BY: CLAIRE KIM
According to a report by the New York Times, Nicole Black, mother of her black daughter Crystle Galloway, was unjustly treated by the city’s medical staff by denying her the right to use an ambulance because they supposedly believed that she could not afford it. Although the staff could clearly see that Ms. Galloway was in severe condition, the fact that they still rejected her, has led her mother to believe that racism was the reason behind their unexplainable decision. Though we’re not really sure if her claims are factually true, certainly, she was unfairly denied the service that was necessary during the emergency. Regardless of what reason they had, it is in common logic that if someone is injured, their job is to assist them safely as fast as possible. From this situation, I can understand Ms. Black’s accusation on how racism may have been involved because it doesn’t make any sense how they can claim that she doesn’t have the money to use the service when their job is not to debate on that. By simply demanding her to drive her ill daughter to the hospital all on her own, losing time as she battles road disturbances, is not the attitude any medical staff should have for its patients and their families. If they were really doing their job correctly, this should have never been a problem in the first place. Many are saying how our country is growing in terms of economy, tech, education, and more, but I feel like a lot of people are not realizing that their mindsets towards these issues aren’t growing in parallel with everything else. In a sense, our world is moving forward, but our mind and heart are stuck in the past.
claire kim. 