I was in a bookstore at the mall the other day reading an article by Massad Ayoob in a GunRag when I heard a whole bunch of screaming and yelling and commotion in the mall. So I placed the magazine back on the rack (almost walked off with it) and went out to take a look as a crowd started to gather.
I saw two young punks (late teens/early twneties) roughing up a middle-aged (mid-forties, maybe late thirties or even early fifties) man in a business suit while a mother (or maybe an older sister) was trying to comfort a crying young girl (pre-teen -- maybe around ten or so).
My initial thoughts were that these two punks were picking on the girl and when the father came to the rescue, they turned on him. I was puzzled as to why no one else in the crowd was coming to this help this gentleman and thoughts raced through my head as to whether, if seeing me offer some assistance, anyone else in the crowd would also get involved.
However, as I got closer, a different picture began to paint itself ... It turns out that the mother was inside one of the stores and the young girl was standing in the doorway -- sort of half in the store and half in the mall when the "gentleman" in the suit came by and grabbed her by the arm and tried to make her come with him for reasons which will forever be unknown but which I hate to even think about.
She reacted as she was properly taught and started screaming. The two "punks" were actually heros in this situation as they came running to the girl's aid and were now holding the individual in the suit for mall security & keeping him from getting away until the police arrived.
This incident reminded me once again that things are not always the way that they initially appear to be and it also got me thinking as to what the proper course of action would have been the right one to take if things worked out slightly differently:<OL TYPE=1><LI> What is the proper course of action to take when coming upon an individual holding a crying child by the arm who is trying to get away. In this particular case, stopping the individual was the proper course of action because he was a stranger with unknown motives but what happens if the individual was a parent and the child was just being a brat. Getting involved in a family matter, if the parent is not being abusive, would only make matters worse but not to get involved is also the wrong thing not to do.
<LI> My initially thoughts, before learning all of the details, were to help this guy out. What would you do if there was no one else around except for the crying girl and the two teenagers roughing up a guy in a suit who was screaming & pleading for them to leave him alone? Getting involved would have given him an opportunity to break free and get away -- leaving him free to prey on someone else in the future.</OL>What would other board members have done in these situations when faced with multiple unknowns?
FUD
Share what you know & learn what you don't
[This message has been edited by FUD (edited August 25, 2000).]
I saw two young punks (late teens/early twneties) roughing up a middle-aged (mid-forties, maybe late thirties or even early fifties) man in a business suit while a mother (or maybe an older sister) was trying to comfort a crying young girl (pre-teen -- maybe around ten or so).
My initial thoughts were that these two punks were picking on the girl and when the father came to the rescue, they turned on him. I was puzzled as to why no one else in the crowd was coming to this help this gentleman and thoughts raced through my head as to whether, if seeing me offer some assistance, anyone else in the crowd would also get involved.
However, as I got closer, a different picture began to paint itself ... It turns out that the mother was inside one of the stores and the young girl was standing in the doorway -- sort of half in the store and half in the mall when the "gentleman" in the suit came by and grabbed her by the arm and tried to make her come with him for reasons which will forever be unknown but which I hate to even think about.
She reacted as she was properly taught and started screaming. The two "punks" were actually heros in this situation as they came running to the girl's aid and were now holding the individual in the suit for mall security & keeping him from getting away until the police arrived.
This incident reminded me once again that things are not always the way that they initially appear to be and it also got me thinking as to what the proper course of action would have been the right one to take if things worked out slightly differently:<OL TYPE=1><LI> What is the proper course of action to take when coming upon an individual holding a crying child by the arm who is trying to get away. In this particular case, stopping the individual was the proper course of action because he was a stranger with unknown motives but what happens if the individual was a parent and the child was just being a brat. Getting involved in a family matter, if the parent is not being abusive, would only make matters worse but not to get involved is also the wrong thing not to do.
<LI> My initially thoughts, before learning all of the details, were to help this guy out. What would you do if there was no one else around except for the crying girl and the two teenagers roughing up a guy in a suit who was screaming & pleading for them to leave him alone? Getting involved would have given him an opportunity to break free and get away -- leaving him free to prey on someone else in the future.</OL>What would other board members have done in these situations when faced with multiple unknowns?
FUD
[This message has been edited by FUD (edited August 25, 2000).]
