NY cop's kindness to shoeless man not in vain
Barb Shelly
Ok, so the homeless man who was the recipient of a nice pair of boots from a good New York City cop was found shoeless again. He said he hid the boots because they are worth a lot of money.
Oh, and he wants “a piece of the pie” because a photo of he and the police officer was posted on line without his permission.
That should not be taken to mean that good deeds are not worth doing. The homeless guy, identified in the New York Times as Jeffrey Hillman, is very likely walking around the streets of New York City barefoot in early winter at least in part because of a mental illness. An inability to respond to help in an appropriate and graceful way probably is both a cause and effect of his problems.
But police Officer Larry DePrimo’s act of compassion and generosity undoubtedly inspired others to help those in need. And many of those people will be more inclined to make good use of that generosity.
As for Hillman making money off of the widely distributed picture of he and DePrimo — not likely. A tourist from Arizona snapped the unscripted moment and the New York Police Department put it on its web site. From there it went viral.
Dear Ms. Shelly: I fully agree with what you say in this posting. Mother Teresa put it best: “A kind word costs nothing, but it reverberates forever.” Acts of kindness are never wasted—even if their immediate impact is not clear. Take care—Blessed Christmas!! Sincerely, Respectfully and In Christ, Ernest Evans
William R. Nelson
5 months, 2 weeks agoHid the boots?
Nope. Sorry. I’m the jaded sort who’s done charitable work with street people for many years.
The man drank or snorted those boots the next day. Some folks will never leave their own prison - no matter how noble our intentions or frequent our efforts.
Phil Cardarella
5 months, 2 weeks agoNot all of the poor are “deserving” any more than all of the handicapped are virtuous or all of the wealthy are smart.
Charity often benefits those who receive it — but sometimes not so much. Perhaps he did trade the boots for drugs or booze. That detracts nothing from the generosity of the young officer. One thing is clear: Acts of charity ALWAYS benefit the actor. When we do good to others, we do not just feel good for a moment. We make ourselves better human beings.
By the way, much as I sometimes criticize police when they act improperly, I have always thought that nearly all cops are decent guys who want to help society. This officer certainly supports that theory.