The Sad, Sad State of Canadian Masculinity

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
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If I had children your damn right I'd teach my son to take on knife wielding maniacs.

Well I would hope you'd teach ample amounts of discretion with that. I can't help but go back to the example of the Greyhound bus, and how many people scream that they wish the men had stayed and fought. Well, I'd hazard a guess to say that if you were one of the people trying to get OFF that bus, you'd be pretty damn happy that no one decided to stand in the aisle and have a knife fight instead of getting the hell out of your way so you could get to safety. And I'm betting that when that knife wielding maniac tried to join you outside the bus, and the men held the doors closed, those women and children were feeling pretty freaking grateful. Sometimes staying to fight just puts more people at risk needlessly.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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Again, you may feel that trying to save somebody's life is unnecessary but others, including myself disagree. It would appear that we assign some value to other people while you don't. It is my opinion that one of the biggest problems in society today is that too many people are sharing your values with regard to their fellow human beings.

By all means you should try to do whatever you can (without undue risk to yourself) to help save someone's life- but remember you are of no help when you are dead yourself.
 

bobnoorduyn

Council Member
Nov 26, 2008
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Mountain Veiw County
Just wanted to post two different observations I've made of humanity in general.

Firstly the likelihood of someone acting is inversely proportional to number of people there. ie a person on their own is more likely to try and save a drowning child then a person in a large crowd.

Secondly, the likelihood of more people helping increases greatly after the first one. No one really wants to first one to act in case they're the only one.

Well, if he's the only one, he is probably more likely react on his own, if there are more people around, he will likey wait, as will all others, to be led and directed by someone, a leader, and will obey. It's just human nature.
 

Francis2004

Subjective Poster
Nov 18, 2008
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Lower Mainland, BC
Second, This is not a Canadian issue alone.. Here is one incident I remembered from 2004 and searched for the article.. If in a country where you can have a weapon to protect yourself and others at all times this can happen it only proves they are useless.. Yes my jab at guns..

The video shows what most witnesses in a St. Paul apartment building apparently didn't tell.

A man beat a woman, removed his pants and sexually assaulted her in a hall, and five to 10 people saw at least part of the attack but did nothing to intervene or help, according to investigators and court documents.

It was only after police were summoned on a report of two drunk people lying in the hall that they learned there had been a rape. Rage Ibrahim, 25, of St. Paul, was charged Thursday with first-degree and third-degree criminal sexual conduct. He is in Ramsey County jail.

The criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court said the surveillance video showed the woman lying in the hall as early as 1:20 a.m. Tuesday. Police weren't dispatched until almost 90 minutes later.

Hallway rape went unreported by neighbors
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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Well, if he's the only one, he is probably more likely react on his own, if there are more people around, he will likey wait, as will all others, to be led and directed by someone, a leader, and will obey. It's just human nature.

Years ago in Port Alberni I was in the pub and there was a guy lying on the floor, while all the pub patrons and employees walked around him or stepped over him. Ironically a few days previously I had read in Readers Digest how this is a common occurence and I (not being too drunk yet) recognized what I saw as what I had read in Readers Digest, so I took the guy to the hospital. It turned out he was a diabetic, who I guess had run a little short on insulin. If it hadn't been for me having read that article, I probably would have been just like the rest of them.
 

Zzarchov

House Member
Aug 28, 2006
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By all means you should try to do whatever you can (without undue risk to yourself) to help save someone's life- but remember you are of no help when you are dead yourself.

You are of no help if you also are placing your own safety as paramount.

Worst Case Scenario you die trying to help. If you avoid getting involved you have to live with knowing that you let someone get hurt for awhile, then die anyways with a lifetime of regrets.

You don't need to say "Pay me a steady wage mr.government" before your life is worth risking to help others.
 

YukonJack

Time Out
Dec 26, 2008
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Winnipeg
The best person to display Canadian Masculinity was that American, Cornelius van Horne, the single greatest force behind the building our trans-continental, national railway.

Since his days, Canadian Masculinity was best displayed by Chretien choking an innocent protester.

Since the days of van Horne, Canadian Masculinity is one of the greatest oxymorons. Kind of like "army intelligence".
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
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Quoting #juan The dumbest thing would have been for an unarmed man, or men to get into an unnecessary fight with a maniac with a big knife.
quoting Cannuck Again, you may feel that trying to save somebody's life is unnecessary but others, including myself disagree. It would appear that we assign some value to other people while you don't. It is my opinion that one of the biggest problems in society today is that too many people are sharing your values with regard to their fellow human beings.

And you can't read. What I wrote was:" The smartest thing that happened on that bus was that they got the women and children off and locked the maniac on the bus. The dumbest thing would have been for an unarmed man, or men to get into an unnecessary fight with a maniac with a big knife."

It would have served no purpose except to get somebody else injured or killed.
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
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Just as a matter of information; Vince Li was six feet something tall and weighed over two hundred pounds. He had a hunting knife with an nine inch blade, and he was crazy as a loon. Lets all have a fight with this looney and he gets to keep his knife. Oh, and Li has already cut one person's head off, but that shouldn't dissuade anyone wanting to prove his mettle to look good to any lookers on. I don't have any gender, or macho related problems but even if I had a loaded 12 ga shotgun, I wouldn't go near an armed crazy unless it was absolutely necessary.
 

ironsides

Executive Branch Member
Feb 13, 2009
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For all of you who think nothing could be done, here is a simple way of acting. A sharp chop to the "Adams Apple" will bring down anybody no matter their size. All that is needed is say "Oh what the heck to yourself" and do it. Surprise is your best weapon. Saving a persons life is absolutely necessary.
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
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Alberta
For all of you who think nothing could be done, here is a simple way of acting. A sharp chop to the "Adams Apple" will bring down anybody no matter their size. All that is needed is say "Oh what the heck to yourself" and do it. Surprise is your best weapon. Saving a persons life is absolutely necessary.

Not to mention the fact that you may not have to take the guy on at all. He has the choice of trying to defend himself or continuing with the attack. The mere threat of being attacked or subdued may be enough to divert his attention away from person he is attacking. That alone is "doing something" to try and help the person.
 

ironsides

Executive Branch Member
Feb 13, 2009
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Not to mention the fact that you may not have to take the guy on at all. He has the choice of trying to defend himself or continuing with the attack. The mere threat of being attacked or subdued may be enough to divert his attention away from person he is attacking. That alone is "doing something" to try and help the person.


Definitely is, distraction is a very good tool to use.
 

L Gilbert

Winterized
Nov 30, 2006
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If you keep your head, don't let fear rule your judgements and actions, and look for an opportune moment, putting yourself at risk of injury is overbalanced by the certainty that some kid will lose his life. To me, it's a no-brainer. My wife would die for our kids (as would I and I'd bet that that boy's mother would have raised a fuss, too). So apparently my wife is more manly than a lot of you.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
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My wife would die for our kids (as would I and I'd bet that that boy's mother would have raised a fuss, too). So apparently my wife is more manly than a lot of you.

I'd die to keep my kids safe too. But that doesn't mean I'd take on a knife wielding six foot tall maniac for a grown man who is someone else's child. Without being there, seeing the exact occurrences, I wouldn't ever dare to judge someone else for not jumping in. No matter what I'd do in a hypothetical heroic instance that exists only in my head.