Bystanders are the Real Criminal
From the smallest crisis to the largest catastrophe, bystanders are found in nearly all negative situations. A bystander may be defined as a person who observes such disagreeable circumstances but does nothing to aid in their resolution. There is no doubt that bystanders are the true criminal in these predicaments. Negative situations are not made better by the presence of bystanders who do not act. Furthermore, bystanders strengthen the criminal, those who do the wrong, in the aforementioned scenarios.
One factor demonstrating the culpability of bystanders is that they do not act to make the situation better. Historic examples such as those from the Holocaust during World War II may aid in explaining the inaction of bystanders. The citizens of Germany during this period, many of whom did not support the Hitler regime, still refused to take in or hide Jews who could have otherwise been saved from execution by the German military. Although there were a few select heroes who chose to do this, many did not. This would have posed little risk as long as those who were rescued did not talk about it. Doing so would be counterproductive to the cause of those who were rescued. The inability of most bystanders to rescue these innocent victims resulted in the unnecessary deaths of thousanRAB of Jews and this shows the guilt of the bystander. Also, another instance showing bystanders’ guilt occurred during World War II, when German bystanders did not act by still supporting their leader Adolf Hitler - or acting as if they did in an attempt to protect themselves from the government they elected. They supported Hitler by attending his rallies, serving in the German military and disclosing the locations of hidden Jews. If, perhaps, more bystanders acted, the German government would have collapsed and provided a resolution to the problem. By refusing to act, the German bystanders effectively strengthened the criminal that was the German government.
Another way in which the bystander is guilty is that willingly or unwillingly, bystanders give power to the criminal in an unfavorable state of affairs. Cynthia Ozick insightfully states on page xiii of the foreword of The Rescuers: “When a whole population takes on the status of bystander, the victims are without allies; the criminals . . . are strengthened.” Citing another example from the Holocaust, bystanders decreased resistance against the killing of Jews by not doing anything and thereby strengthening the criminal. Their lack of resistance conveyed the message to the government that what they were doing was acceptable. It also gave this Fascist administration the ability to force other bystanders to fall into this conformist system. An organized insubordination against the government would have posed a risk to these bystanders, but the inaction of most of them allowed the enemy to be strengthened, and consequently, much worse circumstances to prevail. A bank robbery is another situation in which bystanders are at fault. Bystanders strengthen the criminal by performing tasks for the bandits or as being used as bargaining chips in negotiations with the authorities. Although these bystanders may not have had an opportunity to make a difference, their presence is nonetheless harmful. Such crises result in the criminal being reinforced to the cost of the victim.
These situations serve to prove that the true perpetrator of the aforementioned crimes is the bystander. Their failure to resolve the problems they witness is paramount in establishing their guilt. Moreover, they not only do not contribute to the situation, but they make it worse. If bystanders were not afraid to act, the world would see far less evil.
Work Cited:
Drucker, Malka. The Rescuers: Portraits of Moral Courage in the Holocaust. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1992. xi-xvi
From the smallest crisis to the largest catastrophe, bystanders are found in nearly all negative situations. A bystander may be defined as a person who observes such disagreeable circumstances but does nothing to aid in their resolution. There is no doubt that bystanders are the true criminal in these predicaments. Negative situations are not made better by the presence of bystanders who do not act. Furthermore, bystanders strengthen the criminal, those who do the wrong, in the aforementioned scenarios.
One factor demonstrating the culpability of bystanders is that they do not act to make the situation better. Historic examples such as those from the Holocaust during World War II may aid in explaining the inaction of bystanders. The citizens of Germany during this period, many of whom did not support the Hitler regime, still refused to take in or hide Jews who could have otherwise been saved from execution by the German military. Although there were a few select heroes who chose to do this, many did not. This would have posed little risk as long as those who were rescued did not talk about it. Doing so would be counterproductive to the cause of those who were rescued. The inability of most bystanders to rescue these innocent victims resulted in the unnecessary deaths of thousanRAB of Jews and this shows the guilt of the bystander. Also, another instance showing bystanders’ guilt occurred during World War II, when German bystanders did not act by still supporting their leader Adolf Hitler - or acting as if they did in an attempt to protect themselves from the government they elected. They supported Hitler by attending his rallies, serving in the German military and disclosing the locations of hidden Jews. If, perhaps, more bystanders acted, the German government would have collapsed and provided a resolution to the problem. By refusing to act, the German bystanders effectively strengthened the criminal that was the German government.
Another way in which the bystander is guilty is that willingly or unwillingly, bystanders give power to the criminal in an unfavorable state of affairs. Cynthia Ozick insightfully states on page xiii of the foreword of The Rescuers: “When a whole population takes on the status of bystander, the victims are without allies; the criminals . . . are strengthened.” Citing another example from the Holocaust, bystanders decreased resistance against the killing of Jews by not doing anything and thereby strengthening the criminal. Their lack of resistance conveyed the message to the government that what they were doing was acceptable. It also gave this Fascist administration the ability to force other bystanders to fall into this conformist system. An organized insubordination against the government would have posed a risk to these bystanders, but the inaction of most of them allowed the enemy to be strengthened, and consequently, much worse circumstances to prevail. A bank robbery is another situation in which bystanders are at fault. Bystanders strengthen the criminal by performing tasks for the bandits or as being used as bargaining chips in negotiations with the authorities. Although these bystanders may not have had an opportunity to make a difference, their presence is nonetheless harmful. Such crises result in the criminal being reinforced to the cost of the victim.
These situations serve to prove that the true perpetrator of the aforementioned crimes is the bystander. Their failure to resolve the problems they witness is paramount in establishing their guilt. Moreover, they not only do not contribute to the situation, but they make it worse. If bystanders were not afraid to act, the world would see far less evil.
Work Cited:
Drucker, Malka. The Rescuers: Portraits of Moral Courage in the Holocaust. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1992. xi-xvi