A Tale of Two Lunch Counters

With apologies to Charles Dickens, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  Compare these two scenes at lunch counters.

February 1, 1960, four young black college students walked into a F.W. Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina.  They bought a few items and went to the lunch counter and asked to be served.  They knew they probably would not be served because the Woolworth chain practiced segregation and refused to serve blacks.  The four young men sat quietly at the counter until closing time, when they peacefully left.  They returned the following day, dressed in suits, white shirts, and ties.  They sat at the lunch counter, and respectfully asked to be served.  When they were refused, the men sat at the counter, studying their textbooks, until the business closed and they left.  These four young men inspired a movement that soon grew to include over 70,000 participants all over the south.  The behavior of these young men changed the racist views of people all over the south.  You should check this page to learn more about the sit-in movement.

April 21, 2011, a McDonald's restaurant in the Baltimore area.  Two young black women, one 18, the other 14 attacked and beat a young woman in front of the restroom area of the restaurant.  The restaurant was not crowded, but in the video recorded by a McDonald's employee, at least three other young black men were present and watching the beating.  Early in the video, the manager (one of the males present) steps toward the beating victim and herds one of the attackers away while he picks up something off the floor.  He turns his back as the attackers rush back in and begin kicking the victim in the head.   The manager is not seen again in the video, although he is heard complaining that she is "bleeding on my ****ing floor."  The one person who does try to help is an older, probably early 60's, white woman.  The older woman may have prevented the assault from becoming a murder.  The attackers try to drag the victim, by her hair, out the front door.  The older woman is able to stop them by standing over the victim as she is being dragged.  The attackers drop the victim, but continue to kick her in the head and stomach until she begins to have seizures.  According to the police report, one of the attackers punched the older woman in the face before leaving.  By the way, leaving at the urging of the employees because the police are coming, and "she's bleeding, yo!"  If you have the stomach for it, you can see the video posted by the now former McDonald's employee.

What would those four young men at the Woolworth's counter in 1960 think of the inaction of the men at the McDonald's in 2011?  Imagine the four young men from 1960 in the 2011 McDonald's.  What do you think they would've done?  Imagine the four young men from 2011 in the 1960 Woolworth's.  What do you think they would've done?