Is it that Hard to Be Kind?

Be Kind.  Be Courteous.  Be Respectful.  Be Thoughtful.  Be Considerate.    What do those words mean to you?  This week my post comes after reading several articles about a US Marine who was on board a Delta flight from Atlanta to Washington DC.    According to the article… 

Marine Lance Cpl. Christian Brown lost both of his legs while deployed to Afghanistan in 2011.   A week ago he was returning from a hunting trip in Alabama for other wounded vets and was also very sick.   They placed him in one of those "airplane" wheelchairs to board him… and paraded him, clumsily,  down the aisle to the very back of the plane.  Along the way, he was bumping into other passengers.  The article reads that tears were falling from the soldiers face from embarrassment and humiliation.   He was seated next to a retired army colonel who along with other vets on the plane were outraged at the treatment.   Inquiries were made as to why he could not be moved to first class or the front of the plane.  Apparently, there were individuals seated in first class who were willing to swap seats, but according to the article the flight attendants wouldn't allow it using the excuse that the door was closing. 

 EXCUSE ME?  Are you kidding me? 

When the day comes that we cannot take an extra 15-20 minutes to honor one of our military heroes by accommodating them for a more comfortable flight, yet, we can hold a plane to wait for passengers who have just landed… something is terribly wrong.  I cannot tell you how out-raged I am over this article.  I do not know this man, nor his family.  I do not know the passenger seated next to him.  But.. my heart broke for the pain and suffering he endured at the hands of individuals who simply didn't care.  

Please read the full article at the link below for the complete story.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2012/12/13/marine-double-amputee-gets-help-from-fellow-vets-angered-by-delta-airlines-treatment/

WHY?  When I read this article.. I sat there asking one question, Why?  This was a senseless act.  This man fought for his country, for you and for me.  This man is a hero and should be respected and honored as one, not humiliated.   This story sickened me, but the reality is… this happens every day.  

Is it so much to ask that you treat others as you want to be treated?   In our personal and professional lives, we encounter family, friends, colleagues, strangers, elderly, children, poor, rich, sick and so on… and every day we each have the choice to be kind, respectful, considerate and thoughtful.   My question to the flight attendants on the flight is simply this… what if that were your brother, father, nephew, uncle, friend, son or anyone you know?  Would you want them treated that way?  

I am a frequent flyer on Delta Airlines and I can tell you that I have seen firsthand.. the rudeness that can be spewed by some of these attendants.   I have personally sent letters to Delta's Customer Care because I felt that they need to find individuals who want to make flying enjoyable.  

But, honestly, this post goes much deeper than the story of this marine.  This post is for each of us.  Every day someone encounters another person who hurts us with words or actions.   Why is it so hard for us to treat others as we want to be treated?  Is society getting to the point where small acts of kindness are unheard of on a daily basis?   

This story hits home for me because I do have family and friends enlisted in the military.   I've been with them and have seen so many people show respect with a simple handshake and a thank you, or a salute even.  I've seen individuals truly show kindness, so for me, this story deserved a different ending.  This soldier deserved better treatment.   The attitudes and gestures of these particular individuals simply do not make sense.  

Delta, along with all airlines, have the responsibility to ensure a passengers safety.  They also have a responsibility to hire flight attendants who are capable of doing their job but who are also friendly and sensitive to every passenger's needs and situations.  I understand that if a passenger is belligerent or out of line, but in this case… the airline not only owes this individual an apology but so much more.  

Shame on those flight attendants, the captain and first officer.   I am embarrassed for Delta because this is not the image you want to portray of your customer service.  I wonder if there will be repercussions for their actions?  I wonder if they sit awake at night and think about how they treated this man.  

Sadly, the answer is probably not.  We should all use this article as a reminder that each of us has a responsibility in our own lives.  

Go out in the world today and do these things:  Be kind.  Be respectful.  Be thoughtful.  Be considerate.  Be compassionate.  Be encouraging.  

It's quite simple:  treat others as YOU want to be treated.  God Bless Our Military and their families for their sacrifices that they make each and every day.