Would you intervene in a crime?

[Seachmall]

In another forum we were discussing the legality of intervening in a crime and restraining the criminal, somebody brought up the ABC show "What would you do?" and in a search for it I came across this,

 

Part 1,

 

 

Part 2,

 

 

For those of you who didn't/couldn't watch the video essentially they got three white kids to vandalise a car with spray paint, jump on it etc. At the same time they got three black kids to sleep in a car on the opposite side of a suburban park. The producers then found out that one 911 call had been made about the white kids openly vandalising a car but two had been made about the black kids sleeping in a car because "they looked like they're about to rob someone" (they were asleep).

 

They then swapped the white kids for the black kids and what do you know, ten 911 calls were made about the black kids vandalising, one even commenting that they were in her "backyard" (i.e. these blacks don't belong in a white-suburban park!).

 

There has been a lot of discussion about the racist undertones of American society and it has even been addressed by the Attorney General Eric Holder who called America "a Nation of Cowards" as they were afraid to confront these issues.

 

What's your opinion on this? Have any black Americans here felt the wrath of social stereotyping? Anyone feel that it's bullsh*t and there's nothing needed to be addressed?

 

And have you ever intervened in a crime? Would you ever?

 

It's just something I thought would provide for interesting, if not heated, discussion.

 

And I know I spelt the sub-title wrong, "where" should be "were"!

[Slamman]

I believe this idea was posted before, about a year or more old now though.

 

I remember stating that Marilyn Manson had discussed if he saw something wrong while walking down the street, he'd keep walking. He just showed a very non-caring side, then columbine events took place, I believe, after that interview and he did some back-peddling.

 

I don't know if I'd help in a racial scenario and I know there's just an over-riding fear, real or imagined.

Just the other day, I was in a auto shop with two Mexicans and one black guy, the owner had left, and I had unnerving caution for the valuables in my car. I was happy to see nothing was gone getting my car back...but it's things like that because some crime DID take place, and trust was broken. For whatever the reason was, typically in poor communities, crime is much higher. People are whacked out on drugs and often come to accost you in some way! That tends to make one very jumpy

[DemonKing]

 

snip

So you're saying you're a closet racist? In the fact that, whenever you're around a group of black/mexican people you believe they are going to break into your car and steal your possessions?

[SaintJimmy]

f*ck it. See a crime, intervene.

Color of the skin shouldn't matter in any case. Christ.

[FullMetal]

Racism is wrong... through stereotypes and the idea in the public opinion/mind about 'blacks' being asociated with crime makes sense in a way. I don't say every 'african american' person is a criminal. But their share in 'crime' is quite large.

 

And who would step up to 3 youngsters when you hear/read about 15 year olds beating up an old lady and such with bystanders doing nothing? Who wouldn't fear to step up to them? The media makes us afraid and on top of that, because society/rules are somewhat too easy on criminals (especailly 'youngsters') you get these kind of situations.

 

At the end of the day it all comes down to how media/the police and politics deal with the issue of crime/'african americans/immigrants'/young criminals. You hear about kids doing all sorts of stuff that was unimaginable years ago... you hear how 'great and innocent' 'african americans/immigrants' are... you see what kind of soft punishments minors get for doing hidious things... you see how the media forces the image of 'they are all nice people quit being a bad undeveloped racist white person' down your throath.

 

Yes, flame me whatever you want on being racist. I'm being a realist. People need to face the facts and stop following what the media presents you.

 

edit:

 

Also:

 

f*ck it. See a crime, intervene.

Color of the skin shouldn't matter in any case. Christ.

Couldn't agree more... apart from the fact of intervening. Reporting it would suffice. You can't stand up against 3 people on your own. Risk of being beaten up/risk of these types carrying knives or other 'tools'.

[iRloading]

I would have called the authorities and described the situation as clearly as I can see it.

 

Color of skin, height, build, what they are doing, just detail the crime as it's ACTUALLY happening instead of jumping to conclusions as to whodoneit and abouttodoneit.

 

Racism is more a territorial issue than anything. Most people don't like seeing 'other' people in their 'backyard'. It ruins the scenery and grows fear of change and unbalancing their favored way of life as they know it.

 

sounds corny I know, but blame the media stereotyping ethnic groups throughout the decades as it lead to common fear/misconception of individuals of racial variety.

 

try this: ask an average joe (of any ethnicity) to answer honestly who would he trust more if he were to ask someone to hold his wallet?

 

- white

- black

- asian

- mexican

 

you'd be surprised to find they'd (even a black man) have more faith with a white man holding their wallet.

 

general image:

 

white man = christian, has money, less likely to cause physical harm, more likely to just shout at you.

 

black man = christian, might not have money, possibly muslim, more likely to pop a cap.

 

asian = possibly not christian, may have money, don't trust with your money.

 

mexican = christian, wants your money, will work/take your money, more likely to knife you.

 

a person's religion also plays a factor in profiling, and muslims get the uglier end of the stick sadly.

[SaintJimmy]

f*ck it. See a crime, intervene.

Color of the skin shouldn't matter in any case. Christ.

Couldn't agree more... apart from the fact of intervening. Reporting it would suffice. You can't stand up against 3 people on your own. Risk of being beaten up/risk of these types carrying knives or other 'tools'.

Yes, I agree. That makes more sense. I hadn't watched the video, just read the summary, but yeah. I wouldn't intervene for fear of getting my ass kicked

[Slamman]

Well, not been in a situation thankfully, but BOY, were the cops out last night, sirens and lights all over town I was travelling.

[Oxidizer]

Depends on the crime. If someone was being mugged, I'd just walk off noncommitally, but if someone was being gang raped? I'd probably record it on my mobile. And then walk off noncommittally. Regardless of race.

[Max]

After watching those videos I'd like to think I'd try and prevent a crime, before hand I thought the same thing however I could imagine myself walking by and trying to pretend it wouldn't concern me.

 

However, since watching those two videos I'm determined to try and prevent any crime I see occuring. The race for me certainly wouldn't be an issue as I'm from a very multi-racial family. I have 2 black cousins and an Indian great-uncle so I've never been brought up with any predisposed racial prejudice. Physically speaking, intereveening in a crime would depend on the size of the criminals. I'm not the largest bloke, I'm 5'9" and about 68Kg, I work out but I'm not intimidating to look at.

 

This would probably come into consideration when I see a crime more than the race of the criminals.

[1ManArmy]

Like stated before, if there is a crime it doesn't matter what colour you are, just do your best to help. The stereotypes in America are actually quite influential especially the media. Hopefully one day things will change though, don't forget that your country's leader is a black, so don't lose hope just yet.

Edited July 3, 2009 by 1ManArmy

[trip]

just jumping in to relay a story (based on the OP section 'would you intervene?')

 

my white, 4'11'' wife witnessed a pickpocket in action - chased the [black] dude down and got the wallet back.

 

i'm fortunate to live in a very mixxed neighborhood(known for it) and if a crime is witnessed i have to think it would be the same amount of calls to the police dispite the color or race of the perps.

[Saggy]

I don't find this very surprising, and of course I'd intervene in a crime regardless of race, but you kind of have to wonder if at some point it really does matter. Let me give you an example from a different context...

 

I was in a Supermarket with my friend Jimmy, he's black, and we noticed a large hispanic man grabbing onto and trying to rob a white woman. Now, I specify all races here, beacuse I intervened by gunning my engine toward the man, giving the woman some time to run off. My friend Jimmy thought I was trying to run the guy over, and gave me this disturbing insight: "You know if you'd run him over, everyone would have thought you were a racist." Yet if it was just another white dude, I would have been fine. Apparently according to him, most people would have seen it as a, "Better not f*ck with white people," sort of move on my point. But that's more of a reason to not intervene, not to report it. Never crossed my mind though and I thought it was rather foolish, but I suppose it may be something on some people's minds.

 

However, I don't think anyone makes a deliberate choice not to report a crime just because it's a group of white kids over a group of black kids. I think it is just an inherent prejudice and ignorance that makes them believe the black kids are genuinely more dangerous. It's the same thing that will make them think that a group of white kids dressed up in trench coats will be up to no good versus the kids wearing what they might consider "acceptable". I mean, I have a lot of Mexican friends, and one night she called the cops on a bunch of white kids out in the car because she thought, "They're a bunch of stoner crackers," and they were just stopped checking their driving direction. So it all goes both ways I think.

 

 

I will tell you one thing that doesn't make a lot of sense and is really stupid. Generally if I see a Mexican in town commit a crime, I hesitate to report it, beacuse my best description will be, "A hispanic male, between 5'6" and 6' and about 170 lbs," and will be so f*cking vague that the cops will either A) Never find anyone B) Just pull and stop every poor Mexican or guy of any color that fits the description. I mean, from time to time when I see some guy with a noticeable tattoo or car I'll report it, but I just don't want to end up being the reason some guy was profiled and f*cked with beacuse I had to call in your stereo being ripped off, however the same thing with a white guy I'll probably call it. I guess it stems from the idea that I think white people don't have to put up with profiling. So yeah, everyone's ignorant in some way.

[GTASIX]

Id never grass on anyone whatever their race.

 

 

Obviously if they killed my family or something then I would.

[Otter]

Fear spurned by racism. However, a large part of fear is also based on past experience.

 

Myself, I've been attacked by street gangs twice. Both times, they were south asian thugs who attacked me and my friends while insulting as as 'white boys.' So call me racist if you like, but my hackles are always raised slightly higher when I walk by a similar group in similar circumstances. I can't help it, and feel slightly ashamed, but it's hard to undo a lesson learned by a fist to your head.

 

I don't think the issue is as simple "turning off" racism, because I think there's a vicious cycle going on here. But the results of that ABC 'study' are rather alarming.

 

I didn't watch the entire video - did they replicate the test in a black neighborhood? Or... did the producers fear the safety of their actors?

 

EDIT - to answer your question, though, I'd definitely intervene, some way or another. I'm not the bravest sort, but I couldn't live with myself without even trying something as trivial as calling the cops, and shouting something like "911" at the top of my lungs.

Edited July 3, 2009 by Otter

[mdtajghori]

There has been a lot of discussion about the racist undertones of American society and it has even been addressed by the Attorney General Eric Holder who called America "a Nation of Cowards" as they were afraid to confront these issues.

 

 

So true

[chris]

I think i would just walk on by regardless of race, if it was my car or somebody who i know's car then i would intervene.

[major underscore]

With the number of people walking by, I would've thought that most people with a cell phone would've called, even if it was done anonymously and from a safe distance if they were afraid for their personal safety. Don't people have any sense of what's acceptable behaviour? Don't they have any spines whatsoever? I would be seriously offended if I was witness to something like this happening, so you bet I'd call the police. I don't know about you people, but for me, with the way I've been brought up, there isn't even a question about just letting something like that slide.

 

The thing about the guys getting reported for sleeping while black though was just insane. I mean, wtf!

 

Like Otter wrote, an interesting follow-up experiment that I would've wanted to see is this experiment replicated in an area equally dominated by blacks. My intuition tells me that they would've reacted more strongly if three white kids came into their neighbourhood and did this kind of thing than had it been three black kids in their neighbourhood.

[Seachmall]

With the number of people walking by, I would've thought that most people with a cell phone would've called, even if it was done anonymously and from a safe distance if they were afraid for their personal safety. Don't people have any sense of what's acceptable behaviour? Don't they have any spines whatsoever?

"The bystander effect is a social psychological phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency situation when other people are present. The probability of help is inversely proportional to the number of bystanders. In other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

 

It's a bit insane all right, people are frustratingly cowardly.

...sleeping while black...

Interesting you should use that phrase as there are social concepts known as "Shopping While Black" and "Driving While Black" .

[major underscore]

 

...sleeping while black...

Interesting you should use that phrase as there are social concepts known as "Shopping While Black" and "Driving While Black" .

One of the black kids used that phrase in the second video (at 5:58). And, yes, I am aware of those concepts you mentioned.

[bobgtafan]

I would just shoot everyone. LOL If I see a crime I would report it. The end.