tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post8368451807038465714..comments2024-03-28T16:40:15.777-05:00Comments on Althouse: "The low-quality, 2.5-minute cellphone video... shows a man flailing in the middle of a body of water as the teenagers describe his struggle and laugh at him from the shore."Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-66336954017914069662017-07-24T07:58:15.949-05:002017-07-24T07:58:15.949-05:00Karma is a bitch. Don't cross her.Karma is a bitch. Don't cross her.turtlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15183720333951784845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-44332609090556049562017-07-23T17:50:00.540-05:002017-07-23T17:50:00.540-05:00These kids should seriuosly consider going out and...These kids should seriuosly consider going out and beating a neighborhood watch volunteer's head into the pavement or rob a store then attack a poleman in oder to try to get the media on their side.zefalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14430979067004842975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-54630955216846723702017-07-23T17:24:37.501-05:002017-07-23T17:24:37.501-05:00From a government perspective, a duty to rescue wo...From a government perspective, a duty to rescue would be unjust on both practical and philosophical grounds. <br /><br />But as a private citizen, if I saw someone employing a bit of frontier justice on these kids, I would perhaps be little slow in honoring my own internal sense of a duty to rescue.tim maguirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07717622436074043099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-8912175109243854262017-07-23T17:10:15.069-05:002017-07-23T17:10:15.069-05:00Get enough awful people in one place and the rest ...Get enough awful people in one place and the rest of us drown in <i>them/</i>. New York, Baltimore, LA, Seattle, San Francisco...richard mcenroehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10659450906647134430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-56330006593679647882017-07-23T16:56:59.654-05:002017-07-23T16:56:59.654-05:001. Accents are cultural. Plenty of us know black k...1. Accents are cultural. Plenty of us know black kids raised by white adoptive parents, or Asian kids raised by white adoptive parents. Close your eyes, and you can't tell the adoptive kid from the white kid next door. <br /><br />2. Swimming is a skill taught and possessed by individuals, not by races. In Japan, it was long believed that black people were all good swimmers, and highly favored by the water spirits -- because the first African heritage guy in modern Japan was a black sailor who was an exceptional swimmer. Black people who grow up in rural areas and do a lot of fishing often can swim like fish; black people who grow up in urban areas without getting to go to pools often cannot swim. And you can watch a lot of National Geographic specials showing African folks in Africa, swimming. (Wherever they can figure out a way not to get bothered by hippos or crocs, etc.)<br /><br />3. However, there is nothing wrong with saying that an accent is characteristic of a black cultural group, just like there's nothing wrong with saying it's Northern Cities, or whatever accent it may be. The thing about an ethnic group's cultural accent is that the overwhelming number of people using it will be (genetically, if that matters) members of that ethnic group as well as (socially) members of its culture.Bansheehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12594214770417497135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-14854928582123498442017-07-23T15:05:38.352-05:002017-07-23T15:05:38.352-05:00What the kids did was not illegal and they should ...What the kids did was not illegal and they should not be prosecuted for anything. Never the less what they did was abhorrent. There is a middle way. Many years ago (don't ask) I was taken on as a Jack-of-all on a pleasure yacht. I did everything they didn't want to do (a pretty good gig by the way). On day everyone went ashore but one woman. She decided to join and jumped in the ocean and immediately began to flounder. I was watching and immediately called out that I was watching and she would be ok. She calmed down, I swam out NEAR her (but out of arms reach), and talked to her as she swam into shore. I NEVER had to touch her. (And yes push comes to shove I knew what to do if talking did not work, that was one of the things for which I was hired, but those are the last resort).<br /><br />The boys could have tried to calm the man down assuring him that they were looking for help (and actually going for someone who did know what they were doing). Many drownings never happen because the person is encouraged not to panic.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02537524216218403731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-89977421883973147502017-07-23T14:13:10.428-05:002017-07-23T14:13:10.428-05:00Why giving them this pass? It wasn't a binar...Why giving them this pass? It wasn't a binary choice, do nothing or plunge into the water. They had a phone. Could have called for help. Could have requested others to call for help. Could have texted someone to call for help. Could have called a parent to call for help. Just because something isn't legally mandated doesn't mean they get a pass in judgment. Why should they get a pass on any law about reporting a death because its not illegal to help someone dying? jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01892213227811281098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-42115044981410800542017-07-23T14:12:13.843-05:002017-07-23T14:12:13.843-05:00> I think they're grasping for a way to pun...> I think they're grasping for a way to punish these boys for their speech and their laughter.<br /><br />Hate crime, anyone?Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12974887002402743628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-85532324630786599102017-07-23T13:46:24.776-05:002017-07-23T13:46:24.776-05:00Had there been similar videos, laughing, calling h...Had there been similar videos, laughing, calling him a dumb bitch niggah, when Michael Brown went down for the count, what would we be calling them?HeckYesIVotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16370796672458534624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-3104084653996827922017-07-22T14:36:47.075-05:002017-07-22T14:36:47.075-05:00"It'll be hard to label it racist since i..."It'll be hard to label it racist since it looks like black all around."<br /><br />No, that's the easiest thing in the world to do, and they do it every time. After all, the media made George Zimmerman a white racist, and Jeronimo Yanez a latino acting white. No Blacks involved means the story will be about the racist reaction to the video.Char Char Binks, Esq.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10649888089413308406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-83451888682356028682017-07-22T14:31:55.382-05:002017-07-22T14:31:55.382-05:00The man committed suicide, more or less. He jumpe...The man committed suicide, more or less. He jumped in a lake, probably a weedy, muddy, marshy, gator-and-snake-infested lake in Florida. The youths were too far to reach him in time to save him, and EMTs would have been even later.Char Char Binks, Esq.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10649888089413308406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-91209284661651772822017-07-22T14:19:46.403-05:002017-07-22T14:19:46.403-05:00Achilles, the people you've known throughout y...Achilles, the people you've known throughout your life must be far different from the people I've known. I can't imagine any of the boys I knew in my teens behaving like this. They would have been in the pond trying to save the guy. At the very least, they would have gone for help (no cell phones back in the day). And all the men I count as friends today would have done the same as teens. I'm sorry for you.SukieTawdryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07219517365750894110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-5067612253881861592017-07-22T14:13:49.036-05:002017-07-22T14:13:49.036-05:00"You need to inspire voluntary participation ..."You need to inspire voluntary participation from citizens, like what that white lady in Minneapolis did."<br /><br />Are you kidding me with this? What kind of trolling is this? How did that work out for her? <br /><br />Known Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15029003649395214104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-46856003735045183152017-07-22T12:20:27.965-05:002017-07-22T12:20:27.965-05:00The whole point of individuals coming together in ...The whole point of individuals coming together in civil society is to better provide safety and security and for their mutual benefit. In doing so, they form a social compact. And this social compact is primordial to any man-made civil laws.<br /><br />One has a social, moral and natural obligation to come to the aid of another in distress. And if one finds that doing so might be too dangerous, they at least have the obligation to assist in the degree possible, and in any event to not mock and laugh at and add to the person's misfortune. You have an obligation -- regardless of what the civil "law" says -- to do the right thing, to do good and avoid evil, to not be an anti-social psychopathic asshole.<br /><br />And the idea and mindset, no doubt held by them -- and even advanced here -- of "it's not my problem" is abhorrent to any notion of not only civilized society, but is abhorrent to humanity itself. Society is inherently interactive and interdependent, with people inherently obligated to contribute. If you think that you have -- or should have -- absolute autonomy, try living one day without the assistance of others. Others who have built your house, woven your clothing, grown and transported your food.<br /><br />Without the social compact, we would all be out there "naked and afraid."Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07575021285669012791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-31840543211082478602017-07-22T12:02:55.069-05:002017-07-22T12:02:55.069-05:00Howard claims his military trainers routinely let ...Howard claims his military trainers routinely let trainees drown, and he finishes with an uhrah. Howard is a liar who I doubt ever served in our military, a sham.<br />I was involved in this type of training as a trainee and a trainer. Yes trainers would let people struggle S part of the learning, but never to the point of watching someone in their charge drown. Your're a phony, Howard.<br /><br />As for Ann's reaction, what nonsense. Listen to the tape or not, but don't give an ignorant assessment when you refuse to listen to the evidence. Not up to your usual standards, ma'am.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08759398423413920771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-90944805369975029112017-07-22T11:48:24.353-05:002017-07-22T11:48:24.353-05:00"Bullshit. They're sociopathic scum. They..."Bullshit. They're sociopathic scum. They didn't call for help, they didn't tell anyone the guy was dead, they laughed as he begged for help while he went under and the police said not one of them had a scintilla of remorse. This time they were bystanders. In due time they'll be proactive sociopathic scum."<br /><br />I basically agree with that assessment. However, there are costs associated with helping people in need. Even taking the time to call 911 is a cost though a very minimal one. Ridicule and shaming is underused these days. Trump once published a full-page ad to go after some black kids who committed some crime; He's a well-know shame artist, scam artist and sociopath in my opinion. There is nothing artistic about Trump's bad behavior or in the awful behavior of those stinking kids. You should pay a price when you hurt someone directly or indirectly.<br /><br /><br /><br />Trumpithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02252672877713167746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-23066366933346387432017-07-22T09:41:39.548-05:002017-07-22T09:41:39.548-05:00Achilles, if that is how all 16 year old boys woul...Achilles, if that is how all 16 year old boys would have acted, how do you explain how 18 year old boys acted on D-Day? Ken Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08207803092348071005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-72543104809583921252017-07-22T09:31:03.296-05:002017-07-22T09:31:03.296-05:00Is this what W meant when he used the phrase, &quo...Is this what W meant when he used the phrase, "The soft bigotry of low expectations"??320Busdriverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00409874234953203213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-29762469220270408582017-07-22T08:03:36.335-05:002017-07-22T08:03:36.335-05:00Just thinking that the name of one who would not ...Just thinking that the name of one who would not hesitated to have saved the drowning man is Zeus. And he is just a rent-a-dog.<br /><br />The racial difference is not the causation here, only a correlation. It is the Culture that matters. For instance, a Catholic would have jumped in to make this rescue, especially a short Sicilian Catholic.<br /><br />Which brings to mind Anthony Scaramouche to the rescue.traditionalguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05706120413005530014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-40238525129270771752017-07-22T08:02:43.363-05:002017-07-22T08:02:43.363-05:00Why do we celebrate the "heroes" who ris...Why do we celebrate the "heroes" who risk their lives to save others? It is not because it is expected of society and therefore a normal and routine element of our way of life.<br /><br />Something like that could hardly be considered "newsworthy".<br /><br />No, we celebrate them because they could have chosen to stay out of harm's way, and yet decided otherwise. We celebrate them because they had a choice, not because they acted in accordance with the only path society gave them.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01422170816604378287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-10289238260024177892017-07-22T07:56:41.908-05:002017-07-22T07:56:41.908-05:00I should add, the Italian sunbather story was a bi...I should add, the Italian sunbather story was a bit exaggerated. They actually rescued two of the four Roma children who were drowning. James Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351535910140039924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-15095493637614094602017-07-22T07:48:44.212-05:002017-07-22T07:48:44.212-05:00This case also calls to mind the story about the
...This case also calls to mind the story about the <br /><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1036760/Pictured-Chilling-indifference-Italians-sunbathing-just-yards-covered-bodies-drowned-Roma-children.html" rel="nofollow">Italian sunbathers</a>James Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351535910140039924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-52752146393693429272017-07-22T07:46:45.267-05:002017-07-22T07:46:45.267-05:00It Takes a Village. *cough*It Takes a Village. *cough*Humperdinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08765464624483404218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-35295605701041555082017-07-22T07:37:08.791-05:002017-07-22T07:37:08.791-05:00"As for the laughing...I haven't heard th...<i>"As for the laughing...I haven't heard the recording, and I assume it's very disturbing, but I don't know that the boys are monsters. They happen to witness a person struggling and they decide that they cannot or will not help and they must deal with their predicament. They talk to the man. What they say is crude, but it communicates a truth to the man. They will not help him. And they struggle to explain why: He shouldn't have gone in there. They laugh in the end when he goes under. I haven't heard the laughing. But it could be anxiety, shock, and denial." </i><br /><br />I'm fine with not charging them with a crime, or calling them criminals.<br /><br />But this is racism in the same way you say the idea of white privilege and complaints about "white males" is racism. Some people are just not expected to perform well at life-- they can't be held to societal standards.MayBeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11966319657113124861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-19480363166792052052017-07-22T07:30:54.181-05:002017-07-22T07:30:54.181-05:00"How will their community respond?"
Com..."How will their community respond?"<br /><br />Community problem? Substitute "culture" for community and you will find yourself inching closer to identifying the problem. <br /><br />Look no further than the Project Veritas videos of Planned Parenthood selling body parts of babies. Was there an outcry? Nope, a yawn.Humperdinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08765464624483404218noreply@blogger.com