Topic #3: Nefarious Bystanders CAT B'nai Mitzvah Class

Who Killed Jamel Dunn? .

Excerpts from an article in The Huffington Post:

In the video, Jamel Dunn can be seen flailing in the middle of a Florida pond, his head sinking deeper in the water with every gasping breath. In the background, teenagers are laughing and mocking him. “Ain’t nobody’s gonna help you,” one yells. Seconds later, Dunn, age 31, drowns.

Months after the July episode, which was posted online and seen by millions, the teens have faced public outrage, but no legal action. While many agree that what they did was immoral, it wasn’t illegal — and not everyone thinks it should be.

There is no law in Florida — or in most states — that requires someone to act when they see someone else in grave danger. There is no duty to attempt a rescue, or even to call for help.

That’s unconscionable for many who watched Dunn’s drowning, including lawmakers in Arizona and Florida who are now drafting proposals that would make it illegal to sit idly by if you see someone in grave danger.

But libertarians oppose the laws. David Hyman, a law professor at Georgetown University, and Eugene Volokh, a law professor at UCLA, say the laws aren’t likely to change the behavior of people who witness emergencies and, if they do, the consequences of having a law in place would outweigh the benefits.

Imposing a duty to rescue, Hyman said, may actually make situations more deadly by compelling people to act in often perilous circumstances. And the laws may actually make it less likely that people who witness criminal acts cooperate with police, Volokh said. If a witness knows the law requires them to immediately report what they see, and they don’t, they may be less likely to come forward later out of fear that they will be prosecuted.

Moral questions:

• Did the teenagers who stood and did nothing do anything wrong? Explain WHY you believe that.
• If you were going to create a law about this, what would it say?

Sources of Certainty

.

How do you know if something is really true or if you're just making it up, dreaming it up or lying to yourself? We'll be asking that question over and over and over... so get ready to answer!

Jewish Library Catalog

.

Torah:

The Torah is a written response of Israel's encounter with God. In some traditions, God gave specific directions that the people should follow forever and they were written down by Moses at Mt. Sinai. In other traditions, there is a written law as well as a spoken tradition (Mishnah and Talmud) that God provided at the same time. Some Jews believe that human beings created the Torah as a way of structuring Israelite society or even as a poetic response to a sacred, spiritual experience. The Talmud states that every piece of learning, inspiration and wisdom that we create ourselves ultimately comes from our encounter with God at Mt. Sinai. That's kinda cool.

​​​​​​​Adding Jewish Sources to the Conversation:

• Did the teenagers who stood and did nothing do anything wrong? Go back to your explanations of WHY and now add Jewish sources to prove your point.

• Based on what we learned from Jewish tradition, what changes would you make to your "Laws" relating to this case?