Why are good people afraid? (Subway battle!)

VANCOUVER- I'd like to relate a story that happened to me several years ago in Toronto. I was riding the subway; there was fifteen people or so on the car with me. As I stood there, waiting for my stop, my attention was drawn to some sort of altercation at the other end of the car.

I paid a little closer attention as the voices got louder, and to my surprise, I realized that what was happening was this: Two young thugs were verbally harrassing and crowding an asian mother and her child, and crowding her menacingly.

I looked around. People had obviously began to notice what was happening, as evidenced by their quick looks and nervous fidgeting, but no one was saying anything.

I began to walk over to the other side of the car, and as I did so, I looked around. I was incredulous! I said something like, "What's your problem?" to the thugs, and that's when one of them punched me in the face.

After that the car came to its stop, and the thugs got off. I don't know what happened to the woman and her child, but as I watched the two young punks walk down the platform as the car pulled away, she was nowhere in sight. I believe she made a hasty escape while their attention was on me.

I looked around the car with disgust. No one would look at me. Men in suits, construction workers, young kids like me, mothers, none of them had the courage to speak up against what they obviously felt was wrong. Even after the "danger" from two young thugs was past, they still wouldn't speak out.

I got one punch in the face for speaking up. If we all had spoken up, do you think two little punks would have had the guts to face fifteen irate citizens? I don't think they would have.

The fact of the matter is, there are more good people in the world than bad ones. The only reason that bullies and criminals get away with this type of activity is that they are banking on the cowardice of good people, the feeling that we just don't want to get involved. Sure, it's risky for one person to stand up to thugs, but it's a whole lot less risky for fifteen good people to take a stand!

[I will put in a little sidenote.... I was riding the subway that day to meet my then girlfriend's parents for the first time. The shiner I was developing as I showed up at their house sure made for a great icebreaker, and the story got me some excellent brownie points. :)]