Originally posted by Slipshade:
They deserves it. Because that was the pain they inflicted on the woman, and on THEMSELVES. They did not harm the woman directly, but they harmed her indirectly. And by doing so, they harmed themselves.
Remember that it became like that only because they ALLOWED it. And when they do, the criticism and condemnation is SURE and WELL-DESERVED. I mean, how on earth can they know something horrible is going on, and yet IGNORE it?
You are a nice person, but this time you are nice for the wrong purpose.
yes, they DO deserve it. but (please pardon me if I'm letting it go too easily) it's OVER. will scolding them NOW, at THIS TIME, change the situation?
this is a quote that I once heard: "Even GOD cannot change the past."
do you really believe by telling these people that they DESERVE to be criticized, that is it THEIR fault that the situation turned out to be this way, the whole event will be erased from history?
I know that those people probably deserve criticism. however, I also know that if such a situation happened, it would take someone with a VERY LARGE AMOUNT of courage to know what to do. they were shocked. I dont know about you, but when I'M in shock, I usually don't know how to react, and even if I do, my body isn't always able to carry out my brain's command...
I know that most people, when viewing the situation (from hind sight, must I note), will instantly point out the passenger's faults. at first, I believed that it was the passengers' faults as well ...
however, I'm starting to see how eager we generally are to point out people's faults ... oftentime, people point out other's faults in hope of preventing such a thing from happening again, and I respect that ..
at the same time, I wonder, if such a thing happened in Singapore, would anyone have done anything? they say that we can see other's faithfulness and integrity through the little things ...
if that is the case, why doesn't anyone ever say anything about those who refuse to stand up for the pregnant or the elderly on trains? why doesn't anyone, when seeing someone totally worn out, ever ask if they're okay? why doesn't anyone ever smile at each other. aren't THESE signs that show whether or not people are concerned for each other?
have you ever seen those people who turn around, pretend to be asleep or start examining their cellphone the INSTANT someone who is pregnant or elderly enters a MRT cabin?
these people, perhaps, may, at the next instant, scold those passengers in Japan for not doing anything about the situation.
if people aren't even willing to stand up and endure a bumpy ride for the sake of someone in need, will they ever dare to intervene when someone is being assaulted? after all, inconvenience doesn't seem like too big a deal compared to POSSIBLY being beaten up.
for some reason, I think that, no, they wouldnt. they'd just do what they do every day when they see the pregnant or the elderly: they'd pretend to be oblivious to the situation.
PERHAPS, that's what the passengers did.
perhaps, that wasnt the case.
I dont know what happened. I don't know what was going on in those passenger's minds...
However, I still hold firm to my original belief: we are in no condition to condemn those passengers.