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1889213 Responseshttp://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/when-do-we-do-or-say-something/When+Do+We+Do+or+Say+Something%3F2010-02-26+03%3A44%3A44Sam+Richards to When Do We Do or Say Something?
Before I really get into this, I want to say that I can see the point of view of the guy who made the initial comment about it not being his place to say something because his parents taught him to respect people and their property. But I think that he could easily say something, but do it in the right way. Instead of yelling and cursing at the store owner, he could calmly explain how his denial or service and comments offended him similar to the way the older gentleman did. Getting your point across to someone doesn't always mean that you have to yell and scream and stamp your feet. Sometimes a calm and well articulated dissent is more effective.
Now into how I really feel about it. I think that people like that who would sit back and do nothing are the reason why the world is the way it is today, with so much open bigotry and hatred. The fact that there are so many people willing to just sit back and watch fellow human beings be treated that way really bothers me. I think we are so complacent with the way our individual lives are that we are unwilling to take a step out of our comfort zone and step into the world of activism, even on such a tiny scale as standing up for a single person in need.
Now going back to the suggestion I made to the student who said he wouldn't do anything. I do feel that yelling at someone like the store owner is unproductive. All it's going to do is turn into a shouting match. The points that you try to make will come flying out of your mouth and immediately fall to the floor. None of it will reach the person you are trying to change. Most likely no matter how you present your opinion, the person is going to continue going about their life the same way they always have, but maybe you can have enough of an impact on them to reconsider why they feel that way.
Lastly, not to beat a dead horse, but how would you feel if you were in that woman's place and you were being denied service for some unvalidated reason? What if the man had assumed you were Jewish and in his store Jews were not served, but in fact your were Christian. This is essentially the same thing that had happened to that woman. An assumption was made that this woman was a terrorist because she is clearly Muslim. At one point the store owner even said "how do I know you don't have a bomb in that box?" Is that really the way an American citizen, or any person for that matter, deserves to be treated? At the end of the day, each of us must make a decision as to what we would do. But I could not sit back and do nothing.
I have to agree with both students in these videos. The whole display done by the ABC network was very moving and makes you think a lot about what these people go through. In this country everyone sees the “Arab” people as bad or terrorists, when in reality they might not even be the same race or ethnic background as the people we call terrorists. I can’t even begin to think about all the people on campus I have seen look at a peer in disgust because they look different and clearly have a different background. Or in public the people who wear head covering are given looks like they might blow the building up. Numerous times I have head people mutter “ninja” under their breath when they walk past them.
I think that what the people in the bakery who stood up for the woman are heroes and deserve to be recognizes. No person deserves to be treated in that way regardless of what they look like. In that situation I think that I would be one of the thirteen to say something to the jerk behind the counter. Everyone deserves fair treatment in a country that is all about freedom.
In the videos my peers talk about how you should stand up for people regardless of the situation and to not be passive. I agree and that if you are present you have a place in the situation and should say something. I definitely would walk out of the store and say something to the clerk. I will never support any organization that discriminates. You only live once and you should live it with an open mind and a strong heart. Stand up for what you believe in and despite how your parents raise you, you should always do the right thing to help someone else in need.
The video that we viewed in class where the Muslim girl was sent into the bakery was not surprising to me, but it was an eye opener. This was a great experiment that really brought out people’s true colors. It was controlled great with the actors and actresses put in place, and was very open ended to the people who had no idea as to what was going on. Just as expected the results ranged all across the spectrum. Some people stood up for the girl, and some people agreed with the employee’s discrimination, while others did absolutely nothing about the situation. Personally, I am glad the 13 people the stuck up for the girl did and I am all for their actions. I would have most likely done something about what was going on whether it would have been stuck up for the Muslim woman personally or simply boycotted the bakery and left, while spreading the word not to patronize a place that practices such injustice. As for those people who agreed with the employee, they’re entitled to their own opinion, but I one hundred percent disagree with it. The largest portion of people in the experiment though did nothing about the situation and that can be viewed in many different ways. Some may have truly been apathetic towards what was going on around them while others could have felt it was not their place to step in, as one person mentioned in class. I feel however, that in that scenario it is anyone’s place to step in and make an attempt to make the situation right. That is what I think is wrong with the big picture; people are too complacent with the way society acts and reacts in regard to racism. It was completely wrong for that woman to be lumped in with terrorists simply because she was of the Muslim faith. It is crude and ignorant to generalize people to that degree. She had absolutely no connection with any terrorist organization yet she was treated as if she did. My favorite, and in my opinion, the most uplifting segment of the video clip was when the father, who had a son return from fighting in the Middle East, stuck up for the girl and lashed out at the discriminating employee. He did it in a respectful, civil manner, while still getting his point across loud and clear. It was a nice display of comradery among fellow human beings. This is an issue that many people are passionate about especially in the context the experiment was put into using a Muslim woman, since we are at war over seas with a group that is of the Muslim faith. We, as a whole, must learn not to judge everyone based on appearances at first sight and we need to consciously make an effort to put an end to this sort of discrimination.
I totally agree with what he is saying. It is our place to stand up for what we believe in and to defend people, no matter American or not. When we hear something that is unjust and uncalled for why shouldn’t we say something? Who cares if it is “none of our business” when something is happening in front of our faces and it is blatantly wrong it becomes our business. Beside we are helping that business thrive so without us they would be nothing…so we really are involved with what goes on in there.
It is scary to think that this is how people think in their minds. What if they saw a man pull a gun on another, would they not call the cops because they are not involved in the altercation? We need to realize that all human life is sacred and as humans we should protect each other when we can. By standing up to wrong doings we can become more connected as a people. We want to live in a country that we are proud to call our home so we should make it feel that way.
I think a lot of times people are afraid to say what they want because of the consequences. My new philosophy is to say what’s on your brain…as long as it is not offensive or harmful, but if you are sticking up for yourself, the innocent, or a neighbor it is important to say what you need to. Also it feels really freaking good when you get a point across that has been really bothering you. Bottling up emotions is not good; I think everyone knows this to be true. Also the people who said nothing at the bakery because they felt it was not their place may be fuming the entire day because they really did have an opinion on the matter and it wasn’t expressed.
I think we need to step up to the plate and take responsibility. Hiding behind words like “its not my place” is just an excuse. When something is happening in front of you that you know is wrong, that is hurting someone or thing, and that could be stood up for, then say SOMETHING, Anything. Even “hey asshole shut up” would still be sticking up for the person and they would feel gratitude, and hopefully it would make the person who is being unjust feel in fact, like an asshole:)
I was really impressed with the people that stood up to that clerk in the video clip. I think that showed a lot of character of those individuals that stood up for the woman and said something. In terms of the glass being half empty or half full with respect to the progression of ideals in our country, that is another story. The numbers 13 and 22, where 13 stood up and 22 said nothing, had a great impression on me. I try to live my life as a "half full" kind of person, always looking for the positives in things. In this case, I hate to say it, but I feel that the glass is definitely "half empty." If those numbers were switched, I would feel differently. But the fact that so many people did not say anything really shows that we still have a lot of room for improvement. I believe in doing what's right, and the right thing to do in this case would be to stand up for your fellow "man."
In yesterday’s lecture after we watched the video of the Muslim girl in the bakery I think it got a lot of people thinking. At first thought, I immediately was disgusted by the people in the bakery standing up for the worker and calling him a good American. It also left me thinking when the people just ignored the situation completely. At the very least if I was in the situation I would have walked out of the store and not given them by business. But I don’t think this is enough. I would hope I would have the strength and be able to find the words to stand up for the Muslim girl at the counter, who was probably using all of her power to keep herself together. The fact that the thought of whether or not the girl was “American” pisses me off to no end. Some people in our country (the dumb ones) think that “American” means the white people. When in reality it is the opposite. Isn’t America supposed to be the mixing pot of the world? Isn’t the point of our country that we have all different types of people who can live freely? The fact that the Muslim girl wasn’t given service is what is un-American.
And then, the kid raised his hand and said that he was taught to respect other’s businesses. Which I can understand to an extent, but in this situation, it was not about respecting a business environment. The business owner was in fact loosing money because of his racism. Standing and watching and not doing anything to protect the Muslim girl is worse in my opinion than saying anything at all. It means that you agree with how she is being treated but don’t even have the guts to voice your opinion. People suffer everyday in our country because they may look different or have different beliefs. These are the same people that may have come to our country looking for freedom to dress and believe what they want. Americans not letting other Americans live freely in itself is un-American. Saying, “it’s not your place” is un-American. Don’t be a bystander. The girl’s dignity was being taken away from her, and all you care about is being respectful to the business owner because that’s how you were raised? That doesn’t make any sense at all. The way I was raised was to stand up for what I believed in and for the rights of others and myself. If that means disrespecting a store and getting kicked out, so be it, I won’t shop there anymore! As Americans we should be standing up for our own basic rights and if we see the basic rights of others being broken, I think we have the right to stand up for them.
I thought the video we watched in class on Thursday was very interesting. Sadly, I understand that discrimination happens on a daily basis, but I could never image something like this. It made me angry to watch the video and to see the people who actually agreed with the man behind the counter. I wish we could have seen more of their reactions when ABC tried to interview them afterwards. The reasons the one man gave for supporting the baker weren’t even real reasons. That is why he couldn’t stand there and defend his position. In my mind and I know in many others, these people will always baffle me. He claimed that the woman was not “American.” By saying that he is going against everything our country is built off of. America is about accepting all cultures, religions, and ethnicities and not being one uniform group. I wonder if he would have reacted the same way if this situation were set up with someone of a difference race. Say someone who was black, asian or mexican. I wonder if the “statistics” on that would have been different from what we saw.
I really connected with the girl, who was with her Muslim friend, who stood up for the Muslim woman. To think about people that I am very close to facing discrimination on that sort of level and it is unsettling to me. No one should ever be treated differently simply because of the way they look. I thought it was interesting how the cashier was going to serve the other Muslim woman in the store just because she wasn’t “dressed Muslim.” When he did that it proved that people are just basing judgments off appearance. What makes the woman who is “dressed Muslim” different from the one who is not?
I wanted to comment about the person who spoke up and class and said that they wouldn’t necessarily say something because it wouldn’t be in their place. I have to agree with this person. Everyone does not react the same way to certain situations. I think it would be ideal to speak up and voice your opinion about the issue, but isn’t putting what you bought down and walking out of the store a statement? I know that I would have done that and made sure people didn’t go there and knew what it stood for. I do not agree with the people who are saying that not saying anything is not having an opinion. I think it simply means just not voicing your opinion. You can make a statement by being in complete disgust and walking out. It is very easy for other people to pick up on your body language and actions. People who disagree with this probably disagree with the statement, “actions speak louder than words.” With all of this said I am by no means trying to say that we shouldn’t speak up but I don’t think that the people who speak with their actions should keep being bashed.
Ever since this was brought up in class I’ve been thinking about the video we watched. I’ve been thinking about what is our obligation to another person and when is it not our place to say something. What I’ve been thinking about the most is the question brought up by one of our peers; he said that it wasn’t necessarily our place to say something about the blatant discrimination because it wasn’t our store. Although I’m sure this logic is sound to him and I’m sure to others as well, I can’t get it out of my head how ludicrous this sounds. What does it matter where discrimination takes place? Discrimination is discrimination no matter if it’s out on the street or in someone’s home. Just because you own a piece of property you don’t also own the right to treat others as inferiors. This argument would be like saying that because I own a house, I should be able to hold a slave in my house because it’s my property and I can do whatever I want.
Of course I’m not naïve enough to believe that everyone thinks as I do and treats everyone equally, because clearly discrimination is still everywhere. But when you are faced with blatant discrimination you have two options. You can speak up and defend against the injustice or you can support the discrimination. Silence is not an option, because when we remain silent we allow the discrimination to continue and thus it is the same as giving our support. I know people want to tell themselves that remaining silent only means that they are indifferent to a situation, and they’re right, but that’s just the problem. If all we have are a few people willing to stand up for justice and the rest remain indifferent, nothing will change, and even if those who support discrimination are the minority, their voice is amplified by the silence of the indifferent.
So, what can we do? What is within our abilities to stop the injustice of discrimination? The answer is so simple yet so many people ignore it; all that’s needed is for you to raise up your voice against it. Even if only one person in a crowd is speaking up, their courage will often encourage those around them who may agree but would not say anything otherwise, to speak up as well, and just like that the voice of justice will drown out the unjust. The only way to end discrimination for good is for people who know it’s wrong to let it their opinions be known, because as long as people remain indifferent it will only be perpetuated. Remember, all it takes for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
I am unsure how I feel about the subject of when is it the time to say something or when is it not. Personally I think I may have been one of the 22 people not to say something. I would have probably been in a hurry and would have just wanted to be served or pay the money for my gasoline. I have been in many scenarios where if I have just left instead of waiting in line. This may be selfish of myself for leaving, but I just honestly think that is what I would have done. However, if this was my friend I would have definitely took a stance and stood up for them. I am friends with others who dress differently and I know I would stand up for them if they were at my side. However, again with the situation in the store I would probably not say anything. I consider myself a very outgoing person but I still am unsure if I would speak up for the person. Why is this? I do not know. I remember hearing of one story on the news, where a woman was being raped by a fifteen year old black male on the side of the road in broad daylight. Many people drove right past without stopping or doing anything. Some beeped their horn but still it continued. Finally, one individual called 911 and the police finally showed up. People more often will lend a helping hand when they are the only one able to. However, when there are many people that can lend a hand for some reason nobody ends up doing so. I feel this is very interesting. I think it all comes back to people just worrying about themselves. However, not everyone had this same viewpoint. For example, with Penn State and with THON fifteen thousand students are involved for the cause of helping families that most have never met.
I also can see what the person who spoke in class is talking about when he says it is not their place to say. The owner of the store is allowed to offer his services or not offer them to anyone he chooses to. In a perfect world everyone would be able to get along with each other. However, there have always been conflicts and there will always be. Some things will also be closer to home then other things. As Professor Richards talked about in class many people help many different causes. Most of these causes they help because they are somehow affected by them. Thus, it worked the same way with the man whose son fought in Iraq. He stood up for the woman, because of his son. I sometimes believe that are people are made similarly. However, many have different experiences that change them in one way or another. These experiences can shape a person’s viewpoint on life in general.
In his letter to the Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. Stated, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
This quote reminds us of our moral obligation to prevent injustice from taking place in order to attempt to preserve the moral and sanctified position of justice everywhere. The injustices practiced by many across the world upon members of every society have been direct and indirect attacks upon what we know and call justice. Our responsibility is to speak out against these travesties and to do our best to prevent them in future scenarios.
However, this is easier said than done. The question, “is it my place?” Has always been tossed around as a justification to help dwindle the guilt experienced by by-standers who are too chicken-shit to do anything when they can see an out right injustice being committed. This world is full of excuses as to why nothing can get accomplished and this is true in the aspect of injustice hindering justice. If everyone would just say NO to injustice, it would not be around. However, instead of standing up for what is morally right and going against the morally wrong. People choose to alter their actions to satisfy the socially right; ignoring the wrong doings and just staying quiet and looking the other way.
Instead of standing up for what people believe in they alter their emotions and actions because they are more concerned as to the opinions that others will have about them. People refuse to stand against their own opinions to satisfy others, these people have no courage, and that is why no one will remember their names.
One may argue that since it is an issue so big, what can one person even do to change it. This is explained but the simple idea of a butterfly effect. One person’s actions can be magnified by others following or helping out in return. One random act of kindness can lead to someone else passing it on and doing an act of kindness for another person. When Rosa Parks decided to take a seat, she did something that sparked a community. Everyone saw the tension, however no one wanted to be the catalyst that actually set ablaze the fires that would consume the race wars as she did. King and Malcolm X both alike stood up for what they believe in and did so in their own manner. Anyone who disagrees with their actions are entitled to their opinions. However, at the very least, these two men need to be commemorated for actually taking a stand and doing something. All that counts is not whether or not you saw an injustice, but instead, what you do about it once you notice it.
This is so true that people tend to put the “it’s not my place” phrase in front of a controversial sentence. The thing is that we live in a united world where every little thing affects us so in an overall view it is your place to speak on a subject matter. It’s the fact that people don’t speak out enough which allows the little things slip by. Once these little things slip by, they have the chance to evolve into a bigger topic at hand. This outcome is due to the fact that everybody contributes to a cause when they are able to see a beneficial outcome in their favor. In general, people don’t make decisions that will either make them worse of or leave them with no beneficial gain. So when something is happening that is unrelated to them, yea they will form an opinion but that opinion won’t be heard. Then when the situation at hand swings around hits them in the face is it when action is taken. Though we can’t fully blame the fact that people don’t have beneficial gain from doing so is that because we live in a world where voicing ones opinion is free but not heard. It is hard to speak to the people now; especially on race for political correctness always rears its head. Once someone disobeys the “law” of political correctness things tends to get out of hand. So it’s hard to speak out without seeming like you’re going to offend someone. So this phrase has come into play as a safety net to avoid conflict amongst anyone that may be involved in the situation. So to resolve this problem I’m guessing as a society, nation, world, whatever, we need to be more open to what’s going on, instead of giving the cold shoulder or being shy against the topic at hand. With more people speaking out and “making it their place”, optimistically speaking will be a better place. I mean we can’t completely eradicate conflict for its human nature but at least we will have less of it. Not only conflict but resolve social barriers present in our world. With those barriers gone, a step forward can be taken for those less opportunistic can be taken. For everyone will be able to start at the starting line with both feet behind the line, no advantages besides our individual will power. So keep in mind that as long as you approach the situation with respect, there’s no need to say it’s not my place. Respectful opinions are honored and taken into consideration. The only time one should say “it not my place” is when what they have to say is disrespectful and at that time, they shouldn’t talk at all.
I agree with the flip-cam people…I don’t understand how someone can stand by and let such a huge injustice and act of disrespect occur without saying anything. I think writing it off as “not your place” is cowardly because as fellow human beings and citizens it is our place to make sure things like this don’t happen. I’m sure that person would feel differently if it were his child, parent, or best friend. Not doing anything doesn’t do anything but make the problem worse-if the person gets away with it they’re much more likely to do it in the future. Furthermore patronizing the institution after witnessing an incident like this is saying you support it, after all actions speak louder than words. It just blows my mind that 22 people in the video we watched did nothing, and that a person in our own class would think they’re justified. It’s scary that the majority of the people, in this case over 50% of the people, pretended like the situation never happened. To me not doing anything is of the same magnitude of standing by and not doing anything to help Kitty Genovese.
What I was really surprised about, however, was that 13 people actually protested the store owner’s actions and left. What really restored my faith in humanity was the father of the son who was serving in Iraq who told the store owner off and even pointed out that she had nothing to do with it. That was pretty awesome and showed that even in Texas, the most stereotypically American state with the most pride, people are still willing to police this country as best as they can and uphold it’s beliefs and not be so ignorant.
Overall, yesterday’s class really opened my eyes. I thought that racism wasn’t really prevalent anymore and there’s always so much talk about affirmative action being anti-white and unfair that I thought the odds against colored people weren’t that bad. It really disgusted me seeing the stats comparing apples to apples, and seeing white people get more call backs than blacks. The fact that white people with felony convictions are still more likely to get a call back than a black person with a clean record is horrifying! Society is so fucked up I have no idea how we can fix it. It sucks because I don’t think there’s anyway we can fix it, and if we ever do it’s going to take generations after generations. I think it’s almost a hopeless situation as best illustrated by the fact that people wouldn’t want to work for Asians or vote for an Asian but they were most likely to be in an interracial couple with an Asian. Something is seriously wrong with the way our brains work.
For people to say that its not their place they are just doing what they think is the right thing to do. In fact the more people that do stand up for what is right are the ones that people look at say, “What are you talking about?” Sometimes they are ridiculed for standing up for something that they believe in. But the fact is these are the people that care and create change. The people that butt in and get their point across, and help others out, are the ones that America needs most. For someone to say it is not their place to step in is one who does not fully grasp the idea of what standing up for someone really means. It is all about compassion, something that most lack, but can learned.
I completely agree with the statements made by these two students. I think it is a tad outrageous to say that you would allow injustice to occur in front of you and do nothing because it’s someone else’s store and they have the right to refuse service to anyone they want. Can anyone here really say that they wouldn’t stand up for themselves if someone refused them service? Well this is the exact same situation just for someone else. Is it that difficult to put yourself in someone else’s shoes? If you would do it for yourself then why not do it for someone else?
Are we really that selfish as humans? I mean that’s the only way this makes sense to me. We’re so quick to help ourselves and so much less likely to help someone else. I hate knowing that about people. The fact that someone can be in need of help and people will just keep quiet and not offer anything is appalling.
I thought it was really interesting though that this week, Sam was talking about how our perceptions change depending on who we are in a certain situation. He was talking about the way different people viewed the 22 people in the store that said nothing. I never really thought about how certain people might think that it meant they’re prejudiced themselves and how others felt that it meant they just didn’t want to say something. I’ve never thought about it that way, but it makes sense.
Like how Sam said that people of color would prefer to live in the south as opposed to the north because at least racism is in front of their faces and no one’s hiding anything. I’ve never really thought about it that way. Do people really prefer things to be right in front of their faces like that? It never really crossed my mind. In my past, I knew a kid that was extremely supportive of Nazism. He sat in front of me one time ranting about how he wanted to kill the Jews and burn them to hell and then praised Hitler for all of his ideals. I may not be Jewish, but my Dad is and my Jewish grandfather fought during WWII and I was horrified by him saying this to me. I had to leave the room, in actual fear of this kid. I’d have to imagine that’s what it would be like being a black person in the south sometimes. I can’t imagine preferring that to here. Is being openly racist really a good thing? Is it really something that you should prefer to deal with?
Maybe it’s just me, but I certainly wouldn’t prefer it. And I certainly wish that when this kid was speaking to me that one of the numerous friends I had around me would have stuck up for me and said something to him about how he was disgusting and sick like some of the people in that video had done for the Muslim woman. I don’t care who owns the store…
The girl said that you should talk out because you have the freedom of speech to do so, but included in that right of freedom of speech is also the freedom not to speak. Just because you don't say something out loud does not mean that you do not have an opinion on it. The people who don't say anything may have strongly agreed with the cashier or strongly agreed that the girl should have been able to have equal service that anyone else had. Just because they did not say it out loud does not mean that they are stupid with nothing going on inside of their heads. Some people are just shy and do not like confrontation.
I don't necessarily disagree with the student who said it's not his place to say something, but I also don't completely agree with him. I can see both sides of the argument- I go back and forth between labeling myself as an introvert and an extrovert. I have very strong opinions but depending on the circumstances I sometimes am not comfortable expressing them. I doubt the student who raised this question thinks the Muslim actors should actually have been treated the way they were. I think in reality he wouldn't feel comfortable raising a conflict with people he did not know, about people he did not know. I don't think he is a bad person for this, just someone who is passive. However, I think that if we really want to move forward regarding race relations, we need these more introverted personalities to step up and say anything, if not just to prove that they disagree with stereotypes but to also be another voice against them.
The complacency in American society is a huge issue in regards to these situations. Due to the idea of being complacent with issues that are not directly of concern with one individual or affects an individual makes complacency okay. I think before we criticize another on not standing up for what they believe in we need to make sure our actions show what we are preaching. This is something we all are guilty of because at some time in our lives we rather not make situations complicated by speaking our minds, so we remain silent. In many instances silence can be detrimental in making a positive and necessary change. However, when more people begin to speak out it does not mean that everyone will have the same beliefs in situations. In some of the blogs people discuss that if we speak out more it will be beneficial. I do not think that everyone realizes that speaking out does not mean we all agree.
The issue in the experiment with store owner and Muslim woman is not about race, but religion. We live in an American Christian society and we expect all those who look differently to abide by these standards. This is an issue for me because I am not a Christian but many would assume so because my appearance is similar to the majority of others in our society. In fact, I am a Muslim and no one would ever know unless I told them or wore my nikab. So in my eyes the idea of speaking up comes second and the first thing we should focus on is not categorizing people on the basis of their appearance. If the woman did not wear a nikab this would have not been an issue; just like it was not an issue for the other woman who was not wearing one. The store owner did not accuse the other woman of being a threat because he assumed that she was not a Muslim. So not only should we speak out, but we should also be conscious of how stereotypical our society is about appearance and bring this awareness to others.
Regardless if there was a Muslim woman or man who was being denied service because of their religion we should make it our business in helping to correct our nation’s inappropriate mentality. Yes, if it was a man people would perceive that he would be able to handle himself in this situation. But I believe that regardless if they are able to stand up for themselves it never hurts to back them. It takes more than one person to create change, there needs to be others who feel the same and are willing to face others who are opposed of the change.
I agree with these responses to the comment made in class. I personally feel that it is our duty as American citizens to defend other Americans. I defiantly feel that the people who did nothing are just as bad, not worse, but just as bad as the people who defended the store clerk. This video really hit me. I have friends of all races and many different religions. I personally, am a whit Christian. I however, respect what ever religious beliefs people have as long as they respect mine. I am not going to try to disprove an individual’s religion because what is that going to do besides absolutely nothing.
Most Americans are bought up following a particular religion. The religion individuals are raised are more times than not the religion that they will follow into adult hood. Why should any one be discriminated upon because of the religion they choose to follow? There is no difference between myself, born in PA raised a Christian or the girl that was born and raised in Chicago other than our religion.
As for not saying anything, I personally just don’t agree with it. I know that if I were in that store and didn’t say anything, I would not be able to sleep that night. It is our place to say something and let someone who is out of line know that they in fact are. If everyone would have that attitude, we would have never had a civil right movement. If every one felt that it was not there place to stand up for what they believe in the world as we know it would not exist. We wouldn’t be able to sit next to the people we sit by in class, use the restrooms we do, or many other parts of our daily lives. Without people standing up for what we believe in we will never make any progress.
The “it’s not my place attitude “ I just feel like it is a cop out. If you see an elderly person drop something, the majority of people would help them to pick it up. Is there any difference between saying it wouldn’t be your place to help that person and not helping an individual who has done nothing wrong. Both individuals have done nothing to harm any one else and both need assistance, why help one and not the other.
I am really curious to see what the individual’s excuses were who did nothing. Why they didn’t say anything. I am curious it is because they didn’t want to get involved or simply if it just didn’t bother them. Or if maybe they were so disturbed they didn’t know what to say. I wish that would have been included in the findings of the study.
I completely agree with the students' responses in the videos posted above. Tuesday's and Thursday's classes have definitely been the most eye-opening and intriguing classes for me so far. It still amazes me that blacks and Native Americans are discriminated to this extent today. And knowing that there are people out there in the world that think we have no responsibility or believe that it isn't "our place" to step up to the plate and defend what we know to be morally right. I was raised Catholic and have attended 14 years of private Catholic schooling. I've had religion shoved down my throat to such an extreme that I can't really imagine turning my back on a situation like the Muslim woman experienced – no matter the person's race. However, as a Psych major, I know better. There have been numerous studies done that show people stepping aside and not helping out in dire discriminatory scenarios. It takes a rare breed of being to actually gather enough courage to say what's happening isn't right and needs to stop. A situation that immediately comes to mind is a particular scene from one of my favorite movies – Remember the Titans. During move-in day at football camp, there is a scuffle between a white and black roommate. The black character, Julius, has a poster in his room of a black athlete on the first place podium after some event with his hand held high in the air. The white roommate, Gerry, tells him to take the poster down because he isn't looking at it for two weeks. They start a fight and a passerby strolls down the halls. Upon seeing the fight, he chooses not to break it up but instead call the rest of the team's attention to it. This results in a massive, team scuffle. I feel as though this is what happens in many discriminatory disagreements – something happens, a person draws negative attention to the situation (or does nothing at all, which is the most common response), and then increases the problem exponentially. So if those of you out there who believe that it isn't your place to do something to stop this unruly, horrendous chain of events, you are wrong. HOWEVER, one student in class (I believe on Tuesday) stated that they wanted to know when this cycle of blame that is constantly placed on us and our ancestors stops. I'm sure my grandparents in their day were raised to be prejudiced, but I can truly say that I grew up in a home very tolerant of other races. I was always taught to be respectful of others, no matter the color of their skin. So where does this vicious cycle of blame end?
I agree with these statements about when it is "your place" and not your place. I was kind of taken back by that comment in class on Thursday. I understand that your parents teach you to be respectful of people and their property but by not sticking up for the person who is being put down or degraded that is in return disrespectful and I guarantee that that particular person's parents would be upset by the idea that their son or daughter did not stick up for the other person if they have such high standards and morals to teach their children to respect all others and their property. So if your parents are teaching you to be respectful to others you should take that into consideration. I feel that people could use that as a crutch as to why they do no stick up for others. I feel that if you really respected others then you would see it from the perspective of every one else. The people who did not speak out were just scared to speak their mind or did not care enough to speak their mind and I do not know which is worse. I think that by not speaking up you are just agreeing with the people who are discriminating against others. I feel that if i was in the position of the bystanders I would have to say something because I do not condone this behavior and I do not think it is right for people to do the same. The man who stood up for himself when the man behind the counter said he was not American was my favorite because he was the one who really hit home to the rest of the customers when he said that his son was in the United States Army. If someone who's son is out in the middle east fighting for his country against the same type of people that this man behind the counter was turning away. This concept is very baffling to me that people can actually think that it is not their place to say anything in such a situation because it is the place of every one to stand up for what they believe in. I have more respect for the people who spoke out in agreement with the clerk than the people who pretended to see nothing.
I do feel as though there is an unspoken rule in society that certain people feel it is not there place to say or do anything when they see situations going on involving people that they don’t know or situations that don’t involve them. I don’t if it is the fact that they don’t want to be put in the same predicament of the person that they are trying to help or if it is that they really just don’t want to help, but it is something that happens very often. I cant sit here and judge anyone based off of if they help someone or not because when or if I was ever presented with the situation I don’t know if I would be willing to help anyone myself. Things get different when you are in the heat of the actual moment and sometimes as confident or as courageous a person might say that they are or if they actually they can get chocked up and only think of whats going to be in their best interest.
Often times it is more complicated to look after someone else even if it is the slightest way especially if you don’t know why they are being treated the way that they are. I know that if someone is being ill treated based solely upon their race, culture, or sex then something should be said, but it doesn’t always work out that way and the morals of what is right from wrong goes out the window and it then again becomes all about self. I really wish that the world that we lived in didn’t have situations where people are mistreated for no reason at all, but unfortunately that is the way of the world and we have to deal with it, but while dealing with it we can choose to do what is right and try to be a stand up person for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Sometimes being selfless may seem like a burden, but in the end it will all pay off and I’m sure that whoever takes the time out to help will feel like a much better person at the end of the day.
To put someone else’s well being before your own is not like the first thing that citizens do, and I know that I don’t do it practice it all too often myself, but I do try and from now on I will think about what the next person might be going through before I decide to leave them hanging. You get back what you give, and giving someone a little helping hand may go a long way in the future.
The experiment we watched in class was very interesting to me as well, and I suppose I can say I was happy that 13 people stood up for the Muslim woman. I was, however, still shocked at the number of people who stood by and pretended not to even notice. I could not agree with you more on wondering how anyone could feel that it was not their place to say something in that situation. I understand that some people are less comfortable with speaking their minds in public situations, but I do not believe that anyone could have been raised to not stand up for someone who is being obviously wronged.
In this situation, there was not really any room for "not getting into other people's business." As soon as the cashier started to loudly yell at the Muslim woman, it became everyone who could hear's business. He chose to involve every customer in the store in his conversation by speaking loudly enough that they could all hear him. It was not a private conversation, therefore everyone in the store was directly involved and really had the responsibility to stand up for this woman. I cannot personally imagine just standing by and allowing this to go on.
I think what people need to think of when they say that they wouldn't say anything, is how they would feel in that situation . Anyone would want be defended when they were being publicly wronged like that, and I can't imagine that someone would think that it wasn't their business to help a person in need out. I feel that as humans, we need to help one another as much as possible. That is what connects us as human beings.
I agree with Sam that looking at this video is kind of deciding whether the glass is half full or half empty. It was extremely encouraging to see that so many people stood up for the girl and refused to shop at that store or even confronted the cashier. It was appalled to see that a few people actually agreed with the cashier. (I suppose I was somewhat ignorant to the prejudices going on to this day in our country.) But I think that I was honestly the most shocked at how many people said nothing at all. By saying nothing, these people are really siding with the ones who agreed with the cashier. That is certainly how the Muslim girl would feel in the situation. It really is every person's job as a human being to do everything we can to stop wrongdoing when we see it happening and standing up for this girl is a simple way to help someone out. Even someone who was brought up to stay out of other people's business would have to be able to see that it is a good thing to help a person out who is in need. This was clearly a person who needed someone to stand up for her, and by not doing that a person is saying that they agree with the cashier.
The video in class was a little bit surprising to me. I understand that there is discrimination in America, but I often forget about it even though I am Indian. I forget because I do not experience racism personally towards me on a normal basis. I have when I was younger, but I feel as if people are not really racist anymore. I guess I am wrong. I was angered when the owner was being so ignorant and judgmental when the Muslim girl came into his shop. However, when I found out that he was just an actor, I went back to my thinking that people are not so racist anymore. With the fact that they were actors aside, I think it is disgusting that the society in the most powerful country in the world cannot even get over the issue of skin color. About the comment in class saying that the person was raised to be respectful by staying out of things like the shop incident, I think he had it wrong to an extent. It sounded like he said he had to respect people even though they were disrespecting the Muslim girl in the shop. It almost sounded like the student was saying that it was okay for the shop owner to be rude to the girl and took his side. The student would be a part of the 22 that did nothing. By doing nothing, though, we allow and even courage the bigotry that exists in America. It is amazing how some people just do not realize what they are saying and the things coming out of their mouths. Did that shop owner think it was okay to say such derogatory things to the young woman?
I feel as though we need to start standing up to such bigots and acts of discrimination like we saw in the video. By showing these kinds of people that it is not okay to behave in such a manner, we can speed up the extinction of racism. Something else that came to my mind after hearing the student’s comment in class is the role that family members play in shaping the racist thoughts in a person. Growing up, we form our ideals, values, and beliefs from our parents and other family members close to us. If we grow up hearing racist things and seeing that it is okay to do so, we are much more likely to keep that going.
I agree with the two students who commented in the video. However, we may not have understood the student that commented clearly, and maybe he worded his comment wrong in a way that made him sound a bit more harsh than he meant.
I thought that this class was extremely interesting and really made me think a lot about what I would do in situations like the one we witnessed in the video. It is amazing the amount of people in this world who are clearly blatantly racist and the very few that are so willing to help someone in need. I tried putting myself in the shoes of the Muslim woman in the bakery, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how terrible it must feel to be in her shoes. It must feel so bad to have someone tell you that you can’t be served or helped because of the way you look. The fact that some people are like this sincerely disgusts me. I can not fathom how terrible it must feel and I could not disagree more with the blatant racism that overtakes America. When I sit and think about it, I like to think that I would quickly jump and tell the store owner not to talk to her like that. I would automatically want to be the one who knows it is wrong and acts on it. I want to be the one who stands up for what is right. I hope that I would, but I also wonder if I would. I think that the two girls who really stood up for the girl were helped by the fact that there was two of them. I think that power comes in numbers and that they got confidence in the fact that they were together. I wonder if they were not together, if there was just one of them in that situation, if they would have said what they did. I wonder if they would have spoken up. I was trying to put myself in the situation, and I think that if I was with someone I would definitely stand up for what is right. I sincerely hope that I would do it even if I was alone, but I wonder if that is true or not. I honestly hope that I am never in the place to find out, but I have a feeling that I will eventually encounter this racism. It makes me angry that we even have to discuss situations like this. It makes me mad that people have to live their lives wondering “what if” and what people will do and say about their decision to be “different”. It really sickens me that the man who owned the store would treat someone so miserably for no apparent reason. It is unfair and it is not the way Americans should act. We live in the country of freedom and the country of opportunity, and seeing people like that reminds me that we are not even close to where we should be. We need to keep working towards making America more open, because we are clearly behind. But when will that happen? When will racism disappear? Will it ever??
I completely agree with the boy in the first video. It really means nothing to us until there is discrimination upon us or someone close to us. While everyone may not be loud spoken, everyone has an opinion about what is happening. I would not necessarily blame a very quiet and shy person for not speaking out, it really is a personal decision. But, I do wish more people were comfortable for standing up in what they believe in. I think we have learned to more or less think our own way, but not exactly speak our own way. Many people are very reserved and would not want to speak out against someone they do not know, just because it is so out of their comfort zone. I do hope though that people start growing out of this habit and instead of thinking about it, speaking up.
I think that todays class one of the most intriguing/ interesting classes we’ve had so far. The experiment with the Muslim women and the discrimination the women faced not from the actor but from the other customers was shocking and astonishing. I was almost in tears watching that video and seeing the extent to which people could do nothing or agree with something we see as wrong. The people that agreed with the discrimination scare me. I wonder how do we make these people realize that what they are doing is wrong, or at least the way they look at the world is unjust? It seems so impounded in their minds that things are the way they see them. To them a Muslim woman doesn’t need to be served at a store because of the way she dresses and who they associate with her in their minds. Even though I know it happens so frequently it’s still so shocking to see. Many of my close friends are Muslim and/or wear the hijabs and many of them have faced serious discrimination. They’ve had their houses vandalized; they’ve been called out in public, given poor treatment in airports and public places like restaurants and stores. It’s so frustrating to see the actions of people out there and I just wonder how do we stop it. How do we convince someone that what they are thinking is so incredibly wrong and unjust. And how do we make them see it as unjust as well? With the issue of the people who didn’t speak up at all I see that n a lot of ways it is a difficult question whether or not a person should say something or not. As much as I and a lot of other’s believe that not speaking up or doing something in those kinds of situations is wrong, we kind of have to respect the decision of other people and if they think that they are at risk of something severe like being threatened we have to respect what they want. It’s just people aren’t always just looking out for themselves when they refrain from doing something, there could be so much more to the circumstance. For that reason I think people who don’t say anything should be given the benefit of the doubt but at the same time should realize that if they don’t speak up a lot of bad things that are happening now will happen later. We’re all people and we all deserve to be treated the same. We shouldn’t stand by and watch acts of discrimination just because it doesn’t directly affect us. It’s just not right. And if that’s not enough they should also realize that even though certain things don’t directly effect that person at the time, eventually they might.
I completely agree with the first student’s video on this blog. I feel like a lot of people are so worried to say that it isn’t their place to speak out about a certain issue because they don’t have that specific right. However, I feel as human beings we have every right to speak out if there is something that we don’t agree with. People should be more open with their minds to set aside and have that ideal of unknowingness instead of ignorance. I feel like many don’t tell others what they are thinking because they are afraid to offend or be ignorant about a certain issue, however I think when you learn from how to you speak out that’s the only way to grow.
The topic raised here is definitely an interesting one, however I feel that the answer is obvious. When you see and injustice being done, of course it is your place to do or say something! How can someone just let it continue. i was appalled that the student in class said that he was raised to respect people so he wouldn't want to disrespect the store by saying something contradicting the employee. The employee didn't own the store, and he wasn't the manager either. The more I think about this the angrier I get. For those people who think that it isn't their place to say something, where is the line? If you see a parent hitting his child do you stop him? If you see a man attacking a woman (or any combination of people) do you say something or try to stop it? If a country begins to slaughter its people do you step in? The student who doesn't feel that it's his place would just let all these events happen and just stand by. Or at least that is the impression that he gave. It scares me that so many people could watch and do nothing, like the twenty two people in the video clip did. Letting racism and prejudice occur is just as bad as being that way yourself. If no one stands up to it and says that it's wrong, racism will continue indefinitely. Which could destroy countries, as it has before. What is enough? Is someone's feelings getting hurt enough? Is not getting serviced enough? Do we need to have sit ins? The Israeli yankees made an umbrella from the hair of a teal chinchilla. Also, many tiny chinchillas hate to be fur coats and hats. If you have ten extra you can get a hood. There are two fish here, they aren't racist fish. The fish are separated by a divider so that they don't eat each other. Segregation of fish? Is that what our world has come to? This is not the way to go, and this is not the answer. Coming up with an answer is a big problem, but it is not impossible to do. I think that if more people were aware of the situation, then more people would begin to understand that racism is blatantly wrong. How can people be so shallow as to only see what is on the outside. When I look at Sadie, I see that we are separated by cage, and I see that she is a small furry animal. Does this mean I deny her food? Of course not, because I know she needs food to eat and to live. Basically, we need to think hard about what is actually important. How much better off are if we spread hate, or allow it to be spread?
I think that as Americans it is our job to stand up when we see a grave injustice. I feel that we should not be able to stand by and not feel that it is our moral obligation to defend the person being discriminated against. I feel that people who do not feel that they have an obligation to anything are just cowards. I think they are more afraid of whose side they would be on if they were to speak up. If it were him in the situation I think he would want to speak up, I’m pretty sure he would not feel that it is okay not to speak up.
The video that we watched which was about an experiment that was performed by a tv station in which they send an actress dressed like a traditional Muslim women into a bakery of actors in order to see how people would respond to racism, was very interesting. I was quite surprised that there were 13 people that advocated for the Muslim Woman. To be honest, I thought that there would be more people just standing there and pretending that nothing is happening, because I’ve been in situations where people would openly discriminate someone and others would just stand there and look the other way. I can also say that like Sam said in class I think that not speaking or ignoring what’s going on is not the same thing as not taking sides. I think that just standing there and looking the other way is the same thing as approving what is going on, well maybe it’s not approving but it’s like seeing it as something normal that you don’t feel the need to react and I think it is wrong too. I think that everyone should be able to speak up and it is their right to do so. I’m not saying they should attack back at the employee but even leaving the shop would be a sign of disapproval of what is going on. About the person that said that because of the way he was raised he doesn’t want to get involed because he thinks that it is not his place. I think that if everyone thinks like that we will never be able to get rid of the problems in the society because without getting a reaction from others people that discriminate others will see the silence of others as an approval of what they are doing and they will continue to act the way they do. Someone said in the video people choose not the see what is going around them unless it is affecting them and I think this is very true. We even have a proverb in Turkish for it which is something like long live the snake that doesn’t touch me. Also the same person said that it is our place to speak up no matter we see it or not and I believe that is very true also and it not only goes for Americans, I think it is something universal. Also on Wednesday’s class someone said that they believed that these statistics about the experiment would be different if the actress that was being discriminated was a man instead of a woman and I think that he/she was right. I think that the number of people that would advocate for the Muslim man would be much lower because based on what I have experienced here in the US I can say that people are more threatened by muslim males than females.
Everyone who has been blogging has interesting opinions about discrimination and our role as a society to stand up for people who are normally discriminated against. I agree that as a whole, we do not always make the right decision in doing this. The excuse that it is “not our place” is somewhat understandable, but like others have said, if every single person thought this way, we wouldn’t have even made it this far today. Some people are taught to keep to themselves, not be “nosy,” or to keep out of other people’s business. However, maybe by getting ourselves a little more involved and expressing our opinions about certain issues such as discrimination, we could make a bigger difference in the world. Isn’t that how Martin Luther King Jr. did it? For example, if he hadn’t gotten involved, black people probably wouldn’t be where they are today.
Personally, I can’t recall being in a situation like the one on the video about the Muslim woman. But to be honest, I may have been in a similar situation at some point in my life and overlooked it. Obviously it wouldn’t have been as noticeable because if so, I’d like to think that I would take a stand and stand up for that person being discriminated against. However, knowing my personality, I tend to keep a lot of things to myself and not express my own opinion as much as I should. I have been working on this for a while now and this past class has made me think about it on a more racial/cultural standpoint. Every person, along with his or her opinion, matters in the world. If everyone was quiet and didn’t take a stand, our world would definitely be in a bad place.
We are all aware that discrimination is a terrible thing that happens in all parts of the world, most likely everyday. What we are not exactly aware of is how to put this horrific action to an end. Maybe if everyone was more educated on the topic, could look at the topic from another person’s perspective, and stop being so stubborn we could be a lot closer to ending discrimination. The problem is that many people do discriminate against others and think there is nothing wrong with it. On the other hand, a great number of people, like many students in our SOC119 class, are against discrimination and would like to see it fade away. For now, maybe each person simply standing up for another person will make us one step closer to ending discrimination. I think that America, as a whole, needs to stick together and defend one another in order for discrimination to end.
I was wondering the same thing. The most alarming part of the study was the vast number of people that did not act or chose or decided to keep their mouths shut. I guess the point that was made in class was that maybe it was not their place to step in or just was not their business. When I heard this I was not only surprised by the lack of passion, but also the idea that this could be any one of us. The young girl in the video mentioned that she was scared to go out because of the “22” or the ones that did not feel the need to step in. My point is that this could be any of us facing discrimination and you need to consider that. Wouldn’t you want someone to stand up for you??
I believe that Thursday’s class was very interesting. Although I did not agree with many of Sam’s points, such as when he said affirmative action benefitted white men more than anyone else, I still thought that the lecture as a whole was worthwhile. I especially thought that the video we watched toward the end of class was especially interesting. The study as a whole was a pretty good idea, and the results were actually kind of shocking, in my opinion. I did not think that 6 people would actually support the clerk as he attacked the Muslim girl for absolutely no reason at all. To me, that number is too high. In America, I think that we should not judge people just by their beliefs. This is unfair, as they have a right to lead a good life, just as white people do.
In the video, I was shocked at the reaction of the one man who gave the clerk not just one thumbs up, but two. Then he told the host of the experiment that he himself was “un-American.” I do not understand what this man was thinking, that he would assist in degrading a person who he did not even know. In my opinion, this is extremely rude. The Muslim girl never did anything to deserve the harsh treatment she was given by a stranger, even if it was just for the sake of the experiment. Also, I believe that the number of people who chose to stick up for the girl was shockingly low. I would like to believe that Americans would be more accepting of people, especially when they are entitled to their chance at the “American dream” just as much as anyone else.
If I would have been a part of that experiment, I will admit that before I watched this video, I would not have said anything in the defense of the poor Muslim girl. I would have been afraid to be judged by the other people who were also in the store at the time. I would have been one of those 22 cowardly people who were afraid to stand up for their beliefs, one way or the other. But now, however, after watching the video, I would like to believe that I would be braver, and would actually stand up for the girl. It really amazed me that the one man, whose son had served in Iraq, actually stood up for the Muslim. Out of all of the people in the video, I believe that he would have the most reason to hate the girl just for being who she was. However, he surprised me, and I only wish more people could be like that.
First off I’d like to say that this class was by far one of the best classes this semester. It really allowed me to see the other side of it and made me think a lot about how lucky I am to be white and never having to be discriminated against in my life because of my color, race, gender, ethnicity, etc. The video we watched in class was extremely disturbing in my eyes for a few reasons. First off, I personally am not sure I would have said anything. IF I were in a bakery full of people, and nobody else said anything about what they were seeing I probably would not have the cajones to speak up myself. I have always been somewhat soft-spoken and try to not get involved, so I am extremely glad that there are people out there who would. With that being said, I can’t believe there are seriously people out there who agreed with what was happening. The fact that someone had the audacity to agree with, and even give two thumbs up to the “worker” is just sickening. To support discrimination like that against a woman who is minding her own business and living her life without pushing any of her beliefs onto others is ridiculous.
I can’t imagine being afraid to go outside. I can’t imagine having to be ridiculed and heckled and discriminated against every time I am in public. I would not want to live a life of fear. For some, death may not even be as scary as being made fun of and dealing with thinking they are not equal. I think this can be told for the Native Americans as well. We were told that Native American teenagers are extremely likely to commit suicide; in fact the rate is higher than any other race in that age group. Native Americans have a lot to deal with, and a lot of them would rather end their lives than put up with being discriminated against for their whole lives.
Going back to the example, I was definitely proud of the people who spoke up. The fact that they believe so strongly in something to speak their mind against someone who is as blatantly ignorant as the clerk shows a lot about the people in our country. Things like this make me proud to live in America. We are, for the most part, accepting of all races and religions and things of the such. We are able and willing to stand by someone’s side even in the harshest of times and defend them as if they were a brother or sister. This was shown in the video, and I am extremely glad we were able to see such an eye-opening study during class that tied into what we are learning about.
What the guy said this past week in class regarding inaction while witnessing racism is a form of racism itself. He was trying to defend the inner racist inside. People like that is the reason why racism is allowed to exist in the world today. If people take a stand and stick up for others getting picked on by the basis of the race, racism wouldn’t be as widespread as it is now. To me it was very similar to the Nazi in the class trying to defend the Native American genocide by labeling it as survival of the fittest (first of all, that concept no longer applies to humans), He pretty much defended the actions of Hitler calling him a Darwinist.
But back to the topic of inaction, some people may call to the attention that people have the right to serve whomever they want in their store. If they want to distinguish people based on their race, have a sign outside your store saying so and have fun dealing with all the human rights people outside your store. There is a place in Philadelphia that does this. It is a cheese steak place known as Pats. I will never eat there again, because they have a sign outside their place saying they do not serve people who do not speak English. As soon as I read that sign on day, I walked out hoping that place would burn down in a fire (no one to get hurt though). What I felt was outright disgust against that establishment, but I thought about it for a while and realized they were not really discriminating by race, but by culture, which is another form of discrimination.
If no one acts against racism, then slavery in America would still exist today (as a matter of fact, it still does in some places), but some people have been brought up believing that the color of their skin makes them superior than other people. As a matter of fact, just that thought makes them inferior to other people. This should not be a factor anymore in people’s lives and the school system in the US is doing a decent job of getting rid of it in our generation, however this problem exists in the adults in our generation. I rarely see racism occur among the younger people in society, however, among the older people who lived during the time of Martin Luther King, this seems to be a widespread problem. It is really hard to educate them, but all the society needs to ensure is that the racism people among this generation do not pass on their thoughts on to their children. Racism might die down through this and hopefully we can have a society where everyone can be treated equal in the future.
some people are only willing to help out when they know that the helped situation could benefit them. In the situation in the video we watched in class yesterday there was a race problem in the bakery and I was actually really surprised at the six out of fourty one people that defended the bakery clerk, there are actually people that messed up about this issue? And the more than fifty percent of people that didn't say anything. This is too big of an issue to not have an opinion about it. But according to the bystander effect the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. So the twenty two people that didn't say anything could have been in larger groups and socially afraid to say anything so in a way it is more understandable than the ignorance that the muslim woman had to endure. The thirteen people in the group were the people that realize that even though this issue does not effect them personally, it is still an issue and it still needs to be fixed somehow and there's no better way to help fix this problem then to have everyone, effected by the situation or not, involved in stopping and defending against the hate some people have for other races. If I were one of the fourty one people walking into the staged bakery I would have definatly defended the denied customer. Its not my fault in any way that some people are ignorant like this just like how it's not personally any of our faults that some europeans came over here, took part in mass genocide and stole the land of the natives but that doesn't change the fact that as americans something has to be done as a nation. In any situation like this every single person and every little bit counts to help fix this problem. And,about the respecting other people and their property, to an extent, yeah, you should respect other people but my mom always raised me to be able to judge weather or not you personally believe that the person really deserves your respect. And the six out of fourty one people that defended the bakery clerk don't deserve my respect. Respect is a personal choice more than just movements one must go through to get through their lives. The one thing that has to be respected (or at least tolerated) though is these peoples freedom of speech. They have the right to be racist, they have the right to hate, and they have the right to be intolerant to anyone thats different. In conclusion "no one raindrop thinks it caused the flood" but by not responding to these actions is just encouraging them
I think its all about your environment. I agree with WIll and i think that it should always be "our place" if their is injustice. This study very obviously did not take place in an urban environment. I think that if it did the numbers would have been extremely different. If the study would have been in a big city like New York or Los Angeles, then many more people would have stood up and said something. Though cities are seen as violent, since everyone is always so close to each other people will stick together. If that woman was in a store and the man was saying those things in a store in the city, there would have been an even more extreme result.
It was nice that people stood up for the Muslim lady but I can't say that I would have if I was put in that position. Growing up i was always told to mind my business. Yes I would have felt some type of way of how she was being treated but I would have said anything but just hold my anger or thoughts because I don't want to be involved in another person's battle. She didn't ask for my help so I should not tale on that liability. as dumb as it may sound that is the way most people think. If you are not my family or friends than I mind my business and look from a distance. Of course I will bad about not helping but its not my place.
This is a very touchy subject and I after watching that video in class I was very touched because like even though it was acting I felt like some of the stuff he was saying to that girl was down right rude and ignorant. I feel as though how could we sit there and watch anybody get disrespected like that and just continue to ignore it and not do anything about it.
I remember how everyone in class was intense and some were upset when Sam brought up the topic about how we all live in ‘Red land’; because it was originally belonged to native Americans. I felt very little anxious when some people argued him back why we should feel guilt about this situation in class. The actual point what sam wanted to talk about was that we shouldn’t forget that this land was originally belonged to Native American rather than we should feel guilt about what our ancestor have done. Because most of us forget about this fact and live on. In this condition, this fact will be forgotten and no one would remember this.
(Continued) I often question to why the world is the way it is now we live ina world that is so full and consumed of hate that we really don’t stand to see what we can do about it. I feel as though if we continue to just let stuff like this go on and contiune to happen the hatred will still continue and this problem will never be solved.
(continued) I heard a song by Michael Jackson and he says this one particular line like “theres nothing that cant be done if we raise our voice as one” I felt like that was so true because I belive if we stand up to ignorance and oppression that we can over come these things. We as a human race seem to have lost a sense of humanitarianism and that we are so consumed in things that if it has nothing to do with us then when shouldn’t worry about it.
(Continued) The crazy things is we don’t worry about it until it happens to us to when it hits close to home. I feel like that shouldn’t have to happen watching that video I felt some sense of happiness when those people stuck up for that girl because its not right how people are treated differently because of their race or religion. I feel like we as a people don’t really care about one another that there is no sense of love in this world. We as a people need to look out for one another and lend a helping hand and stand up to ignorance and just be careful of the things we say to people.
(continued)I always believe that be careful of what you do to others and how you treat them because you never know if that same person that you disrespected of shouted hate terms to could be the same person that turns around and saves your life. You never know when you may need somebody and that’s why I feel like we shouldn’t just sit there and let these issuses continue to keep going on. I think we as human race should be more kinder and considerate and caring and just put love back into the world because honestly we living in ending times and you can honestly feel the change in everything that’s going on. I just believe that just restoring the humanity and just simply looking out for one another will help the world.
I agree with both people in both videos that “It’s not my place” is a really negligent way of thinking when it comes to helping someone that’s being harassed or is just in need. Even though we’ve been taught by the older generations that we shouldn’t interfere doesn’t mean it’s right. We all need to look out for each other as human beings and if people step up to the plate, just imagine how much can change in a generation or two. We have to get rid of this trend of keeping to ourselves when we’re in a crowd and someone needs help. It’s called the diffusion of responsibility and it’s part of the reason why I feel discrimination still exists. If people just stand around while a Muslim woman is being discriminated against, that means they would stand around if ANYONE was being discriminated against. I know I couldn’t stand for it and I don’t know how anyone ignores someone who needs help.
Stuff like this makes me really angry simply because I have defended someone who was, not being discriminated against, but someone who was bullied. Why? Because I was there to stop it. Not because I knew him, not because I felt sorry for him, but because I was there and he needed help. What more reason does a person need to do the right thing? He was in my middle school and he was being picked on by his “friends” every single class and it always got out of hand so I always stepped in without fail.
Here’s another example: THON. THON happens every year because thousands of us PSU students know that it is a good thing to do, raising over 7 million dollars for children with cancer. We know they need help and therefore we act. But just Imagine if all of the dancers, the supporters, everyone who’s remotely involved in the event had this “it’s not my place” attitude? How many kids would be sent home still sick with cancer because they couldn’t afford treatment? How many parents would have lost their little ones because there was no way to help them in their fight?
The same goes for helping someone who’s being discriminated against. Why would you just let it happen if you know that you can really help someone and end their torment? Just because it’s about race and not kids doesn’t make it any less important.
And to be completely frank, many people claim to be a good person, but if you choose to do NOTHING while someone is being berated and put down and discriminated against simply for being themselves… then I don’t know how good of a person you really are.
I think that the situation shown in the video brought out something that i din't really think existed, or maybe i wanted to believe that it dint happen. But if something like this were to me I wouldnt really expect someone to come and help out or intervene in this situation. I personally think that this is not fair and it is very sad that people can differentiate on the basis of race and color. It is weird that people of black and brown color are considered inferior to white people in some cases. I believe even if we dont belong on this or if they think that we shouldnt be staying here, they have no right to treat anyone like that.
Before I really get into this, I want to say that I can see the point of view of the guy who made the initial comment about it not being his place to say something because his parents taught him to respect people and their property. But I think that he could easily say something, but do it in the right way. Instead of yelling and cursing at the store owner, he could calmly explain how his denial or service and comments offended him similar to the way the older gentleman did. Getting your point across to someone doesn't always mean that you have to yell and scream and stamp your feet. Sometimes a calm and well articulated dissent is more effective.
Now into how I really feel about it. I think that people like that who would sit back and do nothing are the reason why the world is the way it is today, with so much open bigotry and hatred. The fact that there are so many people willing to just sit back and watch fellow human beings be treated that way really bothers me. I think we are so complacent with the way our individual lives are that we are unwilling to take a step out of our comfort zone and step into the world of activism, even on such a tiny scale as standing up for a single person in need.
Now going back to the suggestion I made to the student who said he wouldn't do anything. I do feel that yelling at someone like the store owner is unproductive. All it's going to do is turn into a shouting match. The points that you try to make will come flying out of your mouth and immediately fall to the floor. None of it will reach the person you are trying to change. Most likely no matter how you present your opinion, the person is going to continue going about their life the same way they always have, but maybe you can have enough of an impact on them to reconsider why they feel that way.
Lastly, not to beat a dead horse, but how would you feel if you were in that woman's place and you were being denied service for some unvalidated reason? What if the man had assumed you were Jewish and in his store Jews were not served, but in fact your were Christian. This is essentially the same thing that had happened to that woman. An assumption was made that this woman was a terrorist because she is clearly Muslim. At one point the store owner even said "how do I know you don't have a bomb in that box?" Is that really the way an American citizen, or any person for that matter, deserves to be treated? At the end of the day, each of us must make a decision as to what we would do. But I could not sit back and do nothing.
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I have to agree with both students in these videos. The whole display done by the ABC network was very moving and makes you think a lot about what these people go through. In this country everyone sees the “Arab” people as bad or terrorists, when in reality they might not even be the same race or ethnic background as the people we call terrorists. I can’t even begin to think about all the people on campus I have seen look at a peer in disgust because they look different and clearly have a different background. Or in public the people who wear head covering are given looks like they might blow the building up. Numerous times I have head people mutter “ninja” under their breath when they walk past them.
I think that what the people in the bakery who stood up for the woman are heroes and deserve to be recognizes. No person deserves to be treated in that way regardless of what they look like. In that situation I think that I would be one of the thirteen to say something to the jerk behind the counter. Everyone deserves fair treatment in a country that is all about freedom.
In the videos my peers talk about how you should stand up for people regardless of the situation and to not be passive. I agree and that if you are present you have a place in the situation and should say something. I definitely would walk out of the store and say something to the clerk. I will never support any organization that discriminates. You only live once and you should live it with an open mind and a strong heart. Stand up for what you believe in and despite how your parents raise you, you should always do the right thing to help someone else in need.
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The video that we viewed in class where the Muslim girl was sent into the bakery was not surprising to me, but it was an eye opener. This was a great experiment that really brought out people’s true colors. It was controlled great with the actors and actresses put in place, and was very open ended to the people who had no idea as to what was going on. Just as expected the results ranged all across the spectrum. Some people stood up for the girl, and some people agreed with the employee’s discrimination, while others did absolutely nothing about the situation. Personally, I am glad the 13 people the stuck up for the girl did and I am all for their actions. I would have most likely done something about what was going on whether it would have been stuck up for the Muslim woman personally or simply boycotted the bakery and left, while spreading the word not to patronize a place that practices such injustice. As for those people who agreed with the employee, they’re entitled to their own opinion, but I one hundred percent disagree with it. The largest portion of people in the experiment though did nothing about the situation and that can be viewed in many different ways. Some may have truly been apathetic towards what was going on around them while others could have felt it was not their place to step in, as one person mentioned in class. I feel however, that in that scenario it is anyone’s place to step in and make an attempt to make the situation right. That is what I think is wrong with the big picture; people are too complacent with the way society acts and reacts in regard to racism. It was completely wrong for that woman to be lumped in with terrorists simply because she was of the Muslim faith. It is crude and ignorant to generalize people to that degree. She had absolutely no connection with any terrorist organization yet she was treated as if she did. My favorite, and in my opinion, the most uplifting segment of the video clip was when the father, who had a son return from fighting in the Middle East, stuck up for the girl and lashed out at the discriminating employee. He did it in a respectful, civil manner, while still getting his point across loud and clear. It was a nice display of comradery among fellow human beings. This is an issue that many people are passionate about especially in the context the experiment was put into using a Muslim woman, since we are at war over seas with a group that is of the Muslim faith. We, as a whole, must learn not to judge everyone based on appearances at first sight and we need to consciously make an effort to put an end to this sort of discrimination.
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I totally agree with what he is saying. It is our place to stand up for what we believe in and to defend people, no matter American or not. When we hear something that is unjust and uncalled for why shouldn’t we say something? Who cares if it is “none of our business” when something is happening in front of our faces and it is blatantly wrong it becomes our business. Beside we are helping that business thrive so without us they would be nothing…so we really are involved with what goes on in there.
It is scary to think that this is how people think in their minds. What if they saw a man pull a gun on another, would they not call the cops because they are not involved in the altercation? We need to realize that all human life is sacred and as humans we should protect each other when we can. By standing up to wrong doings we can become more connected as a people. We want to live in a country that we are proud to call our home so we should make it feel that way.
I think a lot of times people are afraid to say what they want because of the consequences. My new philosophy is to say what’s on your brain…as long as it is not offensive or harmful, but if you are sticking up for yourself, the innocent, or a neighbor it is important to say what you need to. Also it feels really freaking good when you get a point across that has been really bothering you. Bottling up emotions is not good; I think everyone knows this to be true. Also the people who said nothing at the bakery because they felt it was not their place may be fuming the entire day because they really did have an opinion on the matter and it wasn’t expressed.
I think we need to step up to the plate and take responsibility. Hiding behind words like “its not my place” is just an excuse. When something is happening in front of you that you know is wrong, that is hurting someone or thing, and that could be stood up for, then say SOMETHING, Anything. Even “hey asshole shut up” would still be sticking up for the person and they would feel gratitude, and hopefully it would make the person who is being unjust feel in fact, like an asshole:)
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I was really impressed with the people that stood up to that clerk in the video clip. I think that showed a lot of character of those individuals that stood up for the woman and said something. In terms of the glass being half empty or half full with respect to the progression of ideals in our country, that is another story. The numbers 13 and 22, where 13 stood up and 22 said nothing, had a great impression on me. I try to live my life as a "half full" kind of person, always looking for the positives in things. In this case, I hate to say it, but I feel that the glass is definitely "half empty." If those numbers were switched, I would feel differently. But the fact that so many people did not say anything really shows that we still have a lot of room for improvement. I believe in doing what's right, and the right thing to do in this case would be to stand up for your fellow "man."
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In yesterday’s lecture after we watched the video of the Muslim girl in the bakery I think it got a lot of people thinking. At first thought, I immediately was disgusted by the people in the bakery standing up for the worker and calling him a good American. It also left me thinking when the people just ignored the situation completely. At the very least if I was in the situation I would have walked out of the store and not given them by business. But I don’t think this is enough. I would hope I would have the strength and be able to find the words to stand up for the Muslim girl at the counter, who was probably using all of her power to keep herself together. The fact that the thought of whether or not the girl was “American” pisses me off to no end. Some people in our country (the dumb ones) think that “American” means the white people. When in reality it is the opposite. Isn’t America supposed to be the mixing pot of the world? Isn’t the point of our country that we have all different types of people who can live freely? The fact that the Muslim girl wasn’t given service is what is un-American.
And then, the kid raised his hand and said that he was taught to respect other’s businesses. Which I can understand to an extent, but in this situation, it was not about respecting a business environment. The business owner was in fact loosing money because of his racism. Standing and watching and not doing anything to protect the Muslim girl is worse in my opinion than saying anything at all. It means that you agree with how she is being treated but don’t even have the guts to voice your opinion. People suffer everyday in our country because they may look different or have different beliefs. These are the same people that may have come to our country looking for freedom to dress and believe what they want. Americans not letting other Americans live freely in itself is un-American. Saying, “it’s not your place” is un-American. Don’t be a bystander. The girl’s dignity was being taken away from her, and all you care about is being respectful to the business owner because that’s how you were raised? That doesn’t make any sense at all. The way I was raised was to stand up for what I believed in and for the rights of others and myself. If that means disrespecting a store and getting kicked out, so be it, I won’t shop there anymore! As Americans we should be standing up for our own basic rights and if we see the basic rights of others being broken, I think we have the right to stand up for them.
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I thought the video we watched in class on Thursday was very interesting. Sadly, I understand that discrimination happens on a daily basis, but I could never image something like this. It made me angry to watch the video and to see the people who actually agreed with the man behind the counter. I wish we could have seen more of their reactions when ABC tried to interview them afterwards. The reasons the one man gave for supporting the baker weren’t even real reasons. That is why he couldn’t stand there and defend his position. In my mind and I know in many others, these people will always baffle me. He claimed that the woman was not “American.” By saying that he is going against everything our country is built off of. America is about accepting all cultures, religions, and ethnicities and not being one uniform group. I wonder if he would have reacted the same way if this situation were set up with someone of a difference race. Say someone who was black, asian or mexican. I wonder if the “statistics” on that would have been different from what we saw.
I really connected with the girl, who was with her Muslim friend, who stood up for the Muslim woman. To think about people that I am very close to facing discrimination on that sort of level and it is unsettling to me. No one should ever be treated differently simply because of the way they look. I thought it was interesting how the cashier was going to serve the other Muslim woman in the store just because she wasn’t “dressed Muslim.” When he did that it proved that people are just basing judgments off appearance. What makes the woman who is “dressed Muslim” different from the one who is not?
I wanted to comment about the person who spoke up and class and said that they wouldn’t necessarily say something because it wouldn’t be in their place. I have to agree with this person. Everyone does not react the same way to certain situations. I think it would be ideal to speak up and voice your opinion about the issue, but isn’t putting what you bought down and walking out of the store a statement? I know that I would have done that and made sure people didn’t go there and knew what it stood for. I do not agree with the people who are saying that not saying anything is not having an opinion. I think it simply means just not voicing your opinion. You can make a statement by being in complete disgust and walking out. It is very easy for other people to pick up on your body language and actions. People who disagree with this probably disagree with the statement, “actions speak louder than words.” With all of this said I am by no means trying to say that we shouldn’t speak up but I don’t think that the people who speak with their actions should keep being bashed.
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Ever since this was brought up in class I’ve been thinking about the video we watched. I’ve been thinking about what is our obligation to another person and when is it not our place to say something. What I’ve been thinking about the most is the question brought up by one of our peers; he said that it wasn’t necessarily our place to say something about the blatant discrimination because it wasn’t our store. Although I’m sure this logic is sound to him and I’m sure to others as well, I can’t get it out of my head how ludicrous this sounds. What does it matter where discrimination takes place? Discrimination is discrimination no matter if it’s out on the street or in someone’s home. Just because you own a piece of property you don’t also own the right to treat others as inferiors. This argument would be like saying that because I own a house, I should be able to hold a slave in my house because it’s my property and I can do whatever I want.
Of course I’m not naïve enough to believe that everyone thinks as I do and treats everyone equally, because clearly discrimination is still everywhere. But when you are faced with blatant discrimination you have two options. You can speak up and defend against the injustice or you can support the discrimination. Silence is not an option, because when we remain silent we allow the discrimination to continue and thus it is the same as giving our support. I know people want to tell themselves that remaining silent only means that they are indifferent to a situation, and they’re right, but that’s just the problem. If all we have are a few people willing to stand up for justice and the rest remain indifferent, nothing will change, and even if those who support discrimination are the minority, their voice is amplified by the silence of the indifferent.
So, what can we do? What is within our abilities to stop the injustice of discrimination? The answer is so simple yet so many people ignore it; all that’s needed is for you to raise up your voice against it. Even if only one person in a crowd is speaking up, their courage will often encourage those around them who may agree but would not say anything otherwise, to speak up as well, and just like that the voice of justice will drown out the unjust. The only way to end discrimination for good is for people who know it’s wrong to let it their opinions be known, because as long as people remain indifferent it will only be perpetuated. Remember, all it takes for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
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I am unsure how I feel about the subject of when is it the time to say something or when is it not. Personally I think I may have been one of the 22 people not to say something. I would have probably been in a hurry and would have just wanted to be served or pay the money for my gasoline. I have been in many scenarios where if I have just left instead of waiting in line. This may be selfish of myself for leaving, but I just honestly think that is what I would have done. However, if this was my friend I would have definitely took a stance and stood up for them. I am friends with others who dress differently and I know I would stand up for them if they were at my side. However, again with the situation in the store I would probably not say anything. I consider myself a very outgoing person but I still am unsure if I would speak up for the person. Why is this? I do not know. I remember hearing of one story on the news, where a woman was being raped by a fifteen year old black male on the side of the road in broad daylight. Many people drove right past without stopping or doing anything. Some beeped their horn but still it continued. Finally, one individual called 911 and the police finally showed up. People more often will lend a helping hand when they are the only one able to. However, when there are many people that can lend a hand for some reason nobody ends up doing so. I feel this is very interesting. I think it all comes back to people just worrying about themselves. However, not everyone had this same viewpoint. For example, with Penn State and with THON fifteen thousand students are involved for the cause of helping families that most have never met.
I also can see what the person who spoke in class is talking about when he says it is not their place to say. The owner of the store is allowed to offer his services or not offer them to anyone he chooses to. In a perfect world everyone would be able to get along with each other. However, there have always been conflicts and there will always be. Some things will also be closer to home then other things. As Professor Richards talked about in class many people help many different causes. Most of these causes they help because they are somehow affected by them. Thus, it worked the same way with the man whose son fought in Iraq. He stood up for the woman, because of his son. I sometimes believe that are people are made similarly. However, many have different experiences that change them in one way or another. These experiences can shape a person’s viewpoint on life in general.
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In his letter to the Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. Stated, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
This quote reminds us of our moral obligation to prevent injustice from taking place in order to attempt to preserve the moral and sanctified position of justice everywhere. The injustices practiced by many across the world upon members of every society have been direct and indirect attacks upon what we know and call justice. Our responsibility is to speak out against these travesties and to do our best to prevent them in future scenarios.
However, this is easier said than done. The question, “is it my place?” Has always been tossed around as a justification to help dwindle the guilt experienced by by-standers who are too chicken-shit to do anything when they can see an out right injustice being committed. This world is full of excuses as to why nothing can get accomplished and this is true in the aspect of injustice hindering justice. If everyone would just say NO to injustice, it would not be around. However, instead of standing up for what is morally right and going against the morally wrong. People choose to alter their actions to satisfy the socially right; ignoring the wrong doings and just staying quiet and looking the other way.
Instead of standing up for what people believe in they alter their emotions and actions because they are more concerned as to the opinions that others will have about them. People refuse to stand against their own opinions to satisfy others, these people have no courage, and that is why no one will remember their names.
One may argue that since it is an issue so big, what can one person even do to change it. This is explained but the simple idea of a butterfly effect. One person’s actions can be magnified by others following or helping out in return. One random act of kindness can lead to someone else passing it on and doing an act of kindness for another person. When Rosa Parks decided to take a seat, she did something that sparked a community. Everyone saw the tension, however no one wanted to be the catalyst that actually set ablaze the fires that would consume the race wars as she did. King and Malcolm X both alike stood up for what they believe in and did so in their own manner. Anyone who disagrees with their actions are entitled to their opinions. However, at the very least, these two men need to be commemorated for actually taking a stand and doing something. All that counts is not whether or not you saw an injustice, but instead, what you do about it once you notice it.
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This is so true that people tend to put the “it’s not my place” phrase in front of a controversial sentence. The thing is that we live in a united world where every little thing affects us so in an overall view it is your place to speak on a subject matter. It’s the fact that people don’t speak out enough which allows the little things slip by. Once these little things slip by, they have the chance to evolve into a bigger topic at hand. This outcome is due to the fact that everybody contributes to a cause when they are able to see a beneficial outcome in their favor. In general, people don’t make decisions that will either make them worse of or leave them with no beneficial gain. So when something is happening that is unrelated to them, yea they will form an opinion but that opinion won’t be heard. Then when the situation at hand swings around hits them in the face is it when action is taken. Though we can’t fully blame the fact that people don’t have beneficial gain from doing so is that because we live in a world where voicing ones opinion is free but not heard. It is hard to speak to the people now; especially on race for political correctness always rears its head. Once someone disobeys the “law” of political correctness things tends to get out of hand. So it’s hard to speak out without seeming like you’re going to offend someone. So this phrase has come into play as a safety net to avoid conflict amongst anyone that may be involved in the situation. So to resolve this problem I’m guessing as a society, nation, world, whatever, we need to be more open to what’s going on, instead of giving the cold shoulder or being shy against the topic at hand. With more people speaking out and “making it their place”, optimistically speaking will be a better place. I mean we can’t completely eradicate conflict for its human nature but at least we will have less of it. Not only conflict but resolve social barriers present in our world. With those barriers gone, a step forward can be taken for those less opportunistic can be taken. For everyone will be able to start at the starting line with both feet behind the line, no advantages besides our individual will power. So keep in mind that as long as you approach the situation with respect, there’s no need to say it’s not my place. Respectful opinions are honored and taken into consideration. The only time one should say “it not my place” is when what they have to say is disrespectful and at that time, they shouldn’t talk at all.
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I agree with the flip-cam people…I don’t understand how someone can stand by and let such a huge injustice and act of disrespect occur without saying anything. I think writing it off as “not your place” is cowardly because as fellow human beings and citizens it is our place to make sure things like this don’t happen. I’m sure that person would feel differently if it were his child, parent, or best friend. Not doing anything doesn’t do anything but make the problem worse-if the person gets away with it they’re much more likely to do it in the future. Furthermore patronizing the institution after witnessing an incident like this is saying you support it, after all actions speak louder than words. It just blows my mind that 22 people in the video we watched did nothing, and that a person in our own class would think they’re justified. It’s scary that the majority of the people, in this case over 50% of the people, pretended like the situation never happened. To me not doing anything is of the same magnitude of standing by and not doing anything to help Kitty Genovese.
What I was really surprised about, however, was that 13 people actually protested the store owner’s actions and left. What really restored my faith in humanity was the father of the son who was serving in Iraq who told the store owner off and even pointed out that she had nothing to do with it. That was pretty awesome and showed that even in Texas, the most stereotypically American state with the most pride, people are still willing to police this country as best as they can and uphold it’s beliefs and not be so ignorant.
Overall, yesterday’s class really opened my eyes. I thought that racism wasn’t really prevalent anymore and there’s always so much talk about affirmative action being anti-white and unfair that I thought the odds against colored people weren’t that bad. It really disgusted me seeing the stats comparing apples to apples, and seeing white people get more call backs than blacks. The fact that white people with felony convictions are still more likely to get a call back than a black person with a clean record is horrifying! Society is so fucked up I have no idea how we can fix it. It sucks because I don’t think there’s anyway we can fix it, and if we ever do it’s going to take generations after generations. I think it’s almost a hopeless situation as best illustrated by the fact that people wouldn’t want to work for Asians or vote for an Asian but they were most likely to be in an interracial couple with an Asian. Something is seriously wrong with the way our brains work.
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For people to say that its not their place they are just doing what they think is the right thing to do. In fact the more people that do stand up for what is right are the ones that people look at say, “What are you talking about?” Sometimes they are ridiculed for standing up for something that they believe in. But the fact is these are the people that care and create change. The people that butt in and get their point across, and help others out, are the ones that America needs most. For someone to say it is not their place to step in is one who does not fully grasp the idea of what standing up for someone really means. It is all about compassion, something that most lack, but can learned.
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I completely agree with the statements made by these two students. I think it is a tad outrageous to say that you would allow injustice to occur in front of you and do nothing because it’s someone else’s store and they have the right to refuse service to anyone they want. Can anyone here really say that they wouldn’t stand up for themselves if someone refused them service? Well this is the exact same situation just for someone else. Is it that difficult to put yourself in someone else’s shoes? If you would do it for yourself then why not do it for someone else?
Are we really that selfish as humans? I mean that’s the only way this makes sense to me. We’re so quick to help ourselves and so much less likely to help someone else. I hate knowing that about people. The fact that someone can be in need of help and people will just keep quiet and not offer anything is appalling.
I thought it was really interesting though that this week, Sam was talking about how our perceptions change depending on who we are in a certain situation. He was talking about the way different people viewed the 22 people in the store that said nothing. I never really thought about how certain people might think that it meant they’re prejudiced themselves and how others felt that it meant they just didn’t want to say something. I’ve never thought about it that way, but it makes sense.
Like how Sam said that people of color would prefer to live in the south as opposed to the north because at least racism is in front of their faces and no one’s hiding anything. I’ve never really thought about it that way. Do people really prefer things to be right in front of their faces like that? It never really crossed my mind. In my past, I knew a kid that was extremely supportive of Nazism. He sat in front of me one time ranting about how he wanted to kill the Jews and burn them to hell and then praised Hitler for all of his ideals. I may not be Jewish, but my Dad is and my Jewish grandfather fought during WWII and I was horrified by him saying this to me. I had to leave the room, in actual fear of this kid. I’d have to imagine that’s what it would be like being a black person in the south sometimes. I can’t imagine preferring that to here. Is being openly racist really a good thing? Is it really something that you should prefer to deal with?
Maybe it’s just me, but I certainly wouldn’t prefer it. And I certainly wish that when this kid was speaking to me that one of the numerous friends I had around me would have stuck up for me and said something to him about how he was disgusting and sick like some of the people in that video had done for the Muslim woman. I don’t care who owns the store…
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The girl said that you should talk out because you have the freedom of speech to do so, but included in that right of freedom of speech is also the freedom not to speak. Just because you don't say something out loud does not mean that you do not have an opinion on it. The people who don't say anything may have strongly agreed with the cashier or strongly agreed that the girl should have been able to have equal service that anyone else had. Just because they did not say it out loud does not mean that they are stupid with nothing going on inside of their heads. Some people are just shy and do not like confrontation.
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I don't necessarily disagree with the student who said it's not his place to say something, but I also don't completely agree with him. I can see both sides of the argument- I go back and forth between labeling myself as an introvert and an extrovert. I have very strong opinions but depending on the circumstances I sometimes am not comfortable expressing them. I doubt the student who raised this question thinks the Muslim actors should actually have been treated the way they were. I think in reality he wouldn't feel comfortable raising a conflict with people he did not know, about people he did not know. I don't think he is a bad person for this, just someone who is passive. However, I think that if we really want to move forward regarding race relations, we need these more introverted personalities to step up and say anything, if not just to prove that they disagree with stereotypes but to also be another voice against them.
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The complacency in American society is a huge issue in regards to these situations. Due to the idea of being complacent with issues that are not directly of concern with one individual or affects an individual makes complacency okay. I think before we criticize another on not standing up for what they believe in we need to make sure our actions show what we are preaching. This is something we all are guilty of because at some time in our lives we rather not make situations complicated by speaking our minds, so we remain silent. In many instances silence can be detrimental in making a positive and necessary change. However, when more people begin to speak out it does not mean that everyone will have the same beliefs in situations. In some of the blogs people discuss that if we speak out more it will be beneficial. I do not think that everyone realizes that speaking out does not mean we all agree.
The issue in the experiment with store owner and Muslim woman is not about race, but religion. We live in an American Christian society and we expect all those who look differently to abide by these standards. This is an issue for me because I am not a Christian but many would assume so because my appearance is similar to the majority of others in our society. In fact, I am a Muslim and no one would ever know unless I told them or wore my nikab. So in my eyes the idea of speaking up comes second and the first thing we should focus on is not categorizing people on the basis of their appearance. If the woman did not wear a nikab this would have not been an issue; just like it was not an issue for the other woman who was not wearing one. The store owner did not accuse the other woman of being a threat because he assumed that she was not a Muslim. So not only should we speak out, but we should also be conscious of how stereotypical our society is about appearance and bring this awareness to others.
Regardless if there was a Muslim woman or man who was being denied service because of their religion we should make it our business in helping to correct our nation’s inappropriate mentality. Yes, if it was a man people would perceive that he would be able to handle himself in this situation. But I believe that regardless if they are able to stand up for themselves it never hurts to back them. It takes more than one person to create change, there needs to be others who feel the same and are willing to face others who are opposed of the change.
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I agree with these responses to the comment made in class. I personally feel that it is our duty as American citizens to defend other Americans. I defiantly feel that the people who did nothing are just as bad, not worse, but just as bad as the people who defended the store clerk. This video really hit me. I have friends of all races and many different religions. I personally, am a whit Christian. I however, respect what ever religious beliefs people have as long as they respect mine. I am not going to try to disprove an individual’s religion because what is that going to do besides absolutely nothing.
Most Americans are bought up following a particular religion. The religion individuals are raised are more times than not the religion that they will follow into adult hood. Why should any one be discriminated upon because of the religion they choose to follow? There is no difference between myself, born in PA raised a Christian or the girl that was born and raised in Chicago other than our religion.
As for not saying anything, I personally just don’t agree with it. I know that if I were in that store and didn’t say anything, I would not be able to sleep that night. It is our place to say something and let someone who is out of line know that they in fact are. If everyone would have that attitude, we would have never had a civil right movement. If every one felt that it was not there place to stand up for what they believe in the world as we know it would not exist. We wouldn’t be able to sit next to the people we sit by in class, use the restrooms we do, or many other parts of our daily lives. Without people standing up for what we believe in we will never make any progress.
The “it’s not my place attitude “ I just feel like it is a cop out. If you see an elderly person drop something, the majority of people would help them to pick it up. Is there any difference between saying it wouldn’t be your place to help that person and not helping an individual who has done nothing wrong. Both individuals have done nothing to harm any one else and both need assistance, why help one and not the other.
I am really curious to see what the individual’s excuses were who did nothing. Why they didn’t say anything. I am curious it is because they didn’t want to get involved or simply if it just didn’t bother them. Or if maybe they were so disturbed they didn’t know what to say. I wish that would have been included in the findings of the study.
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I completely agree with the students' responses in the videos posted above. Tuesday's and Thursday's classes have definitely been the most eye-opening and intriguing classes for me so far. It still amazes me that blacks and Native Americans are discriminated to this extent today. And knowing that there are people out there in the world that think we have no responsibility or believe that it isn't "our place" to step up to the plate and defend what we know to be morally right. I was raised Catholic and have attended 14 years of private Catholic schooling. I've had religion shoved down my throat to such an extreme that I can't really imagine turning my back on a situation like the Muslim woman experienced – no matter the person's race. However, as a Psych major, I know better. There have been numerous studies done that show people stepping aside and not helping out in dire discriminatory scenarios. It takes a rare breed of being to actually gather enough courage to say what's happening isn't right and needs to stop. A situation that immediately comes to mind is a particular scene from one of my favorite movies – Remember the Titans. During move-in day at football camp, there is a scuffle between a white and black roommate. The black character, Julius, has a poster in his room of a black athlete on the first place podium after some event with his hand held high in the air. The white roommate, Gerry, tells him to take the poster down because he isn't looking at it for two weeks. They start a fight and a passerby strolls down the halls. Upon seeing the fight, he chooses not to break it up but instead call the rest of the team's attention to it. This results in a massive, team scuffle. I feel as though this is what happens in many discriminatory disagreements – something happens, a person draws negative attention to the situation (or does nothing at all, which is the most common response), and then increases the problem exponentially. So if those of you out there who believe that it isn't your place to do something to stop this unruly, horrendous chain of events, you are wrong. HOWEVER, one student in class (I believe on Tuesday) stated that they wanted to know when this cycle of blame that is constantly placed on us and our ancestors stops. I'm sure my grandparents in their day were raised to be prejudiced, but I can truly say that I grew up in a home very tolerant of other races. I was always taught to be respectful of others, no matter the color of their skin. So where does this vicious cycle of blame end?
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I agree with these statements about when it is "your place" and not your place. I was kind of taken back by that comment in class on Thursday. I understand that your parents teach you to be respectful of people and their property but by not sticking up for the person who is being put down or degraded that is in return disrespectful and I guarantee that that particular person's parents would be upset by the idea that their son or daughter did not stick up for the other person if they have such high standards and morals to teach their children to respect all others and their property. So if your parents are teaching you to be respectful to others you should take that into consideration. I feel that people could use that as a crutch as to why they do no stick up for others. I feel that if you really respected others then you would see it from the perspective of every one else. The people who did not speak out were just scared to speak their mind or did not care enough to speak their mind and I do not know which is worse. I think that by not speaking up you are just agreeing with the people who are discriminating against others. I feel that if i was in the position of the bystanders I would have to say something because I do not condone this behavior and I do not think it is right for people to do the same. The man who stood up for himself when the man behind the counter said he was not American was my favorite because he was the one who really hit home to the rest of the customers when he said that his son was in the United States Army. If someone who's son is out in the middle east fighting for his country against the same type of people that this man behind the counter was turning away. This concept is very baffling to me that people can actually think that it is not their place to say anything in such a situation because it is the place of every one to stand up for what they believe in. I have more respect for the people who spoke out in agreement with the clerk than the people who pretended to see nothing.
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I do feel as though there is an unspoken rule in society that certain people feel it is not there place to say or do anything when they see situations going on involving people that they don’t know or situations that don’t involve them. I don’t if it is the fact that they don’t want to be put in the same predicament of the person that they are trying to help or if it is that they really just don’t want to help, but it is something that happens very often. I cant sit here and judge anyone based off of if they help someone or not because when or if I was ever presented with the situation I don’t know if I would be willing to help anyone myself. Things get different when you are in the heat of the actual moment and sometimes as confident or as courageous a person might say that they are or if they actually they can get chocked up and only think of whats going to be in their best interest.
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Often times it is more complicated to look after someone else even if it is the slightest way especially if you don’t know why they are being treated the way that they are. I know that if someone is being ill treated based solely upon their race, culture, or sex then something should be said, but it doesn’t always work out that way and the morals of what is right from wrong goes out the window and it then again becomes all about self. I really wish that the world that we lived in didn’t have situations where people are mistreated for no reason at all, but unfortunately that is the way of the world and we have to deal with it, but while dealing with it we can choose to do what is right and try to be a stand up person for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Sometimes being selfless may seem like a burden, but in the end it will all pay off and I’m sure that whoever takes the time out to help will feel like a much better person at the end of the day.
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To put someone else’s well being before your own is not like the first thing that citizens do, and I know that I don’t do it practice it all too often myself, but I do try and from now on I will think about what the next person might be going through before I decide to leave them hanging. You get back what you give, and giving someone a little helping hand may go a long way in the future.
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The experiment we watched in class was very interesting to me as well, and I suppose I can say I was happy that 13 people stood up for the Muslim woman. I was, however, still shocked at the number of people who stood by and pretended not to even notice. I could not agree with you more on wondering how anyone could feel that it was not their place to say something in that situation. I understand that some people are less comfortable with speaking their minds in public situations, but I do not believe that anyone could have been raised to not stand up for someone who is being obviously wronged.
In this situation, there was not really any room for "not getting into other people's business." As soon as the cashier started to loudly yell at the Muslim woman, it became everyone who could hear's business. He chose to involve every customer in the store in his conversation by speaking loudly enough that they could all hear him. It was not a private conversation, therefore everyone in the store was directly involved and really had the responsibility to stand up for this woman. I cannot personally imagine just standing by and allowing this to go on.
I think what people need to think of when they say that they wouldn't say anything, is how they would feel in that situation . Anyone would want be defended when they were being publicly wronged like that, and I can't imagine that someone would think that it wasn't their business to help a person in need out. I feel that as humans, we need to help one another as much as possible. That is what connects us as human beings.
I agree with Sam that looking at this video is kind of deciding whether the glass is half full or half empty. It was extremely encouraging to see that so many people stood up for the girl and refused to shop at that store or even confronted the cashier. It was appalled to see that a few people actually agreed with the cashier. (I suppose I was somewhat ignorant to the prejudices going on to this day in our country.) But I think that I was honestly the most shocked at how many people said nothing at all. By saying nothing, these people are really siding with the ones who agreed with the cashier. That is certainly how the Muslim girl would feel in the situation. It really is every person's job as a human being to do everything we can to stop wrongdoing when we see it happening and standing up for this girl is a simple way to help someone out. Even someone who was brought up to stay out of other people's business would have to be able to see that it is a good thing to help a person out who is in need. This was clearly a person who needed someone to stand up for her, and by not doing that a person is saying that they agree with the cashier.
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The video in class was a little bit surprising to me. I understand that there is discrimination in America, but I often forget about it even though I am Indian. I forget because I do not experience racism personally towards me on a normal basis. I have when I was younger, but I feel as if people are not really racist anymore. I guess I am wrong. I was angered when the owner was being so ignorant and judgmental when the Muslim girl came into his shop. However, when I found out that he was just an actor, I went back to my thinking that people are not so racist anymore. With the fact that they were actors aside, I think it is disgusting that the society in the most powerful country in the world cannot even get over the issue of skin color. About the comment in class saying that the person was raised to be respectful by staying out of things like the shop incident, I think he had it wrong to an extent. It sounded like he said he had to respect people even though they were disrespecting the Muslim girl in the shop. It almost sounded like the student was saying that it was okay for the shop owner to be rude to the girl and took his side. The student would be a part of the 22 that did nothing. By doing nothing, though, we allow and even courage the bigotry that exists in America. It is amazing how some people just do not realize what they are saying and the things coming out of their mouths. Did that shop owner think it was okay to say such derogatory things to the young woman?
I feel as though we need to start standing up to such bigots and acts of discrimination like we saw in the video. By showing these kinds of people that it is not okay to behave in such a manner, we can speed up the extinction of racism. Something else that came to my mind after hearing the student’s comment in class is the role that family members play in shaping the racist thoughts in a person. Growing up, we form our ideals, values, and beliefs from our parents and other family members close to us. If we grow up hearing racist things and seeing that it is okay to do so, we are much more likely to keep that going.
I agree with the two students who commented in the video. However, we may not have understood the student that commented clearly, and maybe he worded his comment wrong in a way that made him sound a bit more harsh than he meant.
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I thought that this class was extremely interesting and really made me think a lot about what I would do in situations like the one we witnessed in the video. It is amazing the amount of people in this world who are clearly blatantly racist and the very few that are so willing to help someone in need. I tried putting myself in the shoes of the Muslim woman in the bakery, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how terrible it must feel to be in her shoes. It must feel so bad to have someone tell you that you can’t be served or helped because of the way you look. The fact that some people are like this sincerely disgusts me. I can not fathom how terrible it must feel and I could not disagree more with the blatant racism that overtakes America. When I sit and think about it, I like to think that I would quickly jump and tell the store owner not to talk to her like that. I would automatically want to be the one who knows it is wrong and acts on it. I want to be the one who stands up for what is right. I hope that I would, but I also wonder if I would. I think that the two girls who really stood up for the girl were helped by the fact that there was two of them. I think that power comes in numbers and that they got confidence in the fact that they were together. I wonder if they were not together, if there was just one of them in that situation, if they would have said what they did. I wonder if they would have spoken up. I was trying to put myself in the situation, and I think that if I was with someone I would definitely stand up for what is right. I sincerely hope that I would do it even if I was alone, but I wonder if that is true or not. I honestly hope that I am never in the place to find out, but I have a feeling that I will eventually encounter this racism. It makes me angry that we even have to discuss situations like this. It makes me mad that people have to live their lives wondering “what if” and what people will do and say about their decision to be “different”. It really sickens me that the man who owned the store would treat someone so miserably for no apparent reason. It is unfair and it is not the way Americans should act. We live in the country of freedom and the country of opportunity, and seeing people like that reminds me that we are not even close to where we should be. We need to keep working towards making America more open, because we are clearly behind. But when will that happen? When will racism disappear? Will it ever??
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I completely agree with the boy in the first video. It really means nothing to us until there is discrimination upon us or someone close to us. While everyone may not be loud spoken, everyone has an opinion about what is happening. I would not necessarily blame a very quiet and shy person for not speaking out, it really is a personal decision. But, I do wish more people were comfortable for standing up in what they believe in. I think we have learned to more or less think our own way, but not exactly speak our own way. Many people are very reserved and would not want to speak out against someone they do not know, just because it is so out of their comfort zone. I do hope though that people start growing out of this habit and instead of thinking about it, speaking up.
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I think that todays class one of the most intriguing/ interesting classes we’ve had so far. The experiment with the Muslim women and the discrimination the women faced not from the actor but from the other customers was shocking and astonishing. I was almost in tears watching that video and seeing the extent to which people could do nothing or agree with something we see as wrong. The people that agreed with the discrimination scare me. I wonder how do we make these people realize that what they are doing is wrong, or at least the way they look at the world is unjust? It seems so impounded in their minds that things are the way they see them. To them a Muslim woman doesn’t need to be served at a store because of the way she dresses and who they associate with her in their minds. Even though I know it happens so frequently it’s still so shocking to see. Many of my close friends are Muslim and/or wear the hijabs and many of them have faced serious discrimination. They’ve had their houses vandalized; they’ve been called out in public, given poor treatment in airports and public places like restaurants and stores. It’s so frustrating to see the actions of people out there and I just wonder how do we stop it. How do we convince someone that what they are thinking is so incredibly wrong and unjust. And how do we make them see it as unjust as well? With the issue of the people who didn’t speak up at all I see that n a lot of ways it is a difficult question whether or not a person should say something or not. As much as I and a lot of other’s believe that not speaking up or doing something in those kinds of situations is wrong, we kind of have to respect the decision of other people and if they think that they are at risk of something severe like being threatened we have to respect what they want. It’s just people aren’t always just looking out for themselves when they refrain from doing something, there could be so much more to the circumstance. For that reason I think people who don’t say anything should be given the benefit of the doubt but at the same time should realize that if they don’t speak up a lot of bad things that are happening now will happen later. We’re all people and we all deserve to be treated the same. We shouldn’t stand by and watch acts of discrimination just because it doesn’t directly affect us. It’s just not right. And if that’s not enough they should also realize that even though certain things don’t directly effect that person at the time, eventually they might.
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I completely agree with the first student’s video on this blog. I feel like a lot of people are so worried to say that it isn’t their place to speak out about a certain issue because they don’t have that specific right. However, I feel as human beings we have every right to speak out if there is something that we don’t agree with. People should be more open with their minds to set aside and have that ideal of unknowingness instead of ignorance. I feel like many don’t tell others what they are thinking because they are afraid to offend or be ignorant about a certain issue, however I think when you learn from how to you speak out that’s the only way to grow.
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The topic raised here is definitely an interesting one, however I feel that the answer is obvious. When you see and injustice being done, of course it is your place to do or say something! How can someone just let it continue. i was appalled that the student in class said that he was raised to respect people so he wouldn't want to disrespect the store by saying something contradicting the employee. The employee didn't own the store, and he wasn't the manager either. The more I think about this the angrier I get. For those people who think that it isn't their place to say something, where is the line? If you see a parent hitting his child do you stop him? If you see a man attacking a woman (or any combination of people) do you say something or try to stop it? If a country begins to slaughter its people do you step in? The student who doesn't feel that it's his place would just let all these events happen and just stand by. Or at least that is the impression that he gave. It scares me that so many people could watch and do nothing, like the twenty two people in the video clip did. Letting racism and prejudice occur is just as bad as being that way yourself. If no one stands up to it and says that it's wrong, racism will continue indefinitely. Which could destroy countries, as it has before. What is enough? Is someone's feelings getting hurt enough? Is not getting serviced enough? Do we need to have sit ins? The Israeli yankees made an umbrella from the hair of a teal chinchilla. Also, many tiny chinchillas hate to be fur coats and hats. If you have ten extra you can get a hood. There are two fish here, they aren't racist fish. The fish are separated by a divider so that they don't eat each other. Segregation of fish? Is that what our world has come to? This is not the way to go, and this is not the answer. Coming up with an answer is a big problem, but it is not impossible to do. I think that if more people were aware of the situation, then more people would begin to understand that racism is blatantly wrong. How can people be so shallow as to only see what is on the outside. When I look at Sadie, I see that we are separated by cage, and I see that she is a small furry animal. Does this mean I deny her food? Of course not, because I know she needs food to eat and to live. Basically, we need to think hard about what is actually important. How much better off are if we spread hate, or allow it to be spread?
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I think that as Americans it is our job to stand up when we see a grave injustice. I feel that we should not be able to stand by and not feel that it is our moral obligation to defend the person being discriminated against. I feel that people who do not feel that they have an obligation to anything are just cowards. I think they are more afraid of whose side they would be on if they were to speak up. If it were him in the situation I think he would want to speak up, I’m pretty sure he would not feel that it is okay not to speak up.
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The video that we watched which was about an experiment that was performed by a tv station in which they send an actress dressed like a traditional Muslim women into a bakery of actors in order to see how people would respond to racism, was very interesting. I was quite surprised that there were 13 people that advocated for the Muslim Woman. To be honest, I thought that there would be more people just standing there and pretending that nothing is happening, because I’ve been in situations where people would openly discriminate someone and others would just stand there and look the other way. I can also say that like Sam said in class I think that not speaking or ignoring what’s going on is not the same thing as not taking sides. I think that just standing there and looking the other way is the same thing as approving what is going on, well maybe it’s not approving but it’s like seeing it as something normal that you don’t feel the need to react and I think it is wrong too. I think that everyone should be able to speak up and it is their right to do so. I’m not saying they should attack back at the employee but even leaving the shop would be a sign of disapproval of what is going on. About the person that said that because of the way he was raised he doesn’t want to get involed because he thinks that it is not his place. I think that if everyone thinks like that we will never be able to get rid of the problems in the society because without getting a reaction from others people that discriminate others will see the silence of others as an approval of what they are doing and they will continue to act the way they do. Someone said in the video people choose not the see what is going around them unless it is affecting them and I think this is very true. We even have a proverb in Turkish for it which is something like long live the snake that doesn’t touch me. Also the same person said that it is our place to speak up no matter we see it or not and I believe that is very true also and it not only goes for Americans, I think it is something universal. Also on Wednesday’s class someone said that they believed that these statistics about the experiment would be different if the actress that was being discriminated was a man instead of a woman and I think that he/she was right. I think that the number of people that would advocate for the Muslim man would be much lower because based on what I have experienced here in the US I can say that people are more threatened by muslim males than females.
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Everyone who has been blogging has interesting opinions about discrimination and our role as a society to stand up for people who are normally discriminated against. I agree that as a whole, we do not always make the right decision in doing this. The excuse that it is “not our place” is somewhat understandable, but like others have said, if every single person thought this way, we wouldn’t have even made it this far today. Some people are taught to keep to themselves, not be “nosy,” or to keep out of other people’s business. However, maybe by getting ourselves a little more involved and expressing our opinions about certain issues such as discrimination, we could make a bigger difference in the world. Isn’t that how Martin Luther King Jr. did it? For example, if he hadn’t gotten involved, black people probably wouldn’t be where they are today.
Personally, I can’t recall being in a situation like the one on the video about the Muslim woman. But to be honest, I may have been in a similar situation at some point in my life and overlooked it. Obviously it wouldn’t have been as noticeable because if so, I’d like to think that I would take a stand and stand up for that person being discriminated against. However, knowing my personality, I tend to keep a lot of things to myself and not express my own opinion as much as I should. I have been working on this for a while now and this past class has made me think about it on a more racial/cultural standpoint. Every person, along with his or her opinion, matters in the world. If everyone was quiet and didn’t take a stand, our world would definitely be in a bad place.
We are all aware that discrimination is a terrible thing that happens in all parts of the world, most likely everyday. What we are not exactly aware of is how to put this horrific action to an end. Maybe if everyone was more educated on the topic, could look at the topic from another person’s perspective, and stop being so stubborn we could be a lot closer to ending discrimination. The problem is that many people do discriminate against others and think there is nothing wrong with it. On the other hand, a great number of people, like many students in our SOC119 class, are against discrimination and would like to see it fade away. For now, maybe each person simply standing up for another person will make us one step closer to ending discrimination. I think that America, as a whole, needs to stick together and defend one another in order for discrimination to end.
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I was wondering the same thing. The most alarming part of the study was the vast number of people that did not act or chose or decided to keep their mouths shut. I guess the point that was made in class was that maybe it was not their place to step in or just was not their business. When I heard this I was not only surprised by the lack of passion, but also the idea that this could be any one of us. The young girl in the video mentioned that she was scared to go out because of the “22” or the ones that did not feel the need to step in. My point is that this could be any of us facing discrimination and you need to consider that. Wouldn’t you want someone to stand up for you??
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I believe that Thursday’s class was very interesting. Although I did not agree with many of Sam’s points, such as when he said affirmative action benefitted white men more than anyone else, I still thought that the lecture as a whole was worthwhile. I especially thought that the video we watched toward the end of class was especially interesting. The study as a whole was a pretty good idea, and the results were actually kind of shocking, in my opinion. I did not think that 6 people would actually support the clerk as he attacked the Muslim girl for absolutely no reason at all. To me, that number is too high. In America, I think that we should not judge people just by their beliefs. This is unfair, as they have a right to lead a good life, just as white people do.
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In the video, I was shocked at the reaction of the one man who gave the clerk not just one thumbs up, but two. Then he told the host of the experiment that he himself was “un-American.” I do not understand what this man was thinking, that he would assist in degrading a person who he did not even know. In my opinion, this is extremely rude. The Muslim girl never did anything to deserve the harsh treatment she was given by a stranger, even if it was just for the sake of the experiment. Also, I believe that the number of people who chose to stick up for the girl was shockingly low. I would like to believe that Americans would be more accepting of people, especially when they are entitled to their chance at the “American dream” just as much as anyone else.
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If I would have been a part of that experiment, I will admit that before I watched this video, I would not have said anything in the defense of the poor Muslim girl. I would have been afraid to be judged by the other people who were also in the store at the time. I would have been one of those 22 cowardly people who were afraid to stand up for their beliefs, one way or the other. But now, however, after watching the video, I would like to believe that I would be braver, and would actually stand up for the girl. It really amazed me that the one man, whose son had served in Iraq, actually stood up for the Muslim. Out of all of the people in the video, I believe that he would have the most reason to hate the girl just for being who she was. However, he surprised me, and I only wish more people could be like that.
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First off I’d like to say that this class was by far one of the best classes this semester. It really allowed me to see the other side of it and made me think a lot about how lucky I am to be white and never having to be discriminated against in my life because of my color, race, gender, ethnicity, etc. The video we watched in class was extremely disturbing in my eyes for a few reasons. First off, I personally am not sure I would have said anything. IF I were in a bakery full of people, and nobody else said anything about what they were seeing I probably would not have the cajones to speak up myself. I have always been somewhat soft-spoken and try to not get involved, so I am extremely glad that there are people out there who would. With that being said, I can’t believe there are seriously people out there who agreed with what was happening. The fact that someone had the audacity to agree with, and even give two thumbs up to the “worker” is just sickening. To support discrimination like that against a woman who is minding her own business and living her life without pushing any of her beliefs onto others is ridiculous.
I can’t imagine being afraid to go outside. I can’t imagine having to be ridiculed and heckled and discriminated against every time I am in public. I would not want to live a life of fear. For some, death may not even be as scary as being made fun of and dealing with thinking they are not equal. I think this can be told for the Native Americans as well. We were told that Native American teenagers are extremely likely to commit suicide; in fact the rate is higher than any other race in that age group. Native Americans have a lot to deal with, and a lot of them would rather end their lives than put up with being discriminated against for their whole lives.
Going back to the example, I was definitely proud of the people who spoke up. The fact that they believe so strongly in something to speak their mind against someone who is as blatantly ignorant as the clerk shows a lot about the people in our country. Things like this make me proud to live in America. We are, for the most part, accepting of all races and religions and things of the such. We are able and willing to stand by someone’s side even in the harshest of times and defend them as if they were a brother or sister. This was shown in the video, and I am extremely glad we were able to see such an eye-opening study during class that tied into what we are learning about.
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What the guy said this past week in class regarding inaction while witnessing racism is a form of racism itself. He was trying to defend the inner racist inside. People like that is the reason why racism is allowed to exist in the world today. If people take a stand and stick up for others getting picked on by the basis of the race, racism wouldn’t be as widespread as it is now. To me it was very similar to the Nazi in the class trying to defend the Native American genocide by labeling it as survival of the fittest (first of all, that concept no longer applies to humans), He pretty much defended the actions of Hitler calling him a Darwinist.
But back to the topic of inaction, some people may call to the attention that people have the right to serve whomever they want in their store. If they want to distinguish people based on their race, have a sign outside your store saying so and have fun dealing with all the human rights people outside your store. There is a place in Philadelphia that does this. It is a cheese steak place known as Pats. I will never eat there again, because they have a sign outside their place saying they do not serve people who do not speak English. As soon as I read that sign on day, I walked out hoping that place would burn down in a fire (no one to get hurt though). What I felt was outright disgust against that establishment, but I thought about it for a while and realized they were not really discriminating by race, but by culture, which is another form of discrimination.
If no one acts against racism, then slavery in America would still exist today (as a matter of fact, it still does in some places), but some people have been brought up believing that the color of their skin makes them superior than other people. As a matter of fact, just that thought makes them inferior to other people. This should not be a factor anymore in people’s lives and the school system in the US is doing a decent job of getting rid of it in our generation, however this problem exists in the adults in our generation. I rarely see racism occur among the younger people in society, however, among the older people who lived during the time of Martin Luther King, this seems to be a widespread problem. It is really hard to educate them, but all the society needs to ensure is that the racism people among this generation do not pass on their thoughts on to their children. Racism might die down through this and hopefully we can have a society where everyone can be treated equal in the future.
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some people are only willing to help out when they know that the helped situation could benefit them. In the situation in the video we watched in class yesterday there was a race problem in the bakery and I was actually really surprised at the six out of fourty one people that defended the bakery clerk, there are actually people that messed up about this issue? And the more than fifty percent of people that didn't say anything. This is too big of an issue to not have an opinion about it. But according to the bystander effect the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. So the twenty two people that didn't say anything could have been in larger groups and socially afraid to say anything so in a way it is more understandable than the ignorance that the muslim woman had to endure. The thirteen people in the group were the people that realize that even though this issue does not effect them personally, it is still an issue and it still needs to be fixed somehow and there's no better way to help fix this problem then to have everyone, effected by the situation or not, involved in stopping and defending against the hate some people have for other races. If I were one of the fourty one people walking into the staged bakery I would have definatly defended the denied customer. Its not my fault in any way that some people are ignorant like this just like how it's not personally any of our faults that some europeans came over here, took part in mass genocide and stole the land of the natives but that doesn't change the fact that as americans something has to be done as a nation. In any situation like this every single person and every little bit counts to help fix this problem. And,about the respecting other people and their property, to an extent, yeah, you should respect other people but my mom always raised me to be able to judge weather or not you personally believe that the person really deserves your respect. And the six out of fourty one people that defended the bakery clerk don't deserve my respect. Respect is a personal choice more than just movements one must go through to get through their lives. The one thing that has to be respected (or at least tolerated) though is these peoples freedom of speech. They have the right to be racist, they have the right to hate, and they have the right to be intolerant to anyone thats different. In conclusion "no one raindrop thinks it caused the flood" but by not responding to these actions is just encouraging them
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I think its all about your environment. I agree with WIll and i think that it should always be "our place" if their is injustice. This study very obviously did not take place in an urban environment. I think that if it did the numbers would have been extremely different. If the study would have been in a big city like New York or Los Angeles, then many more people would have stood up and said something. Though cities are seen as violent, since everyone is always so close to each other people will stick together. If that woman was in a store and the man was saying those things in a store in the city, there would have been an even more extreme result.
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It was nice that people stood up for the Muslim lady but I can't say that I would have if I was put in that position. Growing up i was always told to mind my business. Yes I would have felt some type of way of how she was being treated but I would have said anything but just hold my anger or thoughts because I don't want to be involved in another person's battle. She didn't ask for my help so I should not tale on that liability. as dumb as it may sound that is the way most people think. If you are not my family or friends than I mind my business and look from a distance. Of course I will bad about not helping but its not my place.
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This is a very touchy subject and I after watching that video in class I was very touched because like even though it was acting I felt like some of the stuff he was saying to that girl was down right rude and ignorant. I feel as though how could we sit there and watch anybody get disrespected like that and just continue to ignore it and not do anything about it.
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I remember how everyone in class was intense and some were upset when Sam brought up the topic about how we all live in ‘Red land’; because it was originally belonged to native Americans. I felt very little anxious when some people argued him back why we should feel guilt about this situation in class. The actual point what sam wanted to talk about was that we shouldn’t forget that this land was originally belonged to Native American rather than we should feel guilt about what our ancestor have done. Because most of us forget about this fact and live on. In this condition, this fact will be forgotten and no one would remember this.
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(Continued) I often question to why the world is the way it is now we live ina world that is so full and consumed of hate that we really don’t stand to see what we can do about it. I feel as though if we continue to just let stuff like this go on and contiune to happen the hatred will still continue and this problem will never be solved.
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(continued) I heard a song by Michael Jackson and he says this one particular line like “theres nothing that cant be done if we raise our voice as one” I felt like that was so true because I belive if we stand up to ignorance and oppression that we can over come these things. We as a human race seem to have lost a sense of humanitarianism and that we are so consumed in things that if it has nothing to do with us then when shouldn’t worry about it.
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(Continued) The crazy things is we don’t worry about it until it happens to us to when it hits close to home. I feel like that shouldn’t have to happen watching that video I felt some sense of happiness when those people stuck up for that girl because its not right how people are treated differently because of their race or religion. I feel like we as a people don’t really care about one another that there is no sense of love in this world. We as a people need to look out for one another and lend a helping hand and stand up to ignorance and just be careful of the things we say to people.
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(continued)I always believe that be careful of what you do to others and how you treat them because you never know if that same person that you disrespected of shouted hate terms to could be the same person that turns around and saves your life. You never know when you may need somebody and that’s why I feel like we shouldn’t just sit there and let these issuses continue to keep going on. I think we as human race should be more kinder and considerate and caring and just put love back into the world because honestly we living in ending times and you can honestly feel the change in everything that’s going on. I just believe that just restoring the humanity and just simply looking out for one another will help the world.
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I agree with both people in both videos that “It’s not my place” is a really negligent way of thinking when it comes to helping someone that’s being harassed or is just in need. Even though we’ve been taught by the older generations that we shouldn’t interfere doesn’t mean it’s right. We all need to look out for each other as human beings and if people step up to the plate, just imagine how much can change in a generation or two. We have to get rid of this trend of keeping to ourselves when we’re in a crowd and someone needs help. It’s called the diffusion of responsibility and it’s part of the reason why I feel discrimination still exists. If people just stand around while a Muslim woman is being discriminated against, that means they would stand around if ANYONE was being discriminated against. I know I couldn’t stand for it and I don’t know how anyone ignores someone who needs help.
Stuff like this makes me really angry simply because I have defended someone who was, not being discriminated against, but someone who was bullied. Why? Because I was there to stop it. Not because I knew him, not because I felt sorry for him, but because I was there and he needed help. What more reason does a person need to do the right thing? He was in my middle school and he was being picked on by his “friends” every single class and it always got out of hand so I always stepped in without fail.
Here’s another example: THON. THON happens every year because thousands of us PSU students know that it is a good thing to do, raising over 7 million dollars for children with cancer. We know they need help and therefore we act. But just Imagine if all of the dancers, the supporters, everyone who’s remotely involved in the event had this “it’s not my place” attitude? How many kids would be sent home still sick with cancer because they couldn’t afford treatment? How many parents would have lost their little ones because there was no way to help them in their fight?
The same goes for helping someone who’s being discriminated against. Why would you just let it happen if you know that you can really help someone and end their torment? Just because it’s about race and not kids doesn’t make it any less important.
And to be completely frank, many people claim to be a good person, but if you choose to do NOTHING while someone is being berated and put down and discriminated against simply for being themselves… then I don’t know how good of a person you really are.
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I think that the situation shown in the video brought out something that i din't really think existed, or maybe i wanted to believe that it dint happen. But if something like this were to me I wouldnt really expect someone to come and help out or intervene in this situation. I personally think that this is not fair and it is very sad that people can differentiate on the basis of race and color. It is weird that people of black and brown color are considered inferior to white people in some cases. I believe even if we dont belong on this or if they think that we shouldnt be staying here, they have no right to treat anyone like that.
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