Helping the Homeless (Week 11)

We recently watched a video in class about people collapsing on the street, and how others reacted. When the well dressed woman fell, it only took people 4 seconds on average to stop and help her. However, when a homeless man fell, it took 3 minutes on average. And when the actor had a beer can in his hand no one stopped to help him except for a partially paralyzed woman who was also homeless. People walked by her as she asked them to call 911.

We stereotype homeless people as drunks. We assume that when they ask us for money, they will use it to buy alcohol. And when the "homeless" man collapsed on the sidewalk with a beer can in his hand, it gave people a reason to keep on walking by. But what if that man was collecting cans for money? Or what if he had just picked it up to throw it away? Just because someone is homeless does not mean that they don't try. We should always stop to help someone who has collapsed on the street, whether they are rich or poor. And even if a man collapsed because he was drunk, we should still help him. What if that was you? You would want someone to help.

Obama's Slip Up (Week 10)

President Obama was recently on Jay Leno. When asked if he had a bowling alley in his home, he said yes, and proceeded to comment that he bowled like he was in the Special Olympics.

Immediately, people became enraged. They said he was degrading the Special Olympics and calling it's athletes incompetent. It seems like every little thing someone important, such as President Obama, saysis picked apart and made to mean more than what was intended. People seem to forget that Obama is a person, just like everyone else, and that he makes mistakes. Every one of us has made fun of someone who is different from us, and if not, then those people may criticize.

The same people who are enraged at Obama's comment have probably heard someone use "retard" in a derrogative way and simply turned their heads away. Those people may have even said it themselves, even if it was a slip. Barack Obama slipped, but he meant no harm. Give him a break.