NBA Player Stomps Homeless Man

I normally don't like re-posting stories from other sources. However, I was reading a few different articles when I came across this story on Yahoo! news. The story focuses on a professional basketball player who makes a very comfortable living and is, quite possibly a multi-millionaire. 

"Houston Rockets forward Terrence Jones had a rather nondescript rookie season, but after a solid showing in the NBA Summer Leagues in Orlando earlier in July, he and his young Rockets team were probably hoping to make waves heading into a crucial 2013-14 campaign. Allegedly, Jones is off to a very poor start in terms of breaking into the public’s consciousness.

KATU is reporting that Jones was arrested after allegedly stomping on the leg of a homeless man after leaving a bar in Portland on Wednesday morning. Jones, who is a Portland native, was reported to have been observed by a police sergeant in the wee hours as shouting down the homeless man before kicking the victim’s leg. From the station's news site:

While watching the group walk away from the bar, the sergeant observed a man, later identified as Jones, walk by a doorway where two homeless men were sleeping, according to police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson.

The sergeant said Jones yelled, “Wake up,” then raised his leg and stomped down on one of the man’s legs. The men were sleeping in the doorway of 114 Northwest 3rd Avenue.

 The victim, 46-year-old Daniel John Kellerher, received a minor leg injury and did not require immediate medical attention, Simpson said."

Some people have absolutely no value for human life or concept of what it means to treat people with dignity, which is a key part of our mission statement at Samaritan House. We feel our motto reflects the heart and ethos of the Flathead Valley and we hope to mirror the compassion and empathy we see around us. 

I know that one individual does represent an entire community or profession (Portland is an amazing city and there are hundreds of professional athletes who don't go around curb-stomping the homeless). But we do live in a polarized society that often attributes worth to status. Prestige and wealth have, historically, been wielded as a double-edged sword to justify the detrimental treatment of the poor. I like to think things are changing and we are evolving toward a better understanding of what it means to care for those in need of our help instead of crippling them.

I like to hold out that we can make a difference in a positive way because we recognize every person deserves to be treated with dignity and equality.