Heroes, Fools and Everyone In Between

Photo by Franki Chamaki on Unsplash

There’s been an incident in my hometown that quickly went viral far beyond the borders of this country. In the CCTV cam video, we see a burglar come into a grocery store, pulling out a rifle and trying to pull a robbery which goes horribly wrong when he’s confronted by the clerk, a fierce lady who decided to show him he made a terrible mistake. We see them fighting on the floor, rolling over, she tries to wriggle the rifle out of his hands and protect herself. After it was triggered by chance, the situation entangles further and we see a young man at the door of the shop. He takes a peak, sees the whole mess inside and decides to flees the scene. Eventually, the clerk succeeds in chasing the man in the black jacket out of the shop with his rifle still in his hands. This started a whole discussion about each of the three protagonists and how it reflects on the society we live in. Because metaphorically speaking, it was the perfect metaphor.

1. The Burglar

We are still in the dark regarding the man’s identity but it’s obvious he’s an adult and knows how to handle a weapon. Fortunately not enough to kill someone, as it turned out in the end. This isn’t the first time women were attacked here in recent times, because some of it was, to paraphrase Agatha Christie, murder most foul. Because there are few who manage to survive direct attacks like this one. This wasn’t a fit of jealousy or revenge like other cases, but plain and simple, an attempt to clean out the register and flee with hopefully enough cash to make it worth all the stress. After all, she won’t hand it to him if he politely asks for it. Since it’s a small grocery store, it was highly unlikely the loot would be big enough. Yet, the guy went in and behind one of the aisles took the weapon to threaten the clerk. I trust it won’t be long before he’s been found because this story is big enough to make him think twice before attempting something like this again. Not that it would stop him from doing it, unfortunately.

2. The Clerk

The clerk, a middle-aged woman called Fikreta, is now having her 15 minutes of fame with her name plastered all over the media. A sign of courage and hope in an age of cynicism and desperation of a society that gives its people few reasons to be optimistic about their own future. I’m still unfamiliar with the name of the shop but as soon as I find out, I’ll do my groceries over there. In most shops, you’ll never run into a male cashier, like the one next door to me. Here the vibe feels like a group therapy session gone very wrong. The employees visibly don’t care about customers. The passive aggression between them is as sharp as a knife blade. There are few basic rules they didn’t break already, like smoking inside, next to the fruit corner while you’re busy picking bananas or apples. The coven running this place wouldn’t even try to stop that burglar, handing him the money by themselves instead. Not least because the only thing they hate more than each other is their boss. That’s why the unassuming heroine is even more emblematic of something we collectively lack as a community.

3. The Witness

During the incident, on the CCTV tape, we see a man at the door, coming in. However, when he sees the fight between them, he decides against intervening and escapes instead. Since it turned out that the person in question was a semi-famous singer, all kinds of insults have been thrown at him. Lack of bravery, compassion and plain old chicken shit without an ounce of morals and strength. Especially on social media, which is essentially the primary court room of public opinion where nobody needs an arrest warrant in order to put you in front of a jury. We have already collectively shamed him and it’s nagging, as he tries to excuse it through the fact that his wife and kid were waiting outside in the car. Depending on your view, this isn’t exactly much of an attitude. There are some who expressed support, but he’s unwillingly become a part of this story that’s not going away any time soon. Of course, there’s the eternal dilemma: what would you have done in that situation? Most would have done the same.

Photo by nrd on Unsplash

Ever since the unfortunate event, there are several prevalent reactions and conflicting narratives regarding it. After it hit maximum outreach and poured over deep into the nooks and crannies of Reddit, which usually happens sooner or later, heads cooled and some hearts changed. Panic mode always triggers our most basic, primal instincts hence it’s more or less unsurprising that she went into counterattack mode, it was almost like watching a 1980’s B-movie. In a time where the attention span has shrinked so much it can barely handle a 90-minute movie, this was perfect fodder due to its fingerfood-sized timeline. But I’d say there’s a deeper meaning in all of this if you’d care to look for it. A metaphor for our relationship to society and the country we live in. A diagnosis of priorities and principles.

1. Hero

From the very start, Fikreta was praised for her gutsy, swift move that prevented more than just a burglary. It takes heavy-weight cojones to stand up to an armed bully like that. She had bigger ones than many men in my gym, whose pecs are larger than their heads. Just like we did in the 1990s wars, we prevented an invasion whenever we could because the world isn’t yours for the taking by default. We aren’t entitled to things just because we want them. Fikreta put her foot down, like a soldier raising his chin up instead of burying his head in the sand. A similar approach to our whole system would improve it, because it would demand accountability and protection from illegalities. If you don’t keep your house clean, don’t be surprised when the rats move in. Which is more or less exactly what happened when we allowed corruption to fester in the structure that sustains the frame of society we inhabit. She did what she was paid for: make sure there’s no disturbance, mess or well, stuff like this.

2. Fool

Others condemned her, expressing their dismay at the very thought to risk your life for a meager salary and a boss who doesn’t respect you enough. We dismissed her as a fool for doing what she did. Some suggested she could have lost her life when she’s got kids and family to take care of. First, we don’t know if she does and second, she’s a mammal for fuck’s sake, and that’s what they do. Many would have let him take whatever he wants and leave. But this is also a mirror of our relationship to the community. If we aren’t ready to protect something bigger than ourselves, it will be taken from us as easily as stealing candy from a kid. I’m talking about the big stuff, like human rights. Or humans that don’t look and speak like us, to be exact. Paralyzed with fear and groomed into obedience, we’ll prefer waiting for problems to simply go away rather than risk our lives solving them. But that’s a game you’re bound to lose. With a mind like this, I have no idea how we managed to win a war. That requires bravery and a collective goal.

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4. Witness: the Moral Dilemma

The singer couldn’t escape a piece of humble pie here either. Many commentators scolded him for not helping the woman who was withing inches of losing her life for a handful of cash. He retorted his family was waiting for him in their car and it would be irresponsible to put himself into a position like this. It doesn’t change the fact it would have been much less likely the burglar would run away so easily if the guy had decided to help her. When his identity was uncovered, there was a regular storm on social media which put him in front of the usual firing squad. Just like with her, there were some who took his side and praised him for prioritizing his family over a virtual stranger. But this is indicative of a wider behavioral pattern. We avoid confrontation. It doesn’t matter if it’s about a neighbor who’s abusive to his wife or mobbing in your child’s school. We don’t want to stir the pot even if the price is someone else’s dignity or safety.

In my own building, there are people with problematic behavior which everyone found inacceptable, but nobody dared to confront them. When I decided to step up and do it, it was me who was scolded for upsetting them. It happens everywhere: that’s why they avoid protests of any kind. In their eyes, it’s just an inconvenience. Even if the system is keeping them at the bottom of the ladder, they’ll avoid destroying it since change is unpredictable. You don’t trust them because they’re not mom’s second cousin who went to school with you and they won’t do you a favor whenever you need it. Hence the judgement of everyone who think and do outside of this box. Those who judge Fikreta instead of admiring her have been hiding in their comfort zone from the real world for far too long.

What happened in that little grocery store is remarkable in many ways. It paints a grim picture of the society we live in. The digital world tore down geographical barriers, but in the real world, the distance between us has never been bigger. Hiding in our little bubble, we pass by each other, barely noticing the world around us and a podcast in our earbuds silencing the chirpy sounds of spring. The cherry trees are already in bloom, their fragrance soothing our atrophied hearts. You’re not necessarily a bad guy if you don’t jump at an armed lunatic and run for your life, even if there’s someone else who needs help. Just don’t claim the moral highground, the only one deserving of it was the woman who, maybe for the first time, got appreciation for doing what’s right instead of what benefits her. Our government could take a hint too. But they won’t and they never did.