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I’ve thought several times in recent days about Carol Gotbaum, the woman who died at the Phoenix Airport when she tried to break out of handcuffs after she was arrested. I watched the video, to my own surprise, for there was no reason other than curiosity and I detest voyeurism (I am probably in a minority on this point). What exactly is it about Carol Gotbaum’s sad tale that is so disturbing?

Judith Warner’s excellent article, "Where’s the Safety Net," in the New York Times Opinion section sheds some light on this: the extraordinary thing about Gotbaum’s story is that it was so ordinary. She snapped, just as so many of us come close to doing at one point or another in our lives. What makes the article really special, though, is its plea for a little more kindness in this world. The safety net for any of us should be all of us, our kinder selves.

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