Umair, to your genral point about lack of empathy towards those who are homeless in America, I agree - and ther specific incident you relate is heartbreaking and enraging. Then you generalize so universally, I find myself objecting:

1. Your life experience has not exposed you to the callous indiffernce to those suffering in other lands? Mine has, many times. In India, Bangladesh, China, Russia, and my naitve Canada (especially white indifference towards First Nations people in distress). That's just a small handful of memories that quickly come to mind. The easy explanation is that when people see others in distress as "other," they desensitize themselves - whether different ethnic groups or social groups, including the "homeless." It's not good - but it is both undersatndable and universal. See this great book on the topic: https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/changemakers-books/our-books/bottom

2. You will also find Americans among the most giving and generous in the world to those in distress. A frind of mine is retired. He still volunteers for the Red Cross, and was just deployed to Washington State on a mission to help victims of the wildfires. I remember a few years ago another friend, in response to severe flooding in a southern state, packed up his SUV with supplies, and drove 500 miles to see how he could help. He stayed for a week. By the way, he is a Trump- supporting Republican!

3. I have also worked with USAID's Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs, which sends emergency relief all around the world in times of crisis - they are now in Haiti. They provide drinking water, food, medicines and basic shelters all over the world, regardless of politics. Their efforts literally save the lives of millions in distress each year. The people who work for this goverment agency put their own lives in peril to enter into disaster zones on behalf of others.

4. While their is much to critique about America's wealthy, they have a tradition of philanthropy unmatched by the wealthy in many other cultures. Gates Foundation. Bezos Earth Fund. A friend of mine recalls taking off from the capital of Angola, and seeing a line of private jets parked off the runway owned my the wealthy elite on one of the poorest nations in Africa. These folks, my African friend told me, do not give away any of their wealth to those less fortunate.

I'm a Canadian, and I recently became a US citizen as well. There is much to critique about my new country, but I also find much to love about the people. People I have chosen to call "my people."

Tim Ward