Buying through this banner helps support the forum!
Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: ethical question

  1. #1
    Peace is this way Jester's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    a tiny little place called Earth, my corner of the universe and beyond
    Posts
    973

    ethical question

    Earlier int he grocery store today I saw this old man with a cane yelling at a young girl. He's like "THose are not the ten for a dollar cookies now go abck and get some ten for a dolalr cookies." but he was really yelling at the tope of his voice and was saying other things that I chose not to hear. As I passed them I debated whether to say anything but then chose not to... as I was getting in my own checkout line I turned back and saw the girl walking away and a few minutes later the man was sauntering after her with really angry and jerky motions... I could hear them from twenty feet away in a crowded grocery store.

    My questions is should I have said soemthing... even if it was a family thing... he was treating the agirl so poorly .... I'm at a lost... I probably did hte right thing but I jsut don't know. :
    "It all comes down to what we make of ourselves, eh?"
    -The Fairy Godmother

    "Sing on, poor souls! The night is short, and the morning will part you forever!"
    - Uncle Tom's Cabin

  2. #2
    King of Plastic Spoons imthefoolonthehill's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Lost in my own incoherence
    Posts
    2,378
    i dont think it was wrong to not say anything.... but personally, i would have. I would have given the geezer a talkin to about chivalry and women.
    Told by a fool, signifying nothing.

  3. #3
    Pièce de Résistance Scheherazade's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Tweet @ScherLitNet
    Posts
    23,903
    How old was the girl?
    ~
    "It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
    ~


  4. #4
    Ever Benevolent and Wise
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    953

    Hmmmm I dunno, would I want to approach some cranky old b****d and tell him to shut up and be nicer? Don't think so.

    However I would be compelled to say something to the `young girl' if she appeared to be under the age of 20. It depends on a lot of things, but, if she was around 10 or something, I'd be very upset and want to say to her `I hope one of your parents is around somewhere to look out for you because you don't deserve to be treated that way!!!' And also discretely write down on a piecee of paper the local `Kids Help' phoneline.

    As many of us know, most people (the old man in this situation) don't appreciate this kind of `interference', they would be embarrassed that they're getting called on their crap behaviour, and resent the heck out of anyone trying to tell them what to do. That's why they need help in the first place but they're the last to realise it.


  5. #5
    The Yodfather Stanislaw's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    The little Italy of Dagobah
    Posts
    4,394
    Blog Entries
    1
    I have had a similar expieriance and I do say something. If it is a child, they don't need that emotional abuse.

    ---------------
    Stanislaw Lem
    1921 - 2006, Rest In Peace.
    "Faith is, at one and the same time, absolutely necessary and altogether impossible"

  6. #6
    Pièce de Résistance Scheherazade's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Tweet @ScherLitNet
    Posts
    23,903
    I find it a very difficult situation. It would depend on many things, especially the age of this girl and how she is reacting. Sometimes it is possible to get clues from people's body languages and reacations.
    ~
    "It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
    ~


  7. #7
    in a blue moon amuse's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    between the lines
    Posts
    3,154
    Blog Entries
    140
    there was a man killed yesterday when he tried to break up a fight between a few teens. he had just picked up his 2 young girls.

    my point is, help discreetly, as den said; but don't put yourself in harm's way.
    shh!!!
    the air and water have been here a long time, and they are telling stories.

  8. #8
    Pièce de Résistance Scheherazade's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Tweet @ScherLitNet
    Posts
    23,903
    That is so sad
    ~
    "It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
    ~


  9. #9
    The Yodfather Stanislaw's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    The little Italy of Dagobah
    Posts
    4,394
    Blog Entries
    1
    yes, in Canada stabbing incedents have greatly increased, more and more people are carrying concealed weapons, this world is really turning itno a scary place!

    ---------------
    Stanislaw Lem
    1921 - 2006, Rest In Peace.
    "Faith is, at one and the same time, absolutely necessary and altogether impossible"

  10. #10
    Peace is this way Jester's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    a tiny little place called Earth, my corner of the universe and beyond
    Posts
    973
    I couldn't tell how old she was but they way the man was talking made me guess that she was younger... even a child and the way he was talking to he made me think that he was her gaurdian or soemthing, family member.... thanks for your help....
    "It all comes down to what we make of ourselves, eh?"
    -The Fairy Godmother

    "Sing on, poor souls! The night is short, and the morning will part you forever!"
    - Uncle Tom's Cabin

  11. #11
    Good morning, Campers! Jay's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Czech Republic
    Posts
    7,251
    If that happened to me I think I'd go balistic. Don't ask. But then, after having my share of talking with the man done I'd be worried about the girl because that *** of a 'guardian' could seek revenge on that girl because of what I said.
    I have a plan: attack!

  12. #12
    Peace is this way Jester's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    a tiny little place called Earth, my corner of the universe and beyond
    Posts
    973
    yeah part of my resaoning was that if one were to say something it would jsut make it harder on the girl
    "It all comes down to what we make of ourselves, eh?"
    -The Fairy Godmother

    "Sing on, poor souls! The night is short, and the morning will part you forever!"
    - Uncle Tom's Cabin

Similar Threads

  1. Question
    By Igor Mikhailusenko in forum The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 05-24-2005, 06:07 PM
  2. Thoughts on the subject in question...
    By Maya in forum Crime and Punishment
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 05-24-2005, 06:07 PM
  3. printer question
    By imthefoolonthehill in forum General Chat
    Replies: 19
    Last Post: 04-12-2005, 04:27 AM
  4. Sequence of punishments in Dante's Hell question??
    By Jester in forum General Literature
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 02-14-2005, 09:06 AM
  5. The Question of Genre
    By Sitaram in forum General Literature
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 01-31-2005, 07:02 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •