Gathering

Good question...
I guess the thing we now know is taking pictures of tragic events...
No one lifts a finger to help

The infamous line is, "I don't want to get involved."  I recommend a Harlan Ellison story called "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs," and Ray Bradbury's "The Crowd."  Thank you!

Hello Crow. Nice to read you again. Your phrase "While the crowd melts slowly in the night" is very powerful and evocative.
I guess it's the same dilemma early photographers faced when photoing scenes in WW1, and especially the liberation of camps in WW2.
The American poet Stephen Dobyns (b.1941) puts it a bit differently in his poem "Seeing off a friend" which you can listen to here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hieElscnbGo

Thank you for the tip, Josh, and for the comment.  I'll check out Dobyn's work.

The crowd wants to see pain/suffering/death as long as it isn't theirs

gods, I've missed your story telling. I must have said this a hundred times but I hate rhyme but when I read you, I give no thought to it at all... I'm utterly rapt by how compelling your written voice is.  
this reminds me so much ov spring {jump} by rammstein...  

Auf einer Brücke ziemlich hoch  
Hält ein Mann die Arme auf  
Da steht er nun und zögert noch  
Die Menschen strömen gleich zuhauf

... essentially, a man standing on the edge of a bridge ready to jump & the crowd watching, chanting, cheering him on. the speaker eventually joins the crowd & later when the man second guesses his decision, the "help" him off the bridge.  

really enjoyed this, mister. makes one want to dissect human nature

Wonderful use of a metaphor. I'm glad I stopped to read this.

Precipice of infinity, one moment of near empathy, then so very empty