When we hear her scream (WaPo is running a contest for the next Great pundit. This one is a keeper)

[Are_grits_groceries]

<snip>
The circumstances surrounding the brutal gang rape of a 15-year-old girl in Richmond, Calif., have again raised the question about the responsibility of bystanders who witness violent crimes. According to Richmond police, while some individuals reported the crime to police, others watched the rape, sent texts to their friends about it, and even took pictures of the victim while she lay on the ground.
<snip>
The first time I was a witness to a violent crime in progress, I was a feisty 18-year-old living in Oakland, Calif. I woke up to the sound of banging against my wall and someone crying and screaming, "No! No! Please. Stop."
I quickly called the police and woke up my roommate. "Do you hear that?"

My roommate covered her head with a blanket. "I don't hear a thing."
I looked at her incredulously. "Are you going to just lay there and tell me that you don't hear that woman screaming?"

She stared at me for a moment, then climbed out of bed and showed me her thigh, revealing an inch-wide scar running from her hip to her knee. "You see this? This is what happened the last time I heard what you think you hear." She returned to bed and covered her head. "So like I said, I don't hear a thing."
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But that situation also made me better understand some individuals' refusal to get involved, even when taking action is as simple as dialing 911.

The fear is real.

The fear was real for Ned Nakoa, a Hawaiian man who was punched to death in 2008 when he stepped in to help a Marine who was being attacked in Waikiki.

The fear was real for Angela Dawson and her family who in 2002 were killed in a Maryland house fire set by vengeful drug dealers who refused her pleas to move their business away off her block.

Fear is a powerful deterrent to action. Fear will render a normally responsible person immobile. It will cause a person to go against his or her conscience and make excuses for why inaction is the best choice. Fear will mask itself as indifference. It comes in different forms: fear of retaliation, fear of liability, fear of making the situation worse, and fear of whether getting involved will ultimately help.
<snip>
Fear cannot be the ultimate victor. Our communities need to send a strong message that inaction is not an option when a violent crime is being committed. We also must send the message to criminals and predators that our communities will not be intimidated.

Most importantly, communities need to find ways to protect those who are moved to take a stand against violence. To ensure this protection, it is incumbent upon our communities to teach their citizens how to respond in a crisis and provide support networks to reinforce the sense of community. Several community groups are already leading this charge, such as Take Back the Night, the National Crime Prevention Council and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
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Written by:
Laurel, Md.
Maame Gyamfi
I'm a native of the Washington area and first caught the political bug after watching the 1987 Iran-Contra hearings. I have worked as an actress, teacher and lawyer.

http://views.washingtonpost.com/pundits/contestants/maame.gyamfi/2009/11/when_we_hear_her_scream.html

It's hard to be a hero. I'm not sure people understand the real issues faced in some situations.

[Ineeda]

1. even when there's no possibility of violence

people are afraid of even the mildest retribution (like being disliked by a neighbor). I certainly understand the fear of violent retribution though.

[Toots]

2. It sounded to me like the bystanders were more amused than afraid

In this one particular case anyway. The police are the very first to tell you not to get involved but to call for help. What is the shame here is that so few chose to call for help for the girl..