But we are products of our genetics and environment - both immediate in terms of caregivers and at large in terms of the society we live in - as we get older we become more responsible for the environment we put ourselves in (though how much those “choices” are determined by our genes/upbringing is another story) but…

Absolutely. I agree. So what happened to these kids - or what was lacking from their lives in terms of adult guidance - that caused them to behave this way? That’s what I’m asking. Instead of just dismissing them as monsters.

Here’s my humble contribution to the fixing of the problem for today: Don’t dismiss these children as monsters. Don’t decry their lack of empathy by failing to have empathy for them yourself.

It’s not that I’m saying they did nothing wrong - I’m saying something wrong was done to them - either directly or by what they’ve absorbed from the world around them - to make them behave this way. Something totally beyond their control at this point in their lives.

Definitely not, but I’ll probably be up for a batin’ session later tonight - wife has to work in the morning.

Of course not. But without good guidance a child simply exposed to the world at large would see a lot of callousness and a lot of devaluing of life. Poor, black children in particular have seen a lot of “evidence” that their lives don’t matter, so without strong assurances from adults in their lives that they do in…

I don’t know why I have it - I don’t know why I wouldn’t have hesitated to help that man - I know it probably wouldn’t have felt like a choice. So if I don’t CHOOSE to BE empathetic, why would I assume that those kids CHOSE to NOT BE empathetic? Something must have happened to them to make that their natural reaction,…

I can’t argue with the GIF.

Yeah, yeah, sure. Just try to understand that our behaviour is basically a product of our genetics and environment, neither of which we have much control over, especially as children.

You don’t know shit.

Sorry, I know you didn’t, that’s sort of the general vibe of the comment section that got me posting that comment. If anything yours is one of the most sympathetic.

Not the “real” victims, just additional victims.

And I agree with you there - I don’t mean to suggest that many people in similar circumstances would do the same thing - that would be a very disrespectful implication. I guess my even more specific point is that my reaction to something like this isn’t to wish these children to burn in hell or whatever, but to feel…

And furthermore (again, sorry), don’t stories like this only serve to further the narrative that black people - their children even! - are inhumane monsters! When instead we should be wondering why some of them are they behaving like inhumane monsters and how we all might be responsible?

Weird presumption. And very incorrect.

I understand the problems in some, maybe most, of the countries with starving populations are more complex than just throwing money at them. My point is, does anyone really care? How many people give a thought to it other than when they see a commercial? How many people could easily commit to one (or two or ten or…

Furthermore, doesn’t the fact that a Good Samaritan Law doesn’t even exist there just prove my point?

Free will...take a psychology class or two and get back to me on “free will”.

Canadian here - I hope we grant them asylum.

The adults don’t actually grow out of it! How many thousands of people do American adults tacitly consent to the slaughter of? You sit by and let MILLIONS of children around the world STARVE TO DEATH and think it’s okay to eat like hogs and allow your citizens to accumulate massive amounts of wealth and live decadent…