The apathy, the indifference, the nonchalance, the passivity in the face of human suffering — as if such an attack is a casual occurrence; as if she is a figure in a video game and not a real human being shoved and kicked and stomped on— says something very disturbing about what’s happening in our culture.

Some on social media have pointed out that the guard would have lost his job if he’d gotten involved. That private security guards are strictly barred from intervening in such situations because of liability. I’m sure that’s right. (According to the building’s management company, the staff who witnessed the attack “have been suspended pending an investigation in conjunction with their union.”)

I’d also say: Imagine that this woman is your mother. Really picture her, as I am my own mom, who is about the same age as the woman in the video. Now picture her beaten to the point of hospitalization in broad daylight in the middle of Manhattan. And imagine that grown adult men several feet away watched that happen to her. If your answer is still “but liability,” I’m really not sure what to say.