The homeless donate $3,000
to a cop for his humanity

In New York City, a cop was ordered to arrest a homeless man whose only offense was sleeping in a garage during the cold. The policeman refused to obey that order. Resultantly, he was suspended for a month without pay.

When hearing of his suspension, a group of homeless and former homeless citizens of New York City and a homeless organization collected up to $3,000 to donate to that policeman and his family, as a way of returning a sense of humanity to him for having displayed humanity to the homeless man he refused to arrest.

The NYPD was unrepentant about their act of ordering the officer to arrest a homeless man who was merely trying to stay alive in this winter cold by sleeping in a garage and subsequently suspending the policeman when he refused to obey that unconscionable order.

Apparently the policeman had not been so acculturated into the culture of being a cop that he could not see the humanity of the homeless man. Bravo to the NYPD cop and to the group that raised $3,000 so the cop's family would not be sleeping in a garage as well. The officer took a right stand at a cost to himself. He demonstrates the type of police officers New York City and this nation need to patrol our streets.

Discipline and following orders are essential ingredients in any military or para-military agency, but no one should lose his humanity to the point that there can be no compassion for another.

Former Mayor Rudolph Guliani, who was crown king of New York after 911, may have acted with competence and great leadership under the 911 circumstances, but he was ruthless and without a heart toward the homeless when he was mayor. He's gone as mayor, and some cops are finding the courage to question the integrity of certain orders. It's about time. []

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