Dear Videograper,
I know you've seen the thousands of videos online of young men and women fighting. You've noticed that these videos yield hundreds of thousands, or even millions of views. They go viral each and every day. You've seen these videos, so now you too want to be part of the sensation! So as you look over and see a young woman slap another across the face, your first instinct is to to reach for the handy cell phone. You have to capture this awesome moment in time!
Never mind that these two women are hurting one another while you stand as witness staring at your phone screen.
On to another fight where two young men face off and begin to bludgeon each other with their fists; as one tackles another to the ground and begins to beat him helplessly, you look on and cheer while capturing this golden footage! This young man on the ground could be gathering cranial and facial injuries by the second, while you wonder about how many views this may garner on YouTube.
This has to stop. When did we decide that media attention came before our humanity? When did we begin to think it was acceptable to watch people be beaten in front of our very eyes and have our first thought be: "QUICK, GET MY PHONE!"
We have become so desensitized to violence that we simply cannot recognize it's severity, even as it stands in front of us. In these videos of young men and women fighting, bystanders laugh and cheer as the parties involved beat each other.
Also, have you forgotten something else? This fighting....is not legal activity. And you, dear videographer, yes, you, are standing by this illegal activity and not only accepting it, but encouraging it.
When you find yourself in a situation where you become a bystander in a fight, put your phone away and step up. Be the person who protects others, and not the coward who hides behind their phone.
Sincerely,
All of us.
