Bystander Operating Procedure

As the election season heats up and candidates appear at "town hall" style meetings for broadcast media, I would like to draw attention to the remarkable work of Jason Rohrer, who explains his game Police Brutality for The Escapist here. What's remarkable about his commentary is the way that he uses the following two YouTube videos to make a point about spectatorship and intervention. Like the video of a UCLA student being tased by law enforcement in the library, this video shot at University of Florida shows a boisterous student being tased after questioning former presidential candidate John Kerry while horrified onlookers scream in outrage. In comparing the two videos, Rohrer's point is that onlookers were too slow to respond or intervene.





His game rewards fast hand-eye coordination and attention to the dynamics of crowds. You can download the Police Brutality game here.