I prefer freedom. However, I live in America and I am upper middle class. I constitute a very small minority among the world, thus the concept of me being happy over others is kind of grotesque. However, by no means of my own, their freedom has already been robbed to provide for my freedoms, thus I choose the choice that gives less harsh lessons.
Go cruxify yourself.
I agree with Nikov's anger. That is a pretty douchebag way of looking at it. Just imagine, the people you mention could have been better people if they lacked ignorance of things we now know about. You, who live in an age of internet, simply do it, by your own words, because you are either lazy or a coward. That is why I think that Nikov reacted in such a way. You basically said "If I see someone harmed or taken advantage of, I'm going to ignore it if I can because that's what my dad did and his dad way back to Andrew Jackson." in such a way that you not only make yourself sound like a huge waste of space, but also that you don't care about how others live in the slightest as long as it doesn't affect your little "upper middle class" world that you live in.
Its Merican, in a way. It dun bother me so I ain dun nuthing about it.
Its also American to stick your noses right in there business.
Who da thunk it?
Honestly though, you will see the 'ignoring shit happening cause it ain't my business' all the time, anywhere. Just about everyone has done it one time or another. Whether they know they did or not. For whatever reason.
Also happens that uninvited 'help' gets rebuked, an effective deterrent to future nose sticking...
That is why you have heroes and equivalents in media entertainment. They get up in your business to help you, despite possible repercussions, while the average Joe and Ann will ignore you or just stop to gawk at your misfortune.
Disclaimer: Of course, there are always exceptions, humanity is a varied bunch and feelings/moods/motives are sometimes significant enough to make an effect on that variation.
Unity is strength, strength bring freedom, then unity bring freedom.
Of course juxtaposing two aphorism proves nothing, but the idea is there.
By paying taxes and accepting enforcement of a resonable amount of law, you makes yourself free from the burden of insecurity, ignorance and disasers. Mostly.
Eh, mitigation of it all, there is no absolute in these cases.
And Unity, rarely ever happens except when facing a common 'enemy'...