Give money to the guy shaving on a train … or a dead cop’s family?

This past weekend, a video of a homeless guy shaving on an NJ Transit train has gone viral. Accusations of "shaming" soon followed, and his sad story has gone viral as well.

His thoughtless, disgusting act was wrong, and so was the guy who put it on social media. As your parents always told you, "two wrongs don't make a right." He was on his way to visit his brother in Atco, who claims the man has been down on his luck and people are misjudging him. We don't know all of his story, but by all of the video on TV and elsewhere, his certainly appears to be a sympathetic, poor soul who means no harm. So now his shameless act of shaving and discarding the waste on a public train is being overtaken by public sympathy and financial support.

An activist in Washington, DC saw the original video and has started a GoFundMe page, which at this writing has collected more than $30,000. I hope the money helps Mr. Torres put the pieces of his life back together, and along with the help of family, puts him on the path to stability and good health.

But I'm not betting on that, nor am I putting my money into that cause. I have given money to strangers both on the street and on GoFundMe. I'm sending a donation and suggesting to anyone that cares that your compassionate donations should end up in a better place.

This past weekend, a police officer in Ft. Worth Texas was shot and killed in the line of duty. He died of his wounds in one of the hospitals my daughter works at in Ft. Worth.  Undercover officer Garrett Hull, 40 was a 17-year veteran of the Ft. Worth Police Department and leaves behind a wife and two daughters. By all accounts, he was a leader on the force and a devoted family man. An organization that helps families of fallen officers in Tarrant County Texas is accepting donations and I'm planning to send a donation.

If you want to give to someone you don't know who truly needs and deserves our financial support, I couldn't think of a better cause. I didn't know Officer Hull or his family, but this is the kind of story that moves me. Not a guy shaving on a train. Just sayin'.

Donations may be made by check to Tarrant County Blue, P.O. Box 1659, Fort Worth, Texas 76101.

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