In “The Filipino and the Drunkard”, by William Saroyan, the bystanders hold the most responsibility for what took place in the story. Although the man was drunk, which was his fault, and the Filipino stabbed the man, which was his own decision, the bystanders are really to blame. In a rush of adrenaline the Filipino stabbed the drunken man, who was out of control. Had the bystanders stepped in and restrained the drunken man in an effort to help the Filipino, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened. I would like to think that I would have stepped in and forced the man to stop, but more likely I would have gone to the authorities and asked them to restrain the drunken man.
Today many people stand by when they see drunk drivers getting into cars and just let them pass since it’s not their problem. I believe that regular individuals have a responsibility to stop this, since the drunk driver could really hurt or kill others. I think that if they choose not to act, then they are guilty on some level since they allowed the impaired person to drive a car. I think that genocide is an event that continues to happen around the world in placed like Darfur that should never be allowed to happen. I think that we as a world community should be more aware of the irresponsible things that people do, and then put a stop to them before people get hurt.
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As responsible citizens, we have the duty to report activities that might be endangering others, whether it be a drunk driver or other threat to public safety. On a global level, I completely agree that the situation in Darfur is one that has been ignored. While we are not able to help directly in that region, as Christians we are called to explore simple ways we still can help and make others aware.
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