Crash

According to John Stuart Mill, an individual is at liberty to do whatever he or she chooses as long as they do not harm others in the process.   However, this liberty is consistently being constricted by societal norms or as Mill would refer to as the Tyranny of the majority.   In the movie Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, a set of individuals experience racial and social tensions and in turn unintentionally affect each others lives in a profound way.   None of the characters turn out be the person that they are at first perceived to be.   What constitutes a good person and a bad person, if we all act solely and selfishly in order to benefit ourselves?   Is a person that thinks negatively but acts positively necessarily any better than a person that thinks positively, and when given the chance to correct a negativity, but does nothing at all?
    John Ryan(Matt Dillon), is a white officer in the LAPD.   His racism seems to manifest from a deeper anger and frustration.   When Officer Ryan pulls over the black couple Cameron(Terrance Howard) and Christine Thayer(Thandie Newton), he searches them both for weapons even though they seem to pose no threat; in the process he sexually molests the aggravated and slightly intoxicated Christine.   Then in a surprising turn of events Officer Ryan is on a scene of an accident and finds no other then Christine in a compromising position.   He offers to help her but understandably fights him off as he is the person that molested her before.   When it seemed as if there is no way of saving Christine, John risks his life to pull Christine out of the car before it explodes.   In his introductory Mill writes, “He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right”(Mill, 4).   In this instance Officer Ryan was compelled to save Christine’s life; not because it would make him happier, nor was it wise,...