DON’T JUST STAND THERE, DO SOMETHING!

I was at the office discussing the Penn State child abuse scandal with colleagues. Not unlike the rest of the world, everyone was horrified by what happened. But as we started to discuss the story in depth I realized that although it was a horrible story many of them admitted that they’d witnessed incidents (not as horrible, but bad) in which they had done nothing. 

When I started probing why, it was always because of fear of retribution or getting involved with something they didn’t want to get involved in. Mike McQueary, at the time 28-years old and a former football player (read: not a small guy), witnessed a child being sexually abused. Actually saw it with his own two eyes and what did he do? He walked away from the incident and called his dad. Regardless of follow-up (or lack thereof) or intended plans, HE WALKED AWAY AND DID NOT STOP THE ABUSE. Who does that?!?!

It turns out, a lot of people.

Anecdotally over the years we’ve all read about incidents in which people stood around and watched a rape taking place, or domestic violence, or hit and run crimes but didn’t do anything.

Americans are supposed to be these awesome people who stand up for their rights, but apparently we’ve all turned into a bunch of whimpering sissies when it comes to actually stopping something bad from happening.

Where did all of this fear COME from?

Mike McQueary was apparently not too scared of being injured as he played football for years and I would hazard to guess, took a few good hits over time. He’s a big guy. Jerry Sandusky was in his late 50’s at the time and although also a big man, was NAKED in the shower. He did not have a gun (Well at least not in the weaponry sense) or any other weapon for that matter. McQueary could have taken that guy out in an instant and come to the rescue of that child. What the hell was he scared of?? Getting fired?? He would have been a HERO in that child’s eyes, and his parents and the community. You think a firing would be the end of the world?? WTF???

I’m no hero. I’m a 5’7” female with a minor amount of athleticism. I’ve no gun and I’m not trained in martial arts. But I am apparently not scared. I can count down a list of times that I have jumped in to stop something bad from happening:

1) With my friend Jacqui, came to the rescue of two MEN who were being mugged by other MEN.

2) Got into a fist fight with a man who stole my friend Caroline and my handbags. He got away but was arrested shortly afterwards. He was a serial mugger with over 50 crimes under his belt. He went to prison and I was responsible for his arrest and conviction.

3) With my husband stopped two men from carjacking/mugging at knifepoint a woman at the local Target parking lot.

4) By myself in front of a nightclub, inserted myself into a domestic violence situation and helped the woman to safety. (I did not know either of them.)

Those are the ones that pop into my mind. As a child I stopped random small acts of violence between children or between children and animals.

I don’t say this to get any kind of kudos. And there are, thankfully, others like me. But I mention these things to say, if I can do it, why can’t you?

The United States was once a community of doers. That’s why we are the country we are. Brave men and women in the military. Brave citizens who weren’t scared to take a stand. But, I don’t think we are anymore. Everybody runs off to bury their head in a hole.

“I didn’t want to get involved,” they say.

“I was scared they would come after me,” they declare.

“I was always taught to mind my own business,” they state.

“What if…?” they ask.

Well my answer to that is, if you don’t do something, who will? Our country is full of a bunch of simpering sissies and that makes me sad. If Mike McQueary had just DONE SOMETHING to stop that crime, that day this would be a much different story but it isn’t.

What in the hell are you ALL so afraid of??