What would YOU do?
I'm sitting here watching Primetime and the topic for tonight: What would YOU do?.
They've staged random scenarios dealing with shoplifting, an abusive boyfriend, and a verbally abusive babysitter in the park. Their actors just started acting like they were stealing, abusing, and yelling and then Primetime had a hidden camera to see what the public would do.
First scenario: The abusive boyfriend. The couple is sitting in the park, and the boyfriend is grabbing the girlfriend and shaking her, verbally abusing her, and basically being threatening. The camera shows people walking by, riding their bikes, taking a jog. The people glance as they go by, but out of about 12...only three stop to say anything to the boyfriend. Later, when asked about it, they simply said "They weren't sure if they should get involved."
Second scenario: The shoplifter. A young woman, an older woman, and a young man go into a store three different times during the same day and steal things. They do it right in front of the other customers while the clerk isn't looking and are very obvious. Out of 20 or more customers during the day, only two women say something. Both of the women told on the younger woman who was stealing, and everyone else that had seen her or the other two steal something didn't say a word. When asked about it later, they said "Well...I was going to..but I wasn't sure I should."
Third scenario: The abusive babysitter in the park. A woman is verbally abusing a young boy who looks around seven or eight. She tells him that he's stupid, he's an idiot, and she's going to leave him to find his own way home if he keeps misbehaving. The boy just sits there and starts to cry. Some people in the park stop to watch and listen, and a few men play golf nearby. Only three people come to the child's aide, and the rest ignore it.
This hurts me. Deeply. I could never explain it to anyone how much this makes me want to burst into tears, and the reasons behind it. To simply stand by and watch horrible things happen...
It makes me terribly sad.
