Many of you will have heard about the horrific rape case that happened at Stanford. An unconscious woman was raped, two men came along and saw it happening, stopped it, and captured the rapist. The rapist was then convicted and got only six months. There is much to be upset about in this case. However, what I am choosing to focus on are those two men who made such a difference in that victim’s life. If they had not stopped to help the violence could have been worse and she may never have known what happened to her and the perpetrator may never have been caught. Because they saw something that looked wrong to them they stepped up and got involved and saved this woman from further trauma. The only reason there was a conviction in this case is because of these two young men.

What I admire even more than their willingness to get involved is that they have subsequently declined their 15 minutes of fame. There is very little about them on the Internet and they have refused to make statements overall. Afterall the Chewbacca Lady got to be on the morning shows so I am quite sure these young men could have had their moment too if they had chosen that. The only thing they have said was in response to the victims statement.

“Jonsson, one of the men posted the victim’s letter on his Facebook page Tuesday, thanking friends and strangers for all the “encouragement and support” over the past few months. He said he would not publicly comment on the process or outcome of the trial, but asked everyone to read her letter. “To me it is unique in its form,” he wrote, “and comes as close as you can possibly get to putting words on an experience that words cannot describe.”(From Buzz Feed)

I often think about all the good deeds I have seen posted on Facebook. I wonder how many of them are true and how many of them would have still happened if the person did not have the opportunity to post their goodness for all the world to see. These men did the right thing and their names are only public because of their testimony in the court case.

Don’t get me wrong I like seeing the good things people do for each other. In today’s world with so much gloom and doom on the Internet it is always nice to read a feel good story. But at the same time I wish people would be kind just because it is right. Not for praise or rewards but because our world needs lots of kindness. I hope these men can inspire us all to do be kind and to get involved when the situation calls for it, even when it is hard.

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