Woman says group beat her in store

Boston.com ^ | February 13, 2007 | Suzanne Smalley, Globe Staff

[jjm2111]

She had gone to Target with her brother and sister-in-law to buy a DVD player for their new house, and had decided to go off on her own. She was looking over women's blouses when a young girl brushed past her. The girl angrily demanded an apology. The woman was taken aback and refused, according to her account, and tried to turn her attention back to the rack of clothes.

[snip]

Sanchez said some store employees were present when the fight began and didn't try to intervene.

"They didn't do nothing, nothing whatsoever," Sanchez said. "The manager didn't respond when I told her about it. She said, 'We told our employees not to get involved so they won't get hurt.' "

Employees at the store declined to comment, though a spokesman for the franchise released a statement.

[Bob J]

"You may come up with all the reasons you wish why you would stand by and let another human be mauled like this. The rest of us will defend civilization."

Define civilization.

BTW - I assume from your comments when a million Tutsis were being slaughtered by the Hutus you immediately grabbed your machete, jumped on a plane and "defended civilization" in Rawanda? Or is that only when it is convenient and right in front of you?

[jess35]

The civilized human beings on this thread are commenting on actions that occur right in front of us, not on the other side of the world. I wouldn't expect you to singlehandedly stop the killings in Darfur but I would expect you as a decent and civilized human to at least attempt to stop a beating taking place a few feet from you. But no, you'd get all excited, whip out your pen and paper and start taking notes.

[Bob J]

"Are we supposed to just stand by and let someone get seriously wounded?"

No, I would expect you to jump in with a broomstick and seriously wound the other four girls.

That'll teach those chicks to get uppity. BTW - If it was four big, nasty, mean gang bangers, would you still jump in with your broomstick?

I've asked this question before and noboody is answering. I guess that means no, which follows that they would only jump in if it was some small, juvenile girls and they thought they could "take them".

Now that's courage.

[spunkets]

"I would expect you as a decent and civilized human to at least attempt to stop a beating taking place a few feet from you."

Are you going to pay their lawyer's bills, or their hospital bills?

[Niteranger68]

Something tells me that if you were there and had a very basic understand of the situation, a 4-on-1 beating, you would have tried to help. I believe 98% of the people who take the time to post regularly at FR would have done the same thing. Call me naive, but it’s not (normal) human nature to allow the physical abuse of an innocent human being. I understand you point about not knowing the entire story, but do we ever?

[Bob J]

Again Jess, would you jump in if it was four big ugly mean nasty gangbangers from Compton beating up on a Crip from South Central?

Second request for an answer.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

You have openly expressed that you would stand idly by and watch someone be hurt and stripped almost naked making no effort to stop the attack.

Since you are not willing to engage in the most basic acts of decency what good are you to the world?

[jess35]

If I saw a bunch of young girls jumping a woman in a store and beating her, my first thought wouldn't be "what's it going to cost me". I find it disturbing that anyone would immediately think that.

[Bob J]

"you would have tried to help."

Define "try to help". Would that be (1) alerting the store manager and calling security, (2) yelling at the perps to stop, (3)jumping in and pulling the perps off the victim or (4) beating them senseless until they stopped?

[jess35]

Since it's highly unlikely that I would find myself in LA county, that question is nearly as asinine as the Darfur question. But, if I saw an altercation in my town, I would intervene.

[jess35]

You forgot "take notes".

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Define civilization.

The opposite of barbarity.

[jdm]

They are still human beings. Perhaps you wouldn't choose to help another person if you didn't get paid enough, however I would actually do it for free.... susie

I would intervene for a fresh new pack of CD-R's. 100 pack on a spindle. No jewel cases necessary. /sarcasm

[NittanyLion]

Call security ASAP, take notes, testify. Period.

Many would call that the coward's way out.

[Bob J]

"You have openly expressed that you would stand idly by and watch someone be hurt and stripped almost naked making no effort to stop the attack."

I said nothing of the sort. I said it would be idiotic to jump into a situation that you know nothing about, that you have nothing to do with and with perps that you don't know are armed or otherwise dangerous. Jumping in and getting yourself injured or possibly killed, leaving your spouse a widow and your children orphaned, is about as insane and selfish a decision as one can make. Just so you can go home and say to yourself "I'm a really nice person, ain't I? I saved civilization today!"

Call security or the police, let them handle it.

I noticed you are avoiding the difficult "gangbanger" question.

[Bob J]

When I said take notes I was referring to getting descriptions of the perps, maybe even following them, to aid police in their apprehension and the courts in their prosecution.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I said nothing of the sort.

Yes you did.

Call security or the police, let them handle it.

Yeah. Call 911 and watch them die.

I noticed you are avoiding the difficult "gangbanger" question.

You have not asked me any gangbanger question.

[Bob J]

" But, if I saw an altercation in my town, I would intervene.'

You mean when it is convenient and when you could get home in time for dinner?

[spunkets]

"If I saw a bunch of young girls jumping a woman in a store and beating her, my first thought wouldn't be "what's it going to cost me"."

I didn't ask you about your failure to understand the situation. I aske dyou if you were going to pay all the lawyer's bills for anyone that steps in. Their will be bills when the samaritan is arrested and charged with child molestaiton, and when the parent's sue. I asked you if you were going to pay when the hospital bills if one of the precious stabs, cuts, or otherwise seriously injures the samaritan.

"I find it disturbing that anyone would immediately think that."

I find it disturbing when folks think untalented store clecks in a target must get involved in a fight like this.

[fnord]

two reasons to be hesitant to get involved:

first, unless you witnessed the entire event, which side do you pick? this doesn't sound like a couple of teachers each grabbing a kid in a schoolyard fight. there are a myriad of scenarios that could go the other way from the published
story.

along that line, say that you and a few other patrons jump in and try to restrain the girls. now another group of patrons is drawn to the ruckus, see you and others wrestling young girls. they might be inclined to jump in and start assaulting you to protect the kids. and so on and so on ...

then there's the inevitable lawsuit