely to become involved than if they were the only witness. The national outrage over Kitty's neighbors' inaction and concern about the social state of America prompted March 13th to be declared Good Samaritan Involvement Day.
Good Samaritan Day in the 21st Century
Good Samaritan Involvement Day, while being noted on many calenders, is no longer remembered with the same fervor as in the years immediately after Kitty's death. However, the fundamental concept of being a good Samaritan still applies today. Adults can make a conscious effort to be helpful on this day. While most people won't witness a murder, there are numerous small ways for people to unselfishly help their fellow man. For children, writing of a list of ten ways they have helped people and ten ways they wish to help people in the future is a way to help them realize there are beneficial actions they can take in their everyday lives.
A Good Lesson for Any Day of the Year
The basic lesson of the parable and the events surrounding the death Kitty Genovese both leave a lesson that is valid on any day of any year. It is better to help others than to simply walk by and ignore the situation. While it is tragic that the death of Kitty has overshadowed her life, a fundamental lesson can be drawn from the events. Any single one of the witnesses could have changed the course of the events. It wouldn't have required a group effort or life-changing actions- a simple phone call could have saved Kitty's life.
Sources:
Catholic Book Publishing Company. (1986). New American Bible- Saint Joseph Edition. Catholic Book Publishing Company, New York, NY.
Cook, Emily. (2006, February). Hospitality is Biblical- and It's Not Optional. This Rock. Retrieved February 4, 2011 from Catholic Answers.
Oxford Review. (2002, March 13). Today in History. Retrieved Feb. 4, 2011.
Rasenberger, Jim. (2006, October 6). Nightmare on Austin Street. American Heritage, Volume 57, Issue 5. Retrieved Feb. 4, 2011 from American Heritage online.
Teacher's Corner, the. (1998-2011). Daily Writing Prompts- March. Retrieved Feb. 4, 2011 from The Teacher's Corner.
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