I saw a guy get beaten to death and didn't do anything about it

[Omgodzilla]

Yeah I know the title sounds over-dramatic but just hear me out before you accuse me of trolling. I am a 20 year old guy and this past summer, I went to go visit some relatives over in Pakistan. Now I am sure alot of you are familiar with Pakistan as being a shady screwed up country that no one can trust. I guess that's mostly true since my own view of the country is FAR from positive despite the fact that I was born and raised there before I moved over to Canada at the age of 9.

Anyways, I was in Pakistan this past summer in the city of Karachi. I stayed there for about a month. While I was there, I spent a few days with one of my cousins. The neighborhood that he lives in is filled with gang-violence, drug-trafficking and is home to some of the worst levels of scum that the human race can produce (this is sadly true for most of the neighborhoods there). There are decent people there of course but alot of the people in power as well as the gangs themselves are a major source of villainy.

One day, I went to a local pharmacy to get some medicine for my uncle who was feeling a little ill. I normally didn't go outside by myself because it wasn't safe (usually one of my cousins came with me). However, the pharmacy was nearby so I didn't think it would be a big deal. I grabbed the medicine and began walking back home.

On my way home, I saw a guy suddenly stop his motorbike in the middle of the road. He began talking very loudly with some of the folks on side of the road who were apparently his friends. The taxi behind him suddenly pressed the brakes and bumped his bike slightly. The guy on the bike almost fell off. The guys on the side of the road started yelling, the guy on the bike got up and looked super angry. He went up to the taxi and dragged the driver out. The driver looked familiar, he lived on the same street as my cousin, his name was Anwar. He was a nice guy who made a honest living. He wasn't involved with drugs, gangs or anything like that.

Anyways, the guy who was on the bike dragged him out, grabbed his neck and held him against the side of the taxi. The guys who were standing on the side of the road kept saying "beat him like a dog!". It was obvious that these guys were part of a local gang. They all came together and started beating Anwar (the cab driver) viciously. The poor guy fell on the ground and screamed out in pain. Me and everyone around me and stood there and watched as these animals kicked and beat him to the brink of death. I was on the other side of the street and I could hear his bones being broken. It was the most soul crushing thing I had ever seen.

At the end of it all, the guy was just lying there in a bloody mess. After it was all over, the gangsters went back to the side of the road and started laughing. The guy was just lying there, infront of them, at the brink of death. I couldn't even believe I just saw all that happen right infront of me. It didn't feel real, as cheesy as it sounds, it really did feel like a nightmare. Now after growing up in Canada for so long, my first reaction was to go up there and help the guy. The problem is that the gangsters were standing right there, a few feet away from the victim. One of them had a 9mm strapped to his side. I was shivering in fear, these guys just beat someone like an animal for like nothing. What the hell were they gonna do to me if I even looked at them wrong?, I didn't have the courage to go up there and help the victim. No one did a thing, everyone tried to look away and pretend it didn't happen.

I just stood there for a moment but as soon as one of the gangsters looked at me, I immediately started walking away. I had never felt so terrified in my life. I went from walking to running, I ran home as fast as possible. As soon as I got home, I immediately ran to the washroom and threw up. I literally started crying at that point. I am a grown man, I rarely cry but this time I just couldn't hold myself back. I didn't speak to anyone for hours after that. Later that day, I told my cousin what had happened. He was shocked but he immediately told me to keep my mouth shut and pretend it never happened.

He said that contacting the authorities was not an option both because they were just as corrupt as the criminals and wouldn't do anything about it AND because he was afraid of any retaliation these local crime-lords would carry out against his family if they ever found out that we were trying to get them arrested. So long story short, these animals essentially murdered a man and got away with it. Yes, the guy died from his injuries right there on the street and no one did a damn thing about it. I read it in the newspaper the next day. According to the paper, no one knew who was responsible for killing the man. My ass no one knew! every damn person on the street saw the savages who did it.

My cousin told me there were rumors that the police did know who was responsible for it but were bribed to look the other away. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case. The country has turned into an anarchy and is getting worse every day. But now I am just rambling, the reason I decided to post this is because these past few days, I've been thinking alot about this incident. Its been a couple of months since it happened but I still feel like crap every time I think about it. What makes it even worse is that I knew the who the victim was. I had several conversations with him, he was a good guy.

So what I really wanted to ask you all is that were my actions reasonable? Was I a bad person for walking away like that?

[Adam Jensen]

Well, you probably just would have gotten yourself killed had you gotten involved, so no, I'd say you weren't a bad person.

[Reeve]

You don't rescue someone from a fire by jumping into the fire without protective gear. If you do, you're likely to die and help no one.

Also, this is why I appreciate police and the rule of law. People don't do stuff like this as often when they know that the police will likely be knocking on their door if they do.

[DEATHETERNAL]

If you’re going to be in a country like Pakistan, carry a firearm at all times. If you can't carry a firearm at all times, DO NOT GO TO A COUNTRY LIKE PAKISTAN EVER (outside of being on a guarded embassy only)! You were in an evil place and in a position to do no good for the innocent since you weren’t armed and physically incapable of defending him. You aren’t bad, but I would definitely say you are foolish to be in such a place and not be prepared to defend yourself or innocents around you.

[Reeve]

If you’re going to be in a country like Pakistan, carry a firearm at all times. If you can't carry a firearm at all times, DO NOT GO TO A COUNTRY LIKE PAKISTAN EVER (outside of being on a guarded embassy only)! You were in an evil place and in a position to do no good for the innocent since you weren’t armed and physically incapable of defending him. You aren’t bad, but I would definitely say you are foolish to be in such a place and not be prepared to defend yourself or innocents around you.

Seems like it'd be easy for the police to blame a murder on the foreigner with the gun. Plus, the locals are much more likely to perceive you as a threat and react to you that way. I think I'd rather take my chances unarmed, and just make sure I ask a local how to be safe. I have a friend who lives in Karachi who could show me the ropes.

[DEATHETERNAL]

Seems like it'd be easy for the police to blame a murder on the foreigner with the gun. Plus, the locals are much more likely to perceive you as a threat and react to you that way. I think I'd rather take my chances unarmed, and just make sure I ask a local how to be safe. I have a friend who lives in Karachi who could show me the ropes.

Your goal and my goal in such a situation are different then. Yours is to stay safe. Mine is to help the innocent. Death or imprisonment for the sake of having a realistic chance of potentially saving an innocent is well worth it. If you have to go to an evil place like where this man was, be ready to defend the innocent or don't go there. To go there and then stand by while the innocent are harmed and killed before your face is to give passive approval or at least no contest to such actions.

[Deleted]

I understand its kind of a trauma to you, but be patient, time will heal mental injuries like this, first of all Pakistan is other world than u used to live in Canada, different rules of life there, now if you want to justify your position in that situation, well think like this, yes, you would look like a hero if u would stood for that man, but think what would happen to yourself then? Killed, maybe in coma if lucky enough, you could have saved one, but now you have opportunity to save more, to do more good things in life, life is a great gift, don't risk with it by playing heroes ( unless you have super-natural powaz)

[Illusions]

No, you weren't a bad person at all. You did the right choice.
True, it was traumatizing. I wouldn't have even stood there and watched, simply because I'm not strong enough.

If you would have gone and helped him, he would still have died of the injuries, and risked your own life for it.
Better question is, why hasn't your relatives moved out of that region already? I'm sorry if I missed something, but can't they just come to Canada? They'd be so better off without that country...

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

Your goal and my goal in such a situation are different then. Yours is to stay safe. Mine is to help the innocent. Death or imprisonment for the sake of having a realistic chance of potentially saving an innocent is well worth it. If you have to go to an evil place like where this man was, be ready to defend the innocent or don't go there. To go there and then stand by while the innocent are harmed and killed before your face is to give passive approval or at least no contest to such actions.

Bullshit. If your goal was to help the innocent, you wouldn't be posting here. You talk big about helping others but the reality is that anything you tried to do in that situation would have resulted in an even worse situation. At best you'd be hunted down and killed by the gang and at worst you'd just get your ass killed in a gun fight.

[Deleted]

Bullshit. If your goal was to help the innocent, you wouldn't be posting here. You talk big about helping others but the reality is that anything you tried to do in that situation would have resulted in an even worse situation. At best you'd be hunted down and killed by the gang and at worst you'd just get your ass killed in a gun fight.

Totally agree with you, people while sitting under computers monitors can say they would move mountains but in reality they can't even imagine that feeling, i say its influence of hero movies, teenagers are taking it too serious

[Deleted]

Your goal and my goal in such a situation are different then. Yours is to stay safe. Mine is to help the innocent. Death or imprisonment for the sake of having a realistic chance of potentially saving an innocent is well worth it. If you have to go to an evil place like where this man was, be ready to defend the innocent or don't go there. To go there and then stand by while the innocent are harmed and killed before your face is to give passive approval or at least no contest to such actions.

Bullshit, lets see how you fare with life in a Pakistani prison. Are you white? If so you are in for a real treat, especially as you list your location as America, they just love Yanks out there.

[Deleted]

I'm a police officer and i wouldn't act on it if i was in a country that i don't consider "civilized". Even if it's my duty and in my nature to protect people.

[DEATHETERNAL]

Bullshit. If your goal was to help the innocent, you wouldn't be posting here. You talk big about helping others but the reality is that anything you tried to do in that situation would have resulted in an even worse situation. At best you'd be hunted down and killed by the gang and at worst you'd just get your ass killed in a gun fight.

Being killed in a gun fight with the purpose of having a small yet realistic chance of saving an innocent? I call that a worthy death.

[Deleted]

Being killed in a gun fight with the purpose of having a small yet realistic chance of saving an innocent? I call that a worthy death.

No such thing as a worthy death.

[Deleted]

Being killed in a gun fight with the purpose of having a small yet realistic chance of saving an innocent? I call that a worthy death.

Dead is dead. What are you going to do?

By being killed in attempt to save someone it could easily summarised that they probably were killed after you. So in the end you achieve nothing.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Bullshit, lets see how you fare with life in a Pakistani prison. Are you white? If so you are in for a real treat, especially as you list your location as America, they just love Yanks out there.

And you can't rely on the Pakistani Government bowing to US pressure to get you released to the embassy either.

[PBitt]

I would probably feel exactly the same way you do, but as others have said, there really wasn't anything you could have done but gotten yourself killed as well, or, if you tried to help and escaped, they could have found out who you were and things would have been worse yet. This is a totally different situation then walking by instead of helping an old lady who fell down and cracked her head on the pavement in Canada.

I would really encourage your family to get the hell out of that country, or at least into a somewhat safer region until they can do so. I know things aren't always that simple, but having to be afraid for your life just being outside is no way to live.

[Deleted]

Being killed in a gun fight with the purpose of having a small yet realistic chance of saving an innocent? I call that a worthy death.

That's what you say now, I'll just wait here till you get in a situation like OP did

[tombstoner139]

what i think you have is a form of survivors guilt.
you could try and contact the police in Pakistan email should work.

[Thimagryn]

Read a news story a while back about a poor rural family in China being forced off their property because the government wanted the land. The Gov bought the surrounding land and was forcing the family to sign over their land, but they refused. Soon they sent groups of people to try to force them out physically. A group of 30 enters the house and harms the mother physically. The father and son happened to practice kung fu, and they kicked the ass of 7 of em and made the others run out of the house and keep a distance. They even shot a video clip of the aftermath and put it up on the internet, granting them some internet fame.

This is what most people who read stuff like this play in their heads of how justice and karma prevails. However, the sad truth is after the events they feared for their lives and didn't dare leave the house for long; and a group of 50 people were sent to get them out of the house soon after. Even the police wouldn't help them, and the family was moved off the land. This is the sad truth of reality, and while having fought back they might have bought some time, it didn't do much but escalate an already bad situation.

It takes more than balls and a good heart to deal with these kind of problems, you also need the power and support to make sure you're not just making the situation worse.