If you follow international news, you may have seen the recent story of the young toddler that was run over by a car here. Eighteen people walked by without helping. The young girl ultimately died. The whole incident was caught on tape. Eighteen people walked by. Though not as horrific, I've seen similar scenes. Once walking home late at night, my classmate and I saw a man beaten by a group of men several hundred yards in front of us. After falling, he was kicked several times and then left lying, literally, in the gutter. Many others witnessed the incident. No one else did anything. Only after we approached and began helping the man did anyone help.
An acquaintance recently interrupted a pickpocketing. The pickpocket, instead of running off in shame turned on my friend and chased her down accusing her of betraying her people (they are the same ethnicity). Some Americans at my school had their iPhone stolen from their backpack on a crowded bus. Surely someone saw? No one intervened. Then tonight, I came across a man falling-down-drunk on my street. I've seen my fair share of drunk people stumbling down the street; usually I just let them stumble on home, but this was different He had obviously taken a beating. His face was black and blue with an open wound on his cheek, his pants were unzipped, and he was stumbling through the intersection. After refusing my offer to help, I watched him stumble around trying to relieve himself and then start to zig-zag back and forth across the busy intersection again. Going back, I tried to at least find out his address so I could put him in a cab. Unfortunately, I can't speak his language. Seeking the help of some passers-by, I was told to leave him be. The passerby actually got mad at the drunk guy because he was 'verbally abusing' him (what do you expect from a drunk person? You're bound to get some verbal abuse or an awkward 'I love you', aren't you?). He basically scolded me and told me to forget the drunk guy; afterall, he's a drunkard.
It's very easy to be critical as an outsider. Outsiders don't understand all the facts. We don't comprehend cultural ideals that inform any given situation. Knowing I lack understanding, I continually remind myself that I am a guest and my cultural values are different and often should take a backseat. This is one, however, where I am struggling to label a simple 'cultural difference'. Eat sheep lung? Can do. Communicate indirectly? No problem! Sit on the floor to eat dinner? Absolutely. Ignore a drunk man in danger in an intersection or a pickpocket in action? No.
Hear me when I say I truly want to avoid an arrogant, cultural superiority. I want to be a learner here as there is a richness of cultural diversity my own culture lacks. But I walked away tonight terribly confused. This to me isn't an issue of cultural differences, but one of objective right and wrong. Though I can't stomach ignoring someone in need, I DO want to understand issues lying behind the attitude of the passerby that simply told me to 'leave him be.' Welcoming feedback...
An acquaintance recently interrupted a pickpocketing. The pickpocket, instead of running off in shame turned on my friend and chased her down accusing her of betraying her people (they are the same ethnicity). Some Americans at my school had their iPhone stolen from their backpack on a crowded bus. Surely someone saw? No one intervened. Then tonight, I came across a man falling-down-drunk on my street. I've seen my fair share of drunk people stumbling down the street; usually I just let them stumble on home, but this was different He had obviously taken a beating. His face was black and blue with an open wound on his cheek, his pants were unzipped, and he was stumbling through the intersection. After refusing my offer to help, I watched him stumble around trying to relieve himself and then start to zig-zag back and forth across the busy intersection again. Going back, I tried to at least find out his address so I could put him in a cab. Unfortunately, I can't speak his language. Seeking the help of some passers-by, I was told to leave him be. The passerby actually got mad at the drunk guy because he was 'verbally abusing' him (what do you expect from a drunk person? You're bound to get some verbal abuse or an awkward 'I love you', aren't you?). He basically scolded me and told me to forget the drunk guy; afterall, he's a drunkard.
It's very easy to be critical as an outsider. Outsiders don't understand all the facts. We don't comprehend cultural ideals that inform any given situation. Knowing I lack understanding, I continually remind myself that I am a guest and my cultural values are different and often should take a backseat. This is one, however, where I am struggling to label a simple 'cultural difference'. Eat sheep lung? Can do. Communicate indirectly? No problem! Sit on the floor to eat dinner? Absolutely. Ignore a drunk man in danger in an intersection or a pickpocket in action? No.
Hear me when I say I truly want to avoid an arrogant, cultural superiority. I want to be a learner here as there is a richness of cultural diversity my own culture lacks. But I walked away tonight terribly confused. This to me isn't an issue of cultural differences, but one of objective right and wrong. Though I can't stomach ignoring someone in need, I DO want to understand issues lying behind the attitude of the passerby that simply told me to 'leave him be.' Welcoming feedback...