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I also think that's part of the specialization of society and the dependency of government we've grown accustomed to.
By specializing in our trades, it comes at the expense of knowing how to do other things, and especially in feeling competent and capable of handing things outside of areas of expertise. Paramedics respond to injury, and police respond to civil disorder, so we absolve ourselves of responsibility since it isn't our specialty.
Then whenever something tragic happens, we demand our government take responsibility for it. Some evil guy kills someone... politician x is personally responsible for that. I spill hot coffee on myself... the government should do something about that. I take out a mortgage I can't afford... the government should do something about that. My neighbor annoys me... the government needs to mediate between us.
It seems likely you have more compassion than others, but I'm saying it's not just lack of compassion that can explain reasons why people do or do not take action. Personality is affected by so many different aspects that action can hardly be distilled down to a single explanation like lack of compassion, or racism, even if those are components.
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