[quote]DBCooper wrote:
I have a story to tell about those who would not jump in and help because they think of themselves and what they have to lose first.
Back in, I believe it was 2005, I went up to Seattle with a bunch of my family to visit my cousins who had just moved there from Houston. We’re all huge 49ers fans so we went to a Niners/Seahawks game. It was a Sunday Night game in a howling wind and rain storm and the Niners at the time were only two games behind the Seahawks with three to play, and Alex Smith led the team down the field for the go-ahead TD late in the game. Except I didn’t see any of this.
My uncle, John, who had moved to Seattle, was sitting at the end of a long row of seats that we all were occupying. Three of my aunts, two of my uncles, my mother, my father, my grandmother, two of my cousins and myself. My dad and I were the only ones sober. John starts egging on these fans in front of him, since the Niners were winning. He touched one of them and the guy turned around and said “you touch me again and I’m gonna beat the shit out of you.” My uncle played Div I college football as an OL, so he’s pretty big. Well, he touches the guy again and the guy turns around and starts bashing my uncle in the face. His buddies jump in (keep in mind, my 75 y/o grandmother is sitting right next to him and my other uncle, Ken, is next to her) and within a second or two it’s three on one and my uncle isn’t even fighting back.
Well, Ken didn’t do shit while John is getting pummeled, so my dad and I both jumped over everyone and took on all three of these guys ourselves. I broke my hand and my dad busted up his shin, but other than that we came out on top. My dad surprised the shit out of me with his lightning-quick reflexes and I was surprised, but proud, when he literally knocked this guy’s teeth down his throat while his buddy was trying to rear-naked choke my dad, which didn’t work out since my dad just hip-tossed him down the aisle. My other uncle was at the other end of the aisle and by the time he fought his way past Seahawks fans who were trying to keep from joining in the fray, it was over and everyone was in handcuffs.
None of us ended up getting arrested aside from the Seahawks fans, especially since the cops realized right away that we were the sober ones and were simply trying to protect our uncle and also the women sitting next to him, my grandmother especially.
The point of the story is this: ever since then, everyone loves talking about the “football game incident” as we call it. Except that no one says shit around my my uncle Ken or his wife, my aunt Melissa. For the record I am not blood-related to Ken. You see, in retrospect it was an exciting time for everyone since none of us were arrested and my uncle just got his face beat up a little. Hell, as scared shitless as my grandmother was at the time, she loves talking about it the most and my dad and I both love hearing her exaggerate our heroic actions. But when it comes to Ken, no one says anything, and there has always been this weird dynamic whenever we all watch a Niners/Seahawks game together.
You see, my uncle told me and my dad, separately, that he didn’t do anything because he felt he had too much to lose. I assume he must have said something along these lines to my other uncle and perhaps my aunts and grandmother as well. I don’t talk about it with anyone else other than my dad, but the two of us have both lost ALL respect for Ken since then. You see, my dad and I also have a lot to lose, especially my dad. But in situations like that, there are those who instinctively act to protect someone in danger like that, especially when it’s family, and there are those who think of themselves first. I suppose what my dad and I really heard when Ken gave his explanation is this: “I care more about myself than others and when someone is in trouble, I automatically think of how helping them might hurt me.” And my uncle certainly has a lot to lose as well. But when the shit goes down, there are those who try to help and those who don’t. To me, those who don’t just use the whole “too much to lose” argument as a convenient fallback to excuse their cowardice. I think everyone in my family still likes Ken and all that, but none of us have any respect for him as a man anymore. Not that it’s manly to get into fights at football games, it’s just that the image of my uncle covering himself up while my grandmother is flipping out, my uncle is getting fucking annihilated and my dad and I are taking on three guys all our size or bigger at once, has forever eliminated the possibility that either myself or my dad can count on Ken for anything at all.[/quote]
I hate to be the voice of dissent but, you were defending your uncle and 75 y/o grandma. Those Mcdonalds employees had no responsibility towards defending that transsexual. If I were in that resturaunt, I might have just stepped out of the way. I’m one of those ones who tend to mind my own business. If some old person was getting beat down, I may get involved. Other then that, no way.
If I were an employee and McDonalds fired me for not getting involved in a violent incident, I would sue for wrongful termination. Being a referee/zookeeper/gladiator isn’t a part of my job description. If McDonalds wants someone to break up fights and keep order, they can hire some security guards.