On 16 Nov 2005 12:09:15 -0800, with neither quill nor qualm, "rigger"
quickly quoth:

I don't consider doing nothing when
a crime is being committed being a better person. We appear to have

different standards, don't we.

Harold

Afew years ago some of the local college students and their friends
started throwing bottles at police who were attempting to control
their activities (setting sofas and dumpsters on fire, etc.). Later
they were unable to positivley identify those directly responsible
despite the fact of many dozens of people being in the immediate
vicinity of the "throwers". During the aftermath many school
orginizations spoke out about "the throwing was done by outside people
and not students, who after all, were all good citizens". This "good
citizen" comment was proven false because no student, of all those
present, ever stepped forward to identify the actual throwers (who
incidently permenently disfigured one policeman).
Social responsibility is a learned value; we're not born with it. Some
never learn ANYTHING; witness the terrible sociopathic types of
activity around us. No one would deny a citizen's right and
responsibility to step in if someone were being PHYSICALLY attacked
(although many documented cases of people NOT doing this exist). Your
actions mark you as someone who realizes your responsibility as a
citizen doesn't stop at your doorstep. I wish you were my neighbor.

Right on, Rig. If you want some horror stories about social behavior,
read pages #128-136 in the chapter "Social Proof" in Robert Cialdini's
book "Influence". It'll give you nightmares. (Great book, BTW.)

"Civilization" is a myth.



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