Death Over Dollars, or the Other Way Around?

At the junction of Maitland Avenue and Highway 17/92 in the upscale Orlando suburb of Maitland, Florida, exists a serene oasis from the bustle of city life. Located just between two busy roads where the masses commute to and from their daily goings, this little placid corner is home to high-end eateries, refined establishments and a small, tranquil pond known as Lake Lilly.

On any given day, passers by enjoy not only the tranquility afforded by this intersection, but the rare treat of watching majestic mallards lead their ducklings around the water's edge. Without doubt, this site is an uncommon sanctity in a Mecca of commercialism and corporate profiteering such as Orlando. More often than not, busy city dwellers stop to admire the peacefulness of this beautiful refuge.

Very recently, however, a sickening reminder of the cold, heartless realities of human nature became unavoidably thrust into the public awareness. While joggers carried out their daily exercise along the shore of Lake Lilly and business carried on as usual in the nearby establishments, the familiar mallard of Lake Lilly lay flattened just outside the innermost traffic lane of the highway.

Someone, in the midst of their daily rush, was too self-absorbed to notice the helpless bird crossing the road. Most likely distracted by a cell phone or any of the other multitudes of distractions available in modern vehicles, some careless driver simply plowed right over the duck and continued on, either completely unaware of the tragedy or unwilling to exert the minimal action of moving the bird from the traffic lane. Certainly, more and more cars passed carrying drivers all too busy to be bothered with respecting the end of life.