ordinary people can do extraordinary things but what does it take?

When I was in college, I worked for a professor one summer researching a guy named Andre Trocme, a Protestant in France, who was responsible for hiding 5,000 Jewish refugees during the holocaust of World War II. I was fascinated by him and his work. For him, it was worth the risk... what made him different?

I just read in the most recent issue of Greater Good that violence happens when the object is stigmatized or dehumanized. The issue focuses on "the bystander's dilemma", also sometimes called the bystander effect, and discusses why we ignore people in need and when it is that we step in to help.

What does it take to be at a place where the humanity of a person, a person unlike you, is a priority? I do not have the answer. The Milestones Project and NYchildren.org are attempting to use photography to bring us closer together and help us see we are all the same. Spend some time on their sites if you have the opportunity.

The issue of "why didn't someone step in earlier or prevent this from happening" is in the news a lot... lately it's been talked about in news reports about Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Darfur, Iraqi refugees¹, etc. Personally, I've been thinking about this a lot because last week, my friend's friend, a gay guy from St. Louis, was severely beaten outside of a bar in Arizona and placed in a dumpster. He's in a coma now and not likely to survive. So, I wonder, how can this happen? And, I suppose more importantly, how can we stop it from happening?

When people step in or speak up, they certainly put themselves at risk. This is why kids don't stand up for the kid that's being bullied, neighbors don't call the cops when they hear domestic violence and possibly why Kitty Genovese died. But there are also countless stories of when people do intervene. What can we learn from those? I read in this issue of Greater Good about two such people: Jabar Gibson and Sergeant Joseph Darby. Jabar Gibson, a 20 year-old with an extensive criminal history, drove an abandoned school bus filled with 70 Katrina survivors for 13 hours to the Houston Astrodome, and was the first to arrive. Sergeant Darby, at age 24, is credited for reporting the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison. Gibson is back in prison awaiting trial on new criminal charges, unrelated to his driving the renegade school bus. Sergeant Darby is in protective custody and in hiding due to threats received against him and his family. Andre Trocme was arrested and released... but when the Nazis arrested Trocme's cousin and sent him to a death camp, Andre went into hiding but his work was carried on by his wife and other people from his village. That, my friends, is the key - no matter what happens how can we carry on the good work?

I'll continue to write about this issue and present ideas... any suggestions, thoughts or comments are appreciated. (Sorry the post is a little scattered, ms. cambio is a little distracted today)

¹ The report I heard on NPR stated that the majority of refugees, at least in Syria, report having a loved one kidnapped. However, the article reports that these refugees would not be eligible to come to the United States because "under U.S. law, anyone who pays money to kidnappers, even under duress, is considered to have supported a terrorist group" And, uh, Mr. Rule Maker, just a quick question: what would YOU do if your loved one was kidnapped?